The Two Rowan Trees

It is said that in the old days a few siblings from good tribe lived on the Westmändsinseln. Then it happened that the girl became pregnant at home in her parents' house, and since the two siblings very much, evil tongues spread the rumor that the girl's brother was the father of the child she was expecting. The rumor reached the ears of the legislator there on the Islands, which is why he began to investigate the matter.

It was of no use that the brother denied being guilty of this crime and swore by all that was sacred to him that he was innocent nor that his sister absolved him of all guilt and another man, who was absent from the islands at the time, as father of the child. And because the crime of incest was was severely punished in this country, even if the authorities continued had nothing but an unproven suspicion, which she held on to, one death sentence after another was passed on such defendants spoken, and that was also the case here. The two siblings were sentenced to death and the sentence was carried out. It is but tells that on the place of execution they asked the Lord with tears, to prove their innocence after their execution, if the people did not want to believe in it during their lifetime; they are also said to have asked their parents to ensure that they are in a They were then allowed to rest in a common grave in the churchyard. executed, and after much effort and probably only through rich Donations to the church and clergy, as was usually the case in those times was necessary, the parents managed to have their children buried in the churchyard were buried; however, they were not allowed to lie in the same grave; one was to be buried south, the other north of the church and that is where they had to be.

As time passed, people discovered that every A small rowan tree trunk sprouted from the dig of the two siblings. These tribes took a natural development and were always larger until their branches united above the ridge of the church roof, and the people thought that God, when he cut down the rowan trees their graves without a human hand, as far as one can tell, could see, had planted it there, had given the living the innocence of the two siblings. However, the fact that the trees up there above the roof ridge and their leaves and Branches intertwined, seemed to reflect the innocent and loving coexistence that exists between these siblings in the earthly life, and on their longing after death, to rest in the same grave.

So these rowan trees stood and grew for a long time, until the Turkish dog was introduced into military power in the early 17th century invaded the Westmändsinseln, stole goods and people and committed all kinds of atrocities, as is well known. One of the The most violent acts of the Turks, so the legend goes, were that they two rowan trees in that cemetery fell, and they threatened to return to the islands and ravage and rob everything, if these trees were next as tall as they were.

But no one has heard that the trees have grown again since then. and this was considered a great grace of God, because If that had happened, the Turk would have kept his word.