On the island of Vising, in Lake Vetter, there lived in olden times,
two mighty kings, the one in Näsbo and the other in the castle of
Borga, at opposite extremities of the island. A controversy arising
about the division of land, the King of Näsbo consulted a Troll named
Gilbertil, who lived in the parish of Ölmstad, in Östergötland, and
engaged him to dig a ditch through the island, thus dividing it into
two parts. Gilbertil undertook the work, and began digging at Näs,
where a deep pit, even to this day, is pointed out as marking the spot.
When the king of Borga became aware of this, he sent an invitation to
Kettil Runske, another notorious Troll man who lived in the parish of
Habo, in Vestergötland. Kettil Runske accepted the invitation, and at
once set out for the island with the returning messengers, to whom his
presence on the boat, though he was invisible, was made known because
of the boat being borne down into the water to its gunwale. They were
also made aware of his departure from them, when they neared the
castle, by the sudden rising of the boat as if relieved of a heavy
burden.
To accomplish his undertaking, Gilbertil intended, apparently, to make
an underground canal from shore to shore of the island, and allow the
water to complete the excavation, and had already progressed to a point
just north of Kumlaby, about half way through the island, when Kettil
discovered his whereabouts, and opening the grounds above him commanded
Gilbertil to cease digging. Gilbertil met the command with mockery and
scorn, whereupon Kettil threw his Troll staff at him. Gilbertil
intercepted the missile in the air, but his hands clove to the staff so
that he could not free them. In the effort to release himself he
endeavored to break it with his feet, but they also stuck to it. In
extreme rage he then attempted to tear himself loose with his teeth,
which also became fastened. Thus bound, hands, feet and mouth, Kettil
threw him into the deep hole which is now to be seen in the meadow of
Kumlaby, and which has received the name of Gilbertil’s hole.