Tales from the Fjeld: A Second Series of Popular Tales

In Short

This second collection of traditional Norwegian folk stories gathers lively tales told around the fireside to pass the time on the wet and windy mountain fjelds. Filled with resourceful underdogs like Boots, magical transformations, talking animals, greedy trolls, and hazardous quests, the stories capture the rugged humor and imaginative spirit of rural Norway. Characters outsmart supernatural foes, trick unyielding kings, and earn kingdoms through sharp wits rather than brute force. Preserved through oral tradition, these vibrant tales endure because of their warm, practical humor, timeless morality, and direct, conversational charm.

The Story

The collection unfolds as a frame narrative set high up on the fjelds, where a group of companions and local guides take refuge indoors from howling winds and torrential rain. To kill time while house-bound, they turn to storytelling, taking turns unsealing their scrips of traditional Norse lore.

The tales range from brief, absurd fables to sweeping, multi-stage quests. In many, the recurring figure of Boots—the ignored youngest brother who spends his time sitting by the hearth—uses his patience and quick wit to overcome impossible tasks. When kings demand magical items, towering bridges built over perilous waters, or impossible feasts cooked in minutes, Boots steps up while his arrogant older brothers fail miserably. Along his journeys, he routinely shows kindness to strangers, magical creatures, or old hags, earning invaluable companions and enchanted relics like tablecloths that spawn banquets or magical swords that bring the dead back to life.

Supernatural adversaries loom large across the landscape. Cunning men pull one over on Old Nick, tricking him out of soul-dues or out-maneuvering his traps. Elsewhere, brave maidens stumble upon dangerous houses hidden deep in the forest, narrowly avoiding murderous fate by keeping their wits about them when birds offer subtle warnings. Magical transformations run rampant: a princess turns into a silver fish, a lump of silver, and a blooming linden tree to escape a cruel, scheming cook; an loyal fox guides a prince through treacherous betrayals by his own brothers before demanding to be beheaded, revealing himself to be a enchanted prince.

Even Death appears in these lands, bargaining with a clever lad over a keg of magical ale that cures the sick, only to be outsmarted when a prince's bed is turned around to trick the grim reaper's placement. Absurd local characters also share the spotlight, from a foolish bridegroom who accidentally burns his house down and mistakes a goat in his bed for his bride, to a gluttonous cat who gobbles up everything in her path—from porridge and cows to wolves and bears—until her bloated vanity gets the better of her.

Throughout each journey, greedy villains and deceitful impostors meet gruesome ends, often rolled down steep hills in barrels studded with iron nails or cast into pits of snakes. Meanwhile, the humble, honest, and clever protagonists earn half the kingdom, win lovely princesses, and host grand bridal feasts whose laughter and cheer echo through the mountains.

How It Unfolds

Stories on the fjeld Trapped indoors by a raging storm that halts their deerstalking, a group of travelers cajoles their local guide, Anders, and other companions into sharing traditional Norse stories to pass the long hours.

Boots tricks his way to glory The lowly, neglected youngest brother ventures out into the world, using kindness to gain powerful allies—such as magical animals or mysterious old hags—and acquiring enchanted objects that allow him to outsmart proud monarchs and terrifying trolls.

Escaping supernatural traps Resourceful maidens and travelers navigate dark forests and haunted mills, taking heed of strange warnings from caged birds or clever animals to outwit murderous lovers, witches, and devils.

Trolls and shapeshifters defeated Through relentless transformations into silver fish, linden trees, and wild beasts, true royals endure endless cruelty from wicked impostors before their real identities are uncovered and their captors punished.

The grand wedding feast The deceptive villains are banished or executed in nail-filled casks, leaving the clever underdogs to wed the princesses and host legendary bridal celebrations that echo far across the realm.

The People

Boots (Taper Tom) The unpromising, neglected youngest son who spends his days sitting by the hearth splitting fir tapers. Wanting nothing more than a chance to prove himself, he uses patience, kindness, and sharp practical wits to solve impossible challenges, ultimately winning royal brides and half the kingdom.

Old Nick A foolish devilish figure who tries to demand tolls and souls for his magical engineering feats, only to be outsmarted by clever villagers who catch him in cleft sticks and send him running home to his mother.

The Troll A towering, malevolent creature of the wilderness who hoards eyes, treasures, and captured princesses. Despite his formidable size and magical abilities, his dim wits leave him vulnerable to hot iron bars, clever tricks, and swift decapitation.

The Wicked Cook A scheming, envious antagonist who attempts to murder a true princess, subjecting her to endless shapeshifting torments to take her place, only to be exposed when the enchanted linden tree blooms and reveals the truth.

The Fox A loyal, sharp-minded animal companion who guides a young prince through dangerous quests and rescues him from floating casks, eventually requesting his own decapitation to break a troll's curse and reveal his true identity as a prince.

In Its Own Voice

"Then the king came with the two princesses, and wanted to see the troll, and Glibtongue walked so bent and bowed, his coat tails were higher than his neck."

A boastful impostor tries to steal credit for a hero's brave victory over a monster.

"'Now, life or death is at stake,' said the doctor; 'and I fear, from what I see, there is no hope.'"

A newly minted physician recognizes that Death sits at the head of a prince's bed, signalling an unavoidable end.

"So when they got back home into the porch he turned round, and there lay many many hundred ells of the whitest linen, so fine that the handiest weaving girl could not have woven it finer."

A simple lad discovers that his strange encounter in a underground rat-hole has yielded an unexpected, magnificent treasure.

What It's Really About

Beneath the whimsical surface of talking animals and enchanted objects, the collection explores the triumph of humble practicality over arrogant authority. The stories continuously champion the outcast, the overlooked, and the patient—personified by Boots—against the greed and pomposity of kings, wealthy suitors, and elder brothers.

They serve as a cultural celebration of Norse resilience, emphasizing that survival in a harsh, wild landscape requires sharp wits, generosity to strangers, and humor rather than brute force or noble birth. The narratives reflect a pragmatic worldview where fairness is restored not by abstract morality, but by clever trickery that turns an opponent's greed back upon themselves.

Why Read It Today

This collection will delight lovers of classical folklore, fairy tales, and historical cultural legends. Reading it feels like sitting around a crackling hearth while rain lashes against the windows, listening to an experienced storyteller weave ancient yarns with a dry, ironic smile.

The prose moves at a brisk, energetic pace, peppered with rhythmic repetitions and earthy humor that make the traditional narrative beats feel remarkably modern. While modern readers may encounter period attitudes, casual rural violence toward villains, and repetitive structural tropes common to oral traditions, the book's vibrant voice remains completely engaging.

What lingers long after reading is its absolute warmth, its infectious appreciation for the clever underdog, and the vivid, untamed atmosphere of the Norwegian mountains.