Ghost story
The ghosts that walk to Sarapuu hill
Vaimud Sarapuu mäel
A tale recorded in 1939 in Rõmeda village near Viitna tells of a coastal man, Peetri-Antsu Kustav, driving home from Rakvere when a stranger with a white sack suddenly appeared beside him and asked how far it was to Viitna tavern. Kustav replied that if he were a fiend he should vanish, but if a Christian he could ride along. The stranger only repeated his question, so the frightened Kustav whipped his horse on, until at Sarapuu hill, a kilometre from Rõmeda towards Narva, the man vanished. People said all such spirits go only as far as that hill, because it was an ancient burial place of the old Estonians.
Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today
Eesti keeles
Viitna lähedal Rõmeda külas 1939. aastal kirja pandud lugu räägib rannamehest Peetri-Antsu Kustavist, kes sõitis Rakverest koju, kui tema kõrvale ilmus äkki valge kotiga mees ja küsis, kui kaugel on Viitna kõrts. Kustav vastas, et kui ta on kurivaim, kadugu, aga kui ristiinimene, tulgu kaasa. Võõras kordas vaid oma küsimust ja hirmunud Kustav piitsutas hobust, kuni Rõmedast kilomeetri jagu Narva poole asuval Sarapuu mäel mees kadus. Räägiti, et kõik sellised vaimud tulevad vaid Sarapuu mäeni, sest seal oli vanade eestlaste matmispaik.
Source: After Mall Hiiemäe, Virumaa vanad vaimujutud (ERA, 2015); ERA II 217, 276/7 (1939) ↗