The Lambertville record., 1907-05-29
DOOR KEYS IN SWEDEN
Curious Custom Of Hanging Them
Outside The Doors.
HOUSES LOCKED. YET OPEN.

The Dangling Key informs You the
Tenants Are Out. but Friends Who
Call Are at Liberty to Unlock the
Door and Enter and Rest.
When the SWedes 20 calling. they
lock up and then hang the door key ON
the hell or the ,loorknob or some other
conspicuous place. When they go visit
ing for a few weeks bolts and bars are
slid into place. ana then out goes the
key. II the house is shut up for an en-
tire season er Il full year. the gayly
swinging door key says Not ut home"
Ia paSserSby
There is no Kicking Your heels on the
duerHat in Sweden While the bell or
l<ueckcr aWakes the echoes in an emp
and relatives all know this message of
tie d1or key and seeing il out pass by.
As cam he readily imagined. this
strange custom has been put To good
use in many instances when visitors
were nlt wanted. Instead of telling
tiit ililI IL llllblili tulltlS liiIl hiS.
Jones is not at home the mistress says
to Jennie: "llang ont the door key AT 3
O'clock this afternoon and bring ii IN
at :, | don't wish to see any one for Il
fcW hours"
About the first of the month in Ger
tain districts door keys swing 10 the
hrce2cS in great numbers. and collect
misuse, scratch their heads IN perpleN=
ity at this not at home signal.
Many amusing stories are told OF
creditors sitting down 10 await the re
turn al their man While the debtor sat
OF the other side of the locked door
and ehuckled. There have been In.
stances Where Il collector has taken
the key. unlocked the door and entered
the house 10 be met by the owner, who
calmly laughed over his ruse. Again Il
creditor has entered II house in which
lie supposes the owner 10 be hiding on
ly to iiua II vacant and 10 be caught by
the trate master, arrested and made 10
pay Il tine, while the debtor got an ex-
tension of time on his bill
h'Nt ii'sH III iN'N Vi thiN WI
old custom OF not only leaving The
latehstring ont hut also putting the
door key nj the disposal of all who
pass. are not discovered at first glance,
and they are reHlly very much In the
minority. for Sweden is prc-eminently
an honest land. In and around about
Stockholm there is very little need of
tntfsntnnn s.tr 20
man. however low down In the social
scale seems 10 have due respect for
anothcr's property.
Although n few of the more suspi-
ciors. or the foreigners who have not
been brought Hp IN this strange Gus
tom of leaving the door key out, may
lock up with bolts from the inside and
use another door FOR exit when they
leave home for an extended visit. the
old residents actually leave their homes
at the disposal of any who may care to
enter
Friends who call and find the key
cut feel at perfect liberty To unlock the
door. enter and rest "A bit before pass
ing on. Strangers seldom misuse the
confidence.
The custom started ages ago when it
was the usual thing for holy men" or
priests to travel through Swedish VII
lages. stopping To leave their blessing
ON the households of the ncghborhood.
These visits were looked forward to
with eaSerness by the piuus Swcdes.
and il was considered an act of gross
est discourtesy 10 bar the door. for
whatever reason, against holy man
Consequently if II family left home the
key WAS always put out against the ar
rival of the priest. Meat and drink
were left. and should the holy man
stop ut Il vacant house he entered, re-
freshcd himself left his blessing in the
form Of II candle or II bottle Of holy
water or II bit of conseerated green and
passed Thus the custom originated.
and. although these quaint villages
have become towns and travelling
priests have passed away and the in
tlux Of other nations has modernlZed
Sweden and brought the evil of theft
with ii, tar door keys still hang out as
evidence OF trust and open doorcd hos
pltaity
A thief seldom takes down one OF
the keys and enters, for there Is the
uncertainty about the absence of the
residents spoken Of to hold him back.
and the knowledge that an exposed
door key may merely mean that the
owner has stepped across to the store
and will return any minute makes
tamperiHg with property risky bust