The inhabitants of Närike have many stories to relate about an
apparition, called Kate of Ysätter, that in olden times dwelt in Öster
Närike’s forests, but chiefly in the swamps of Ysätter, in the parish
of Asker.
According to the belief of the old people, she existed through many
generations, although she usually made her appearance as a young girl
beautifully clad, and possessing a head of hair of extraordinary
length. She was often seen by hunters sitting upon a stump, combing her
hair which reached to the ground. Those who went to the swamps to wash
their clothes sometimes saw her at a little distance also washing
garments which were of an unusual whiteness. To ugly old women she was
always a terror, and it seemed to be a pleasure to her to mimic them by
keeping time with their motions, but whenever she showed herself it was
for a few seconds only, and should one turn his eyes from her, however
little, she was gone.
In Öster Närike, the routes she took were shown, and many complaints
were heard that she trampled the grain down in her constant journeys
back and forth. Often, especially in the night time, her awful laugh
was heard from her perch on a tree or top of a rock, when she succeeded
in alluring some one from his path, caused him to fall with his load,
or break his harness. Her laugh was like a magpie’s, and caused the
blood of one helpless against her pranks to stand still.
Others who endeavored to stand well with her she assisted in many
instances. “She has gone, the lightning has killed her as the others,”
say the old people, not yet won over to the skepticism of the present
time.
Among those who enjoyed her special favor was a hunter, Bottorpa Lasse.
He was such a skillful shot that if only he stepped out upon the porch
and called a bird, or drew the picture of an animal upon the wall of
the barn, the game he wished was brought within range of his gun.
One time Lasse invited his neighbors to accompany him on a hunt, and,
expecting to bag an abundance of game, they were not slow to accept the
invitation. They betook themselves in the evening to the woods, where
they found shelter in a coal burner’s hut, and prepared to begin the
hunt early in the morning.
Along in the night Kate entered the hut, and requested the hunters to
show her their guns. She first examined those of the hunter’s
neighbors, but soon returned them, exclaiming, “Fie!” She then took
Lasse’s gun, blew down the barrel, examined the priming and handed it
back exclaiming, “Good, good, my boy!” What this signified was soon
manifested, when Lasse secured a fine lot of game and the others did
not so much as get a shot.
It is further related of Kate of Ysätter, that at the burning of the
clock tower of Asker, in the year 1750, when even the church was in
flames and in great danger of destruction, Kate was seen standing on
the roof, opposing their progress.
The last time she made her presence known was at a harvest gathering in
the fields of Ysätter. The harvesters had ceased labor to eat their
luncheon, and when they had eaten themselves into a good humor,
engaging in conversation, which turned upon Kate, a young man declared
he would like nothing better than to catch her and give her a good
whipping for the vexations she had produced in the world. Instantly a
terrific crash was heard in an enclosure near by, and the youth
received a blow in the face that caused the blood to gush from mouth
and nose over the food of the others, changing their butter to blood.
It was after this thought wise to say as little and to have as little
as possible to do with Kate of Ysätter.