| Blenda | |
| Sweden and Denmark
are at war. Värend in Småland is at this time at the border
as Sweden has not yet conquered Skåne, Halland and Blekinge.
The men are with the king at war and therefore the women are alone
at home. They take care of the farms, animals and children. Spies have told that the Danish are near. That is why the women come together in the evening when the children are put to bed and the day's work is done. They are sitting at the courtyard and chat of this and that. There is a feeling of depression. A cloud of dust appears between the trees. Blenda looks into the distance. They hear a fast gallop and suddenly the courtyard is full of horsemen. The Danish have come. The first man in the front looks watchfully around. He soon realizes that the women are alone at home. Then he has a good laugh and smiles knowingly at Blenda who has stood up. She is pleading the women's cause. - You woman, the Dane says and points outward with his whole arm. We want food and drink. We want a feast and it was long ago that we had women. Prepare for a long night. Maybe we will spare your lives if you first satisfy our stomachs and then our bodies. Go for it! The men quickly get out of their saddles. The horses must have food and water and then they are released in an enclosed field. The men feel expectation. It was long since they were home and had a woman. It is a lovely late summer's evening and the men are sitting down here and there in the courtyard. They are thirsty and Blenda and her fellow sisters see to it that they get enough to drink. The women are scared and nervous. To calm the Danes they prepare turnips and fetch meat and fish from the big salt vat. - They are hungry, Blenda says. Give them a lot of salt pork and all that they want to drink. Take the strongest alcohol and see to it that they drink. Try to be a little complaisant too, Blenda advises them. When they have been eating and drinking they will soon be tired and fall asleep. Then we have our chance, and Blenda tells them what to do. The story tells that the Danish ate, drank and fell asleep. The women then took the chance to stab them all to death. When their men came back home they had already won the war. That is why the women in Värend have an exceptional position among women. They are entitled as well as men to the full share of inheritance and they are allowed to wear the king's symbol at their national costumes. Blenda is still strong, has no fears and she is creative. Today she is friendly towards the Danish and trades instead with art, handicraft and products made of her own design. |
Blendadesign, Norrgatan 10, SE-352 33 Växjö,
tel + 46 470 45324, e-mail: blenda@blendadesign.se
