A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
The ogress offers shelter only on condition that each visitor performs her work. She kills the two elder brothers when an immovable shovel prevents them cleaning the cave; their bodies hang inside when the youngest arrives. His summoned helpers complete the task. She recognizes that he has not worked alone but allows him to remain.
Her later demands are exacting: every aired bedding feather must be restored, and one correct ox among fifty must be processed before evening. The final task carries both a death threat for failure and a promise of freedom plus three possessions for success. With supernatural help the young man satisfies her. She honors his choices, releasing the captive princess above her bed, the treasure chest beside it and a self-moving ship at the cave wall. She then predicts his good fortune and departs. The threatening hostess therefore survives the tale and pays the reward; she is not killed like the life-egg sisters.
Origins & earliest records
Icelandic Legends, second series (1866), Carl’s Son, Little, Trittle, and the Birds, pp. 481–490.
Records & interpretation
Complete collected tale in the surviving alternate-copy OCR; extraordinary acts are reported within this particular narrative.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Icelandic Legends, second series: Carl’s Son, Little, Trittle, and the Birds, pp. 481–490
Complete tale read through its marriage and succession ending; anonymous characters are not supplied invented names.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary textIcelandic Legends, surviving 1866 alternate copyResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
