The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-08-22
JUST like GHOSTS
The Norwegian vardogrS and
Their Curious Warnings.
A STUDY IN PSYCHIC FORCE.
Voices and Sounds and Visions That
ForeteIi to Those Properly Attuned
to the Phenomenon the Speedy Com
inc of Relatives or. Friends.


to the Phenomenon the Speedy Com
| ing of Relatives or. Friends.
In Norway. or at least In certain
parts of 1t there is well known
phenomenoh. instances Of which are of
frequent occurrence, known locally by
various names. but In the east of the
country commonly called vardOgr. BY
this term is understood certain prop
erty. attaching itself Ia particular per
sons. by which their arrival M par
ticular place. most frequently their
own home is announced beforehand
by distinctive sounds. such as are
usually or naturally made by the per
son in question.
Ii is only limited number Of per-
sons to whom this property Is attach
ed who have a vardogr," as the
phrase is, and the premonitory sounds
are not always heard nor by all per-
sons. Very often 1t is only members
of the family or near relatives who no
tice them at all Much more rarely
the person is seen instead of being
heard some time before his or her ar
rival II Is to be particularly noted
that the idea of the vardogr is not one
which is confined to the uneducated
classes. II is equally recognized and
fits reality admitted by persons Of edu-
cation and culture.
hA fnllatx.fnrv tntaracfinu
was given by Miss p, schoolteacher
in the town Of Drammen:
ut is nothing unusual to find people
in Norway who have vardogr-that Is
to say. that one can hear or see them
before they really come in person.
Such cases are found in nearly every
family. but in some more frequently
than In others. In the cases Of my
father and eldest brother It happens Sc
often that we do no. think it In the
least remarkable. ! remember one par
ticular instance which shall relate.
I'VE expected my father home from
a long voyage and got word that he
had arrived at little harbor in the
firth. but at the same time there came
a message saying that unfortunately
he could not get home for several days,
as the ice prevented him from com
ing up. We weIa very much disap-
pointed. because we were Just then
about TO have family gathering
When we had assembled In the even
ing we talked about how delightful 1t
would have been II father could have
come. My mother then took a book
and read aloud. while we children
worked. when we all heard the kitchen
door open and fathers well known
step come in. He put down box
which he was carrying. and we heard
him speak to the servant, who sat in
q side room.
"'Oh. there is papar shouted three
or four of us together and rushed out
to the kitchen TO be the first to vel
come him. But there was no one
there. We ran in TO the servant but
she had heard nothing We thought
that perhaps be had gone out again,
but no-there was no one. So distinct
ly had we all heard him. however. that
my youngest sister. who was rather
nervous, burst into tears, thinking ii
must be warning that something
had happened to him. II was the first
time she had heard his vardogr, but
my mother. who was well accustomed
TO It. said very calmly:
"'Go to bed. children. II was only
papa's vardogr. and now we know for
certain that he will be home for to-
morrow
Sure enough. an hour afterward we
had him safely home. Now, since he
has got older and especially since he
gave up going to sea. we hear him
much more seldom. But In his youth
his mother heard him constantly and
sometimes even heard him knock on
her window and call her by name.
Sometimes Il woke her by night. and
she would rise and 60 to open the
door. but there was no one there the
first time. An hour later he would
actually come. That happened partic-
ularly when be was expected home
from sea"
Another lady. Miss r., gave the fol
lowing account. which shows that the
vardogr does not merely announce
what might naturally be expected. but
conveys Impressions Of facts quite I'M
known TO the person hearing It:
1T was in the year 1901. was
staying IN Christiania with my uncle
and aunt. who had no children of their
own. Uncle and aunt went away for
two days and intended to come home
between II and 10 in the evening.
The servant girl had gone home that
night. so | was alone In the house.
81 was just about TO undress when ]
heard them come | heard the sound
Of the street door, heard them come
upstairs and open the hall door and
talk TO each other. 1t seemed to me
that uncle carried something heavy.
and ! heard them talk about being
careful wondered what they could
have brought home with them. | ex-
pected to hear them open the room
door and go in. but suddenly all was