The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-09-10
JUST LIKE GHOSTS
The Norwegian vardogrs and
Their Curious Warnings.
"a STUDY IN PSYCHIC FORCE.
Voices and Sounds and Visions That
Foreteli to Those Properly Attuned
to the Phenomenon the Speedy Com
Ina of Relatives or Friends.

Voices and Sounds and Visions That
ForetelI to Those Properly Attuned
to the Phenomenon the Speedy Com
Ing of Relatives or Friends.
In Norway, or at least in certain
parts of it. there is a well known
phenomenon. 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 to particular per-
sons, by which their arrival at 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.
1t is only a limited number of per-
sons to whom this property is attach
ed who "have a yardogr,' as the
phrase is. and the premonitory sounds
are not always heard nor by all per-
sons. Very often it 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. 1t is to be particularly noted
that the idea of the vardogr is not one
which is confined to the uneducated
classes 1t Ia equally recognized and
its reality admitted by persons of edu-
cation and culture.
The following interesting account
was given by Miss P, schoolteacher
in the town of Drammen:
1T 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 SO
often that we do not think 1t in the
least remarkable. remember one par
ticular instance which | shall relate.
I'VE expected my father home from
q long voyage and got word that he
had arrived at a little harbor in the
firth, but at the same time there came
q message saying that unfortunately
ne could not get home for several days.
as the ice prevented him from COM
ing up. We were very much disap-
pointed, because we were Just then
about to have a family gathering
When we had assembled in the even
ing we talked about how delightful 1t
would have been il 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 a box
which he was carrying, and we heard
him speak to the servant who sat in
o side room.
"'Oh. there is papaY shouted three
or four of us together and rushed out
to the kitchen to be the first to well
come him But there was no one
there. We ran in to the servant, but
she had heard nothing. We thought
that perhaps he had gone out again.
but no-there was no one. So distinct
1y had we all heard him. however, that
1Ay 1OunSESl SAStCl. Ni1O was
nervous. burst into tears. thinking it
must be warning that something
had happened to him. 1t 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. 1t 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 1t woke her by night. and
she would rise and go to open the
door but there was no one there the