Frau Harke, Playful Hill Giant
Do you know of Frau Harke? Her tales? ...Her story's beginning -or perhaps it's somewhere in the middle- no matter.
Harke was, ...is? Well is; a God for the young, and not so young. She is, and probably always will be as rambunctious as any young Giant could ever be expected to be. Forever in possession of all the playful and destructive curiosity of any young girl. But when she was young, ...Truly young that is; she was barely as tall as an oak tree, truly no more than a little girl by Giant standards. And she very well still might be.
She has always been curious 'as is a child's nature', and simply enthralled with the small folk, finding us the most interesting creatures. One day, when she was out exploring. Well, This was when Lady Harke came upon a farmer and his oxen plowing a field. And as children oft do... Well that is a story for another time I suppose. There was something about her father... Or maybe it was her guardian? Either way, no matter now. Yes! That is surely a tale for another time.
...But perhaps it was around this time when her interest in us Smallfolk came into being? Because it surely couldn't have been long after such an event before she would become a part of our lives forever.
The 'Little' Lady Harke, like all little girls loves to play. Not just any games like boys do, no. Little girls like to play at the games that make life worth living 'This is how they learn to become women after all'. Games such as tea parties and dancing. Games of living in the moment and finding beauty in the unexpected and little things. Games of helping others or making those who are sad feel happy again. To prance and dance and skip and frolic, to simply exist in contented sighs and mirth filled giggles. Games of running through flowers. Games of 'he loves me, he loves me not'. And of course, games of fortune telling and, gossiping with friends.
Her home at that time lay deep in the Harkenberg forest among a grove of old oaks. ...Where as many Gods do, she has... Or is it had? A house. A wonderful little play house of her own and for her many friends; who were as one might expect, the local spirits. Often between her play dates and the occasional roughhousing, 'As even little girls are want to do once in awhile.', she would take herself to her favorite lake in all of the whole wide world! Lake Kamern. There she would bathe and often find herself talking to the local wildlife as she did so, 'Her favorites of course were the badgers!'.
Funny little creatures, all proper in their little suits; snuffling around looking for bits of food as they mind their own business.
One can easily imagine her 'inviting' them for a tea party at her home as she serves them of course only the finest of teas, and the fattest of worms 'Both to the shock and horror of the innocent badgers. ...But all pleasant enough, I am quite sure.'. Of course it was not long before Man learned to not hunt the badgers near her home, and the badgers became quite safe there. So there was a payoff for all the tea parties. After all, what hunter? who are men and fathers, brothers, nephews and cousins themselves, would possibly want to make a little girl cry, no matter her apparent size?
As with any girl she delights in rain 'not any old rain of course' for her it is the light rain of the kind you might see on a lazy summer afternoon. Not too soft, not too hard, but just right. Perfect for dancing in or spinning carefree in circles with arms thrown wide! Face upturned in innocent joyful delight. And the gentle winds which make the grasses and trees sway gently as though dancing to a happy dream 'Yes she definitely likes those too!'. When the fancy strikes her she very well might call up to the clouds 'And giants being there too, they answer her call' bringing rain and gentle winds, which of course the farmers and children alike also enjoy very much.
Once; when she was out with the other Gods and Spirits on the Wild Hunt, 'Which they do very nearly every year'. She flew about in the shape of a dove seeing what there was to see about these curious mortals called Man. This is when she found some beets. Of course she didn't know what to do with them, but she thoughtfully gathered some up for her little friends back home. Excitedly 'and a little embarrassed. Being unsure herself what they were for' she gave them to the farmers to do with and make of them what they could. Her farmer friends of course were delighted for her gift, and after some thought and practice, ...Well they invented all kinds of curious uses for these, the most marvelous of gifts! 'They still grow them to this day! Did you know that?!'.
But as always happens; times change, and as the saying goes, 'All good things must eventually come to an end'.
Eventually new people, and with them new beliefs came to the area she had so long called her home. They brought with them this thing called 'The Church'. At first she didn't mind even though they seemed... Odd. These men of some foreign god of whom she had never heard. They came slowly at first as they encroached upon her home, then faster and faster. First into the villages, ...then into her forests. Eventually the people she had called friend for so long came to fear her, for the words these strangers spoke made them think her cruel and vile. Made them think that the gifts she brought for them and the games she played with them were from their new 'God'. A 'God' she had never seen any evidence of, nor met, nor heard of except from the whispered and terrified pleas of those who were once her dearest friends.
These strangers, they came fully into her forests. They came with their axes cutting down the trees in their greed and cruelty! Why... HOW DARE THEY! Wasn't it bad enough that this 'Church' made her Manthing friends scared of her?! But now they thought they could kill whatever they liked?! The trees, the plants, the animals! All without so much as a please or thank you?! Well surely she had enough!
As with any child; when you hurt her friends, or break her toys, or go tramping uncaring through her favorite flowerbed, ...Well she grew furious!
So it came, that in her temper and heartbreak she gathered stones! Stones to throw at these buildings they called 'Churches'. She of course had learned of these gathering places from her few Man friends that remained, and the animals which roamed the countryside. If they wanted to play rough, well she would show them! In her temper she threw her stones at these tiny buildings knocking off roofs and crashing in doors. But being a little girl 'and of kind heart she had never thrown stones or rocks before' and her aim was not true, nor her hands most steady. In her fury her hands began to sweat and shook so violently in her temper that she dropped her piles of stones all over the countryside, creating the Great Dolmens we see today wherever they landed.
Eventually worn out and heartbroken, as it seemed her many friends no longer liked her. In fact, ...It seemed to her as though they hated her now... So, she took it upon herself to leave. Her once wonderful home now no more than hot barren fields. A place where her once happy neighbors; the farmers, and others of their kind, now toiled heartless and dejected in their fields. Everything was ruined and sad for her now. Her animal friends were fleeing as they were hunted without mercy or care. What little forest remained was now filled with traps which killed indiscriminately. And so... She too left. She left for other lands where her friends, the other Gods and Spirits still resided. Where her animal friends still roamed the countryside with little care or worry. She bid farewell to the Saxon Lands she had so long called her home for Thuringia and the further wilds beyond. ...If her old friends no longer wanted her around... Well, she would go make new ones then!
But before she left, her eyes filled with tears she decided to leave these old friends of hers a parting gift. After all, they were the ones who no longer wanted her. But she couldn't help it. ...She still loved them so much it hurt! And she 'despite her heartache' still cherished the memories they had forged together. She still smiled at the memory of the simple joys they had all shared together once upon a time. So; sad and filled with regret for what had come to pass, she left them a gift. A gift once given to her. A final token of love so that they might not ever forget her. She left them her favorite wooden fork, a wooden fork she watered with her tears of loss and heartbreak. This fork it turns out grew. It grew! Becoming a towering Pine which they 'her once upon a time friends' would find near her once favorite lake in all of the world, Lake Kamern.
But that too is probably a story best left for another time...