Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-10-12
aeHrs SEEN IN srockHoLM.

F.. T.
Gr0up Of tho Girdle Duelists--Beegars'
Clubs--Other cuxdositfes.
Many bronze statues to Sweden's kings
stand in the various squares and parks,
and there is one bronze group that holds
the attention longer than any Of these.
It ;s placed in the grounds Of the Ma
tional museum, and is the masterpiece
of the Swedish sculptor Moleri, the group
OF the Girdle Duelists. According to the
barbarous old custom in Scandinavia,
when quarrel arose between two men,
they were bound together by girdle,
provided with knives, and allowed to
fight out the duel until one or both had
fallen. This group is worthy of the an
tique for the. splendid physique of the
actors and fearful interest of the strife.
Each has seized with his left hand the
right hand of his foe, which grasps the
murderous short knife, and both wrestle
for life with terrible energy. 1t is said
that these combats were so universally
fatal that women carried winding sheets
with them to the banquets, where their
husbands might be slain.
Four bas reliefs on the pedestal with
Runic inscriptions show such a scene
two men drinking together, while the
lovely wife of one Of them stands by.
The jealous anger reused by some undue
attention on the part OF the guest, the
wife on her knees endeavoring to prevent
the quarrel and lastly the poor thing
weeping alone by the gravestone of her
husband. A memorial such as this oil
ancient customs has always an interest
independent of its artistic value; and this
interest attaches to great many objects
in the collection of the Northern Museum,
an institution devoted to the preservation
of Scandinavian relics and curiosities.
You see here forest of the tall pixies and
battle axes SO formidable of old--cruel
murder6us looking instruments ten feet
long, their blades and heads rusted as il
with the blood of enemies; ancient swords
and helmets, together with innun1erablt
articles of more peaceful household use
rude looms that might have woven the
garments OF the Vikings, and the odd
hand mangles used for smoothing linen
heavy pieces of wood, polished on the
under side, and deliberately carved above
with handles usually representing horses
1t seems impossible that such fiat ironi
should have been very efticacious, but
here they are by the hundred.
Odder still are tho kubbestols--chairt
made Of the trunks Of treeS-or kubbe:
whence our ''stubs, suppose), the
edges of the seats ornamented with, d
all things ina the world. human teeth
driven into the solid wood. These are
not relics of battle. as one might sup
pose, but the teeth lost by the family o.
| the owner Of the chair, preserved in this
manner rs charm against future tooth.
ache. Little white milk teeth make al
| agreeable variety with huge molars thai
| evidently ached enough before they came
| to this end. Here, too, is another relic
| of ancient manners-beggars' clubs
| These formidable weapons were given te
beggars to enable them to obtain reliei
| ut the next house they came to. Whai
| q comfortable thing it would be If one o.
us could get rid of an importunate tramp
| BY giving him club to compel our mex
neighbor To entertain himi Yonder Is {
bundle of Runic staves-canes or lonl
pieces of wool carved with runes, or sen
fences in Runic characters, usually
quoted from one of the sages. Whether
these were considered as charms, or only
like the Jewish phylacteries, used to keel
in mind some sacred text. we could no
learn.
One room Is fitted up in compartments
each representing d kitchen or a living
room of some primitive dwelling IN Fin
land, or Iceland perhaps; with life sizi
figures in appropriate costumes, sur
rounded with the very furniture and pot
terry brought from such houses, all IL
some interesting position. A man re
ceiving an official message brought b,
an envoy la one of the old ''bud striker,
or message sticks, which he In his turi
is bound to carry for certain distance
and IL no one is at hand to take 1t, Il
stick it in the earth until some one come
along, as If our mail bags should be lai'
on a rock at a certain place and left 70
the next passer to take charge Oft An
other group shows girl receiving pres
ents when the bans of her marriage ar
proclaimed; third, Lapland fanil.
mourning over dead child. All tn
figures are very iifelike. But time woul'
fail me to speak of the various museum
and their treasures. Stockholm Cor. Sal
Francisco Chronicle.