Upon the height where Svarteborg’s Church is now situated, rose, in
former times, a castle, occupied at the date of our story by a king
named Rane, after whom the fortification took the name of Ranesborg. As
late as a few years ago traces of a wall were to be seen in the
so-called bell-tower, near the church path, which were said to be the
remains of the once stately fortress.
At the time King Rane resided in Ranesborg, there lived not far from
there, upon the Hudt estate, in the parish of Tanum, a Queen Hudta,
widely known for her wealth and beauty, also for her rare bravery and
sour temper.
Enraptured by the king’s fame for bravery, though well along in years,
she sent an embassador to the king offering him her hand, which he
accepted. After a time he fell in love with another and regretted his
previous betrothal, but said nothing to Queen Hudta, who, upon the
appointed day, betook herself, arrayed in queenly garb and glittering
crown, to Ranesborg.
When the bridal car arrived at the castle it was found that the king
had gone on a hunt, and had left word that the queen might return to
her home again. Stung by this bitter affront, the queen commanded her
people to storm the castle and raze it to the ground. Returning to her
horse, when the destruction had been completed, and viewing the black
and smoking ruins of the castle, she thus vented herself:
“Up to the present you have been called Ranesborg, but hereafter you
shall be known as Svarteborg”—Black Castle—and, putting spurs to her
horse, she galloped away from the spot.
When the queen came to the so-called Köpstadbäcken, on her way to
Tanum, she halted at a spring, dismounted and laid her crown and
equipments upon a stone. She then requested a drink, and, the water
being good, the spring was named Godtakällan—good spring.
Meantime Rane, during the chase, had observed the smoke and flames from
his burning castle and set out hastily homeward. At Köpstadbäcken he
came upon the bridal car of the malevolent queen, when he understood
what had taken place, and drawing his sword, he clove the head of his
intended bride. At sight of this her followers at once took to flight,
but they were overtaken and hewn down at Stenehed, where one of the
finest monuments on Bohuslän marks the incident. The murdered queen’s
body was carried to her castle at Hudt, where a large prostrate stone
near the wagon road is said to mark her grave.