A clergyman's wife in Swedish Lappmark, the cleverest
midwife in all Sweden, was summoned one fine summer's evening to attend a
mysterious being of Troll race and great might, called Vitra. At this unusual
call she took counsel with her husband, who, however, deemed it best for her
to go. Her guide led her into a splendid building, the rooms whereof were
as clean and elegant as those of very illustrious folk; and in a beautiful
bed lay a still more beautiful woman, for whom her services were required,
and who was no other than Vitra herself. Under the midwife's care Vitra speedily
gave birth to a fair girl, and in a few minutes had entirely recovered, and
fetched all sorts of refreshments, which she laid before her benefactress.
The latter refused to eat, in spite of Vitra's reassuring persuasion, and
further refused the money which the troll-wife pressed upon her. Vitra then
sent her home, bidding her look on the table when next she entered her cowherd
hut and see what she would find there. She thought no more of the matter until
the following spring, when on entering the hut she found on the table half
a dozen large spoons of pure silver with her name engraved thereon in neat
letters. These spoons long remained an heirloom in the clergyman's family
to testify the truth of the story.
Source: Edwin Sidney Hartland: The Science of
Fairy Tales: An Inquiry into Fairy Mythology (London: Walter Scott, 1891),
p. 38.
Note : For another version of the same tale see
" Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition
of Various Countries (London: H. G. Bohn, 1850), pp. 122-123. quoted in Volume
Four of "Folktales of the Northern Traditions".