The Necks, or water-spirits, are renowned for their love and talent for
music. There exist, people say, various kinds of these interesting
creatures. The Swedes relate wonderful stories respecting the marvellous
harp-playing of a Neck called Strˆmkarl, who generally prefers the
vicinity of water-mills and cascades for his abode. In olden times,
before the introduction of Christianity into Sweden, the people used to
sacrifice a black lamb to the Strˆmkarl, who, in return, taught them his
charming music. Also the Norwegians sacrificed formerly to a similar
Neck, called Fossegrim. He taught his enchanting harp-playing to anyone
who on a Thursday evening would throw a young white ram into a river
flowing northwards, meanwhile averting his face.[72]
The Neck, or Nicker, has become quite a stranger in England. Some
Englishmen, however, take care to preserve his name, applying it to a
spirit of another element than water, and everyone knows at once whom
they mean when they speak of "Old Nick."
It is said that there are still to be found in Sweden minstrels who have
learnt their music from the Necks. A certain farm in Smaland, called
Neckaryd, has, according to popular tradition, derived its name from
having been inhabited in olden time by a family of minstrels whose name
was Neckar, and who learnt their music from a Neck. The last survivors
of this remarkable family are still remembered by the people. They were
four brothers who used to play at weddings and on other festive
occasions. Their grandfather is said to have first played the following
Necken-Polska, which is still a favourite national dance in Sweden.
[Music]
In some districts of Sweden this tune is played with C-natural, instead
of C-sharp, in the first bar. The former is the older form, and may
therefore be regarded as exhibiting more accurately the tune as
originally derived from the Neck, than the present notation with
C-sharp, which is, however, now almost universally adopted. Another
tune, which is likewise said to have been caught from hearing it played
by a Neck, and which is certainly a very old favourite of the people, is
as follows:--
[Music]
This tune exhibits less the characteristics of the old Swedish
dance-tunes than the former, which, like most of them, is in the Minor
Key.