A Walrider in Barßel

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A man from Barßel once cut his grain at night, and, since he became tired around midnight, he laid down beneath a haystack in order to sleep. Then, from a distance, a lovely singing approached, and came closer and ever closer until it was almost adjacent to the resting man. Then, he saw that it was a walrider whose song he had heard and who had traveled here with her boat from England. She put her milk sieve and oar beneath a haystack and went to Barßel to do her business, and he hurried to take those objects for himself. With the beginning of twilight the walrider returned, searched diligently for her gear, and started to wail pitifully as she could not find it. The reaper was moved by this and gave the milk sieve and the oar back, and the walrider promised that she would put a whole roll of linen under the haystack in the next night. The walrider kept her word, the linen was found, and was used up without harm.

A similar story is reported from Scharrel, though there the approaching walrider was surrounded by a whirlwind on her ship.

Source: Strackerjan - Aberglaube und Sagen aus dem Herzogthum Oldenburg - Erster Band, p. 379

caption Note: This story was published in the book Sunken Castles, Evil Poodles: Commentaries on German folklore. Get the book for further context and explanatory commentary!