_Source._--From the Chap-book, _c._ 1660, in the Pepysian Library,
edited for the Villon Society by Mr. G.L. Gomme. Mr. Nutt, who kindly
abridged it for me, writes, "Nothing in the shape of incident has been
omitted, and there has been no rewriting beyond a phrase here and there
rendered necessary by the process of abridgment. But I have in one case
altered the sequence of events putting the fight with the giant last."
_Parallels._--There are similar adventures of giants in Hunt's Cornish
_Drolls_. Sir Francis Palgrave (_Quart. Rev._, vol. xxi.), and after
him, Mr. Gomme, have drawn attention to certain similarities with the
Grettir Saga, but they do not extend beyond general resemblances of
great strength. Mr. Gomme, however, adds that the cartwheel "plays a not
unimportant part in English folk-lore as a representative of old runic
faith" (Villon Soc. edition, p. xv.).
_Remarks._--Mr. Gomme, in his interesting Introduction, points out
several indications of considerable antiquity for the legend, various
expressions in the Pepysian Chap-book ("in the marsh of the Isle of
Ely," "good ground"), indicating that it could trace back to the
sixteenth century. On the other hand, there is evidence of local
tradition persisting from that time onward till the present day (Weaver,
_Funerall Monuments_, 1631, pp. 866-7; Spelman, _Icenia_, 1640, p. 138;
Dugdale, _Imbanking_, 1662 (ed. 1772, p. 244); Blomefield, _Norfolk_,
1808, ix., pp. 79, 80). These refer to a sepulchral monument in Tylney
churchyard which had figured on a stone coffin an axle-tree and
cart-wheel. The name in these versions of the legend is given as
Hickifric, and he is there represented as a village Hampden who
withstood the tyranny of the local lord of the manor. Mr. Gomme is
inclined to believe, I understand him, that there is a certain amount of
evidence for Tom Hickathrift being a historic personality round whom
some of the Scandinavian mythical exploits have gathered. I must refer
to his admirable Introduction for the ingenious line of reasoning on
which he bases these conclusions. Under any circumstances no English
child's library of folk-tales can be considered complete that does not
present a version of Mr. Hickathrift's exploits.