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Post by dem bones on Jan 12, 2024 18:38:45 GMT
The Barnekow's Ring
The following is a story of one of the oldest families in Sweden, and is perfectly true: —
Countess Barnekow, an elderly lady and widow of one of Charles XII's officers, in the year 1700 was driving round in her four-in-hand paying her workmen on her different estates (as she owned at least seven castles in the south of Sweden) when she suddenly decided to visit a friend in a town several miles away. It was late when she set off, and was a very dark, stormy, snowy night (being in the month of November). Owing to the weather conditions she never reached her destination, and had to put up in a little inn within seven miles of the town. On asking for a room she was told there was only one left and it was haunted, and the landlord did not think it advisable that she should take it. However, being a very courageous old lady, she decided to take it.
Shortly afterwards she was in bed and sleeping soundly. She awoke, however, hearing peculiar sounds in the room. Lighting her candle, she was amazed to see in the middle of the room several planks in the floor moving, and presently a man appeared, of middle age, and with a cut in his head. She, feeling very upset, asked him what was wrong, to which he replied that he was murdered fifteen years ago, and ever since had been lying underneath the floor, and would she please promise him a decent burial in a grave-yard? She at once agreed to arrange this, and as a proof that she would keep her word she took off her crest ring, and dropping it into the cut in his head, she wrapped a handkerchief round the entire head, and with that he disappeared.
Calling up the landlord, she told her story, and made him promise next morning to investigate the room. Accordingly next day some men were told to take up the floor. This is what they found. A man's body with a cut in his head, a handkerchief round his head, a crest ring in the cut. The body was accordingly buried in the grave-yard.
Not long after this strange happening a workman on one of her estates admitted that he was the murderer of this man fifteen years ago, that he had been badly in need of money, and knowing this man to have money, he robbed and murdered him, and afterwards hid him under the floor of that room in the inn. The murderer, of course, was suitably punished.
The strangest part of the story is this. The crest ring is to-day in the possession of one of the oldest members of the family, and a few days previous to a death of any one person in the Barnekow family (and there are many families), on that ring is shown a red spot. To give an instance of this. There was, not long ago a red spot seen on this ring; the man who owned the ring knowing a cousin's father lay very ill, rang at once to him advising him at once to go to his father's bedside, which he did and was just in time to bid him farewell. — C. M. B.
— The Tatler, April 20, 1927
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