Tradition: Swedish Mythology
Alternative Names: Stompe Pilt, The Giant of Baalsberg
Category: Giant
The Myth
Stompe Pilt was a giant who lived inside a hill near Baalsberg, close to Filkestad in the Willandsharad region of Sweden. He was immensely strong but also foolish, and his overconfidence made him vulnerable to the cleverness of ordinary people.
One day, a young shepherd was driving his flock of goats up the hill where Stompe Pilt lived. The giant burst out of his dwelling, holding a piece of flint rock in his fist, and threatened to crush the shepherd as easily as he crushed the stone into fine sand. The boy remained unafraid. He took a piece of fresh cheese from his pocket and squeezed it until liquid ran between his fingers, claiming that he could crush the giant just as easily.
Surprised by the youth’s lack of fear, Stompe Pilt proposed that they fight. The shepherd suggested that they first exchange insults to work themselves into a proper rage, taking turns abusing one another before the battle began. The giant agreed and began by wishing that a troll with a crooked nose would take the boy. The shepherd replied with a curse of his own, but instead of merely shouting, he shot a sharp arrow into the giant’s body.
Confused, Stompe Pilt asked what had happened. The shepherd explained that the arrow was an insult, and when the giant questioned why it had feathers, the boy replied that they made it fly better. When the giant wondered why it stuck so firmly, the shepherd claimed that it had taken root in his body. The boy then shot another arrow, followed by a third, each time pretending that he was simply hurling another insult.
Wounded and increasingly frightened, Stompe Pilt begged to know whether the shepherd was angry enough for them to begin fighting. The youth insisted that he had not yet insulted the giant sufficiently and prepared to shoot again. At last, the giant lost his courage. Declaring that if he could not endure the boy’s insults, he certainly could not withstand his blows, he retreated into his hill and abandoned the confrontation. The shepherd thus defeated the mighty but foolish giant through bravery, quick thinking, and deception rather than physical strength.
Sources
Stroebe, Clara, ed. The Swedish Fairy Book. Translated by Frederick H. Martens. Illustrated by George W. Hood. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1921. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37193