During the early half of the Seventeenth Century many of the best
estates in Skåne belonged to the family of Barkenow, or more correctly,
to the principal representative of the family, Madame Margaretta
Barkenow, daughter of the renowned general and governor-general, Count
Rutger Von Ascheberg, and wife of Colonel Kjell Kristofer Barkenow.
A widow at twenty-nine, she took upon herself the management of her
many estates, in the conduct of which she ever manifested an
indomitable, indefatigable energy, and a never-ceasing care for her
numerous dependents.
On a journey over her estates, Madame Margaretta came, one evening, to
Fjelkinge’s inn, and persisted in sleeping in a room which was called
the “ghost’s room.” A traveler had, a few years before, slept in this
room, and as it was supposed had been murdered, at least the man and
his effects had disappeared, leaving no trace of what had become of
them. After this his ghost appeared in the room nightly, and those who
were acquainted with the circumstance, traveled to the next post, in
the dark, rather than choose such quarters for the night. Margaretta
was, however, not among this number. She possessed greater courage, and
without fear chose the chamber for her sleeping room.
After her evening prayers she retired to bed and sleep, leaving the
lamp burning. At twelve o’clock she was awakened by the lifting up of
two boards in the floor, and from the opening a bloody form appeared,
with a cloven head hanging upon its shoulders.
“Noble lady,” whispered the apparition, “I beg you prepare, for a
murdered man, a resting place in consecrated ground, and speed the
murderer to his just punishment.”
Pure in heart, therefore not alarmed, Lady Margaretta beckoned the
apparition to come nearer, which it did, informing her that it had
entreated others, who after the murder had slept in the room, but that
none had the courage to comply. Then Lady Margaretta took from her
finger a gold ring, laid it in the gaping wound, and bound the
apparition’s head up with her pocket handerchief. With a glance of
unspeakable thankfulness the ghost revealed the name of the murderer
and disappeared noiselessly beneath the floor.
The following morning Lady Margaretta instructed the bailiff of the
estate to assemble the people at the post house, where she informed
them what had happened during the night, and commanded that the planks
of the floor be taken up. Here, under the ground, was discovered a half
decomposed corpse, with the countess’ ring in the hole in its skull,
and her handkerchief bound around its head.
At sight of this, one of those present grew pale and fainted to the
ground. Upon being revived he confessed that he had murdered the
traveler and robbed him of his goods. He was condemned to death for his
crime, and the murdered man received burial in the parish church-yard.
The ring, which is peculiarly formed and set with a large grayish
chased stone, remains even now in the keeping of the Barkenow family,
and is believed to possess miraculous powers in sickness, against evil
spirits and other misfortunes. When one of the family dies it is said
that a red, bloodlike spot appears upon the stone.