The legend of Swagman Júk

"So that is Júk's skull? I thought he would be bigger..."

Summary

Stories tell of a ghost named Júk who lives near Swagman's rest. Júk is a giant musician who only appears once every blue moon when there's water in Swagman's rest. In those rare and cherished moments that he does appear he plays joyful melodies on his banjo for everyone who sits down with him. Those that hear this tune are blessed with a stroke of good fortune, but won't get it out of his head until they have played it themselves for someone ells and spread the infectious joy of good old Júk. Thou it is rare for Swagman's rest to run out of water there are still instances that it does. When it does, the skeleton of Júk appears and it is said that only then poor old Júk realises what has happened to him, turning his joyful demeanour into pure rage, cursing the inhabitants of Paterreagh to suffer as he does. To locals make sure this never happens and prevent people from getting water from the pond so it may never run out of water, for this is sure to be a bad omen.

Historical Basis

Around 200 years ago a Giant bard passed through the area, confusing many of the local inhabitants. This Giant went to sit near one of the nearby oxbow lakes and began to play on his massive banjo, which disturbed the locals. After they went to the local barracks to complain about the noise. The sheriff, misunderstanding what they said, believed the giant was harassing the local populace and ordered his troops to arm themselves. The men went to the oxbow lake, mistook the banjo for a weaponized tree, and quickly stabbed the giant to death, who proceeded to fall into the water where his skull resurfaces when the lake dries up.

Spread

The entire ghastly tale of Júk is only known and told by those living in the area around Swagman's rest. But Júk's song is known throughout Astronasia and forms a staple of many childhoods.

Variations & Mutation

Some teenagers might try to turn Júk from a benevolent ghost to an vengeful spectre that drowns those swimming in his pond at night as a way to scare and dare each other on a mid-summer night.

In Art

The tale of the ghost of Swagman's rest forms the basis for the nursery rhyme as Júk's Song, that tells about the gentle giant bard and is slightly based on the tune people claim to have heard at the pond.

Date of First Recording

1318 AD

Telling / Prose

Júk's Song

Related Species