Also called The Courting of the Mountain Troll, Herr Mannelig is a beautiful Swedish ballad about a troll who wishes to marry Sir Mannelig. She desperately offers him treasures trying to convince him to take her hand. The troll's marriage to Herr Mannelig is implied to have the power to end her torment and lift the curse that afflicts her. Although adorned with magic, this plot can sometimes echo social or religious struggles often present prior to a wedding in our modern age. This piece serves as a testimony that such struggles are, and have always been, human and not product of a modern era.
Early one morning before the sun did rise
And the birds sang their sweet song
The mountain troll proposed to the fair squire
She had a false deceitful tongue
Sir Mannelig, Sir Mannelig won't you marry me?
For all that I'll gladly give you
You may answer only yes or no
Will you do so or no?
To you I will give the twelve great steeds
That graze in a shady grove
Never has a saddle been mounted on their backs
Nor had a bit in their mouths
To you I will give the twelve fine mills
That stand between Tillo and Terno
The mill stones are made of the reddest brass
And the wheels are silver-laden
To you I will give the gilded sword
That jingles from fifteen gold rings
And strike with it in battle as you will
On the battlefield you will conquer
To you I will give a brand new shirt
The lustrous best for to wear
It is not sewn with needle or thread
But crocheted of the whitest silk
Gifts such as these I would gladly receive
If you were a Christian woman
But I know you are the worst mountain troll
From the spawn of the Neck and the devil
The mountain troll ran out the door
She wailed and she shrieked so loudly
"Had I gotten that handsome squire
From my torment I would be free now"
Sir Mannelig, Sir Mannelig won't you marry me?
For all that I'll gladly give you
You may answer only yes or no
Will you do so or no?
There are a few bands and musicians who have released their own versions of this ballad in different languages. For those interested in listening to it, I strongly recommend the Italian version by Haggard, also called Herr Mannelig.
Early one morning before the sun did rise
And the birds sang their sweet song
The mountain troll proposed to the fair squire
She had a false deceitful tongue
Sir Mannelig, Sir Mannelig won't you marry me?
For all that I'll gladly give you
You may answer only yes or no
Will you do so or no?
To you I will give the twelve great steeds
That graze in a shady grove
Never has a saddle been mounted on their backs
Nor had a bit in their mouths
To you I will give the twelve fine mills
That stand between Tillo and Terno
The mill stones are made of the reddest brass
And the wheels are silver-laden
To you I will give the gilded sword
That jingles from fifteen gold rings
And strike with it in battle as you will
On the battlefield you will conquer
To you I will give a brand new shirt
The lustrous best for to wear
It is not sewn with needle or thread
But crocheted of the whitest silk
Gifts such as these I would gladly receive
If you were a Christian woman
But I know you are the worst mountain troll
From the spawn of the Neck and the devil
The mountain troll ran out the door
She wailed and she shrieked so loudly
"Had I gotten that handsome squire
From my torment I would be free now"
Sir Mannelig, Sir Mannelig won't you marry me?
For all that I'll gladly give you
You may answer only yes or no
Will you do so or no?
There are a few bands and musicians who have released their own versions of this ballad in different languages. For those interested in listening to it, I strongly recommend the Italian version by Haggard, also called Herr Mannelig.