“The Swan Maiden.” Scandinavian folk & fairy tales: tales from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, edited by Claire Booss, New York: Avenel Books, 1984, pp. 248-250.

Tale Summary

One day, a young hunter saw three swans fly by and settle down near him. He was astonished to find that the three swans removed their feathery attire, and revealed themselves to be dazzlingly beautiful maidens. He watched as they bathed, and then donned their feathery garb again, to become swans once more and fly away. The youngest and fairest caught the attention of the hunter, and he could think of nothing else. His mother noticed that something was wrong, and he related to her what he had seen, and that he was madly in love. She told him to go at sunset the next Thursday to where he had seen her last, and that he should grab her feathers as she bathed. He followed his mother’s instructions, and soon thereafter two of the swans flew away, but the third was left searching for her clothes. She discovered the young man, and fell to her knees, and prayed that he would return her swan attire. He refused and carried her home, and the two were married, and lived lovingly together. One Thursday seven years later, the hunter related the story of how he had sought and won his swan wife, and brought forth the feathers of her former days. As soon as she touched the feathers, she transformed once more into a swan and took flight. He longed for her and died a year later.