'Linden darrar i lunden' ('The Linden Tree Quivers in the Grove') is a Swedish folksong about a young maiden and a werewolf. This song is famously covered by the band Garmarna in their album 'Guds Spelemän (God's Fiddlers)' (1996). Not to spoil it for you, the esteemed and exalted reader, but this story does not end well.
På svensk:
Jungfrun hon skulle åt stugan gå
Linden darrar i lunden
Så tog hon den vägen åt skogen blå
Ty hon var vid älskogen bunden
Och när som hon kom till skogen blå
Linden darrar i lunden
Där mötte henne en ulv så grå
Ty hon var vid älskogen bunden
Kära ulver du bit inte mig
Dig vill jag giva min silversärk
Silversärk jag passar ej på
Ditt unga liv och blod måst gå
Kära du ulver bit inte mig
Linden darrar i lunden
Dig vill jag giva min silversko
Ty hon var vid älskogen bunden
Silversko jag passar ej på
Linden darrar i lunden
Ditt unga liv och blod måst gå
Ty hon var vid älskogen bunden
Kära du ulver du bit inte mig
Dig vill jag giva min guldkrona
Guldkrona jag passar ej på
Ditt unga liv och blod måst gå
Jungfrun hon steg sig så högt i ek
Linden darrar i lunden
Och ulven han gick ner på backen och skrek
Ty hon var vid älskogen bunden
Ulven han grafte den ek till rot
Linden darrar i lunden
Jungfrun gav upp ett så hiskeligt rop
Ty hon var vid älskogen bunden
Och ungersven han sadlar sin gångare grå
Linden darrar i lunden
Han red litet fortare än fågeln flög
Ty hon var vid älskogen bunden
Och när som han kom till platsen fram
Linden darrar i lunden
Så fann han ej mer än en blodiger arm
Ty hon var vid älskogen bunden
Gud trösta Gud bättra mig ungersven
Linden darrar i lunden
Min jungfru är borta min häst är förränd
Ty hon var vid älskogen bunden
In English (translation in the liner notes of Guds Spelemän; seems a little contrived):
The maiden, she would to the cottage go
Linden trees quiver in the grove
So she took the path through the forest blue
She was carrying the fruit of love
And when she reached the forest blue
Linden trees quiver in the grove
There she met with a gray wolf
She was carrying the fruit of love
"O dear wolf please don't bite me
To you I will give my silver gown"
"The silver gown won't suit me at all
Your young life and your blood must go"
"O dear wolf please don't bite me"
Linden trees quiver in the grove
"I will give you my silver shoes"
She was carrying the fruit of love
"Silver shoes won't suit me at all"
Linden trees quiver in the grove
"Your young life and your blood must go"
She was carrying the fruit of love
"O dear wolf please don't bite me
I will give you my golden crown"
"A golden crown won't suit me at all
Your young life and your blood must go"
The maiden she climbed up high in an oak
Linden trees quiver in the grove
The wolf he paced the ground and howled
She was carrying the fruit of love
The wolf dug up the oak by the roots
Linden trees quiver in the grove
The maiden gave a heart-rending cry
She was carrying the fruit of love
The young page saddled his gray steed
Linden trees quiver in the grove
He rode slightly faster than a bird could fly
She was carrying the fruit of love
And when he came to the wooded place
Linden trees quiver in the grove
He found nothing more than a bloody arm
She was carrying the fruit of love
God comfort, God improve me, young page
Linden trees quiver in the grove
My maiden is gone, my horse is dead
She was carrying the fruit of love
Not a happy song,and vaguely reminiscent of 'Rotkäppchen' (Little Red Riding Hood). Emma Härdelin (the lead singer of Garmarna) adds a haunting quality to it in her song, complete with howls and muted screams, further contributing to the utter tragedy that is typical for the Germanic oral folk tradition.