Hans Nikolaj Hansen (DANISH, 1853-1923)

This painting illustrates one of five scenes from the Danish ballad The Strength of the Harp (Svend Grundtvig, Danmarks Gamle Folkeviser Denmark's old ballads, no. 40). Mr Villemand and his young bride are on their way to their wedding. When the young lady crosses the bridge Blidebro, the troll in the stream, emerges and takes her. Villemand comes too late to save her so he fetches his magic harp. He plays the leaves off the linden trees, the bark off the birches, the horns off the cows and the top off St. Mary's Church. He plays so beautifully that dead people come back to life, and in the end, even his bride and her sisters, whom had also been abducted by the troll, are freed from his violence.