Ghost story
The child-shaped water spirit of Kärdla river
In old times, people on Hiiumaa told, a water spirit would come out of the Kärdla river in the shape of a small child. It went among the grazing sheep calling "Ute, ute, ute!" like a shepherd, and when a sheep came close it grabbed it, dragged it into the river and drowned it, then came back for the next. Several times, the story says, it drew people into the river too and drowned them. The tale reached M. J. Eisen through J. Keller, from the mouth of A. Mihkelson. Kärdla, which grew up around a cloth factory, is today the island's only town, and its small river still runs through it to the sea.
Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today
Eesti keeles
Hiiumaal räägiti, et vanasti tuli Kärdla jõest välja näkk väikese lapse näol. Ta käis lammaste juures ja kutsus neid nagu karjane: „Ute, ute, ute!” Kui lammas juurde tuli, haaras näkk ta kinni, vedas jõkke ja uputas ning tuli siis järgmist järele. Mitu korda olevat ta ka inimesi jõkke viinud ja ära uputanud. Lugu jõudis M. J. Eiseni kätte J. Kelleri kaudu, A. Mihkelsoni suust. Kalevivabriku ümber kasvanud Kärdla on tänapäeval saare ainus linn ja selle väike jõgi voolab endiselt läbi linna merre.
Source: M. J. Eisen, 'Näki raamat' (no. 28, recorded by J. Keller) ↗