Legend
The haldjas who named Haljala church
Nobody could agree where to build Haljala's church, until a wise man said: load a log on a cart, yoke a grey ox and build where it stops. It stopped beside a sacred birch. The Old Devil offered the master builder help in return for his soul: when the egg was set on the tower top, he would shout "Fall!" and the master would be his. The work flew along as if by unseen hands. The master had his men set the egg at dawn while he slept, and the devil lost. At night a spirit was heard calling "Halljala! Halljala!", so the church was named after the haldjas. Whenever its wall was replastered, a cross was made again where Russian raiders once nailed the pastor.
Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today
Eesti keeles
Keegi ei teadnud, kuhu Halljala kirik ehitada, kuni tark õpetas: pange palk vankrile, rakendage ette hall härg ja ehitage sinna, kus ta seisma jääb. Härg peatus hiiekase juures. Vanapagan pakkus meistrile abi tema hinge eest: kui muna torni otsa pannakse, hüüab ta "Kuku maha!" ja meister on tema päralt. Töö edenes, nagu aitaksid nähtamatud käed. Meister lasi töölistel muna varahommikul panna, kui ise magas, ja vanapagan jäi palgast ilma. Öösiti kuuldi haldjat hüüdmas "Halljala! Halljala!" ja kirik sai nime haldja alalt. Kiriku krohvimisel tehti ikka uus rist sinna, kuhu venelased kunagi õpetaja risti lõid.
Source: M. J. Eisen, 'Teised Eesti kohalikud muistejutud' (no. 78) ↗