Trefaldighetskällan

Trefaldighetskällan can be found at Niklasberget just outside Sköldinge.

According to tradition, a Trinity spring is a magical place. The water in a Trinity spring flows from south to north. Therein lies the magic. According to folklore, the waters of the spring take evil with them on their way north. Its waters purify both your soul and your body.

If the spring is really old, it may have been a pagan cult site that later became part of Catholic tradition. Metal objects such as coins and needles have been sacrificed at the springs well into the 20th century. This particular spring is said to be dedicated to St. Bridget. She is even said to have been here. How true that is, we do not know. Here, people drank out the bad and in the good in silence to strengthen their health. People were often advised to drink seven sips of water to achieve the best healing power, but they may also have chosen to wash at the spring. The spring could also be considered to enhance the fertility of those who drank its waters.

Day laborers at Holbonäs stopped at this spring to eat their evening meal, and the path past the spring has always been relatively well used. People living nearby have appreciated getting a regular sip of water from the spring, especially in old age. This habit has continued right up to the present day. As modern science has often confirmed that the water is mineral-rich, doctors have sometimes recommended drinking spring water for health reasons.

The spring is particularly magical on Trinity, the weekend after Pentecost, which always coincides with the full moon. In the past, the spring was decorated with flowers on this weekend. Afterwards, people would go to a nearby lodge and dance the night away. In peasant society, this was one of the most festive occasions of the summer, alongside Midsummer.

The signs at the spring were made by Willy Amnell to welcome all who came to drink. The stories of the traditions surrounding the spring live on among those who live near it today.

There are also stories of students at Åsa Folk High School regularly visiting the spring.

Those who live in the area can also tell you that the forest rat lived here on Niklasberget. You could meet her in the forest between Mörkhäll and Gnallen.

The text is taken from Sköldinge-Valla-Lerbo Hembygdsförening. Author: jennie.fornedal@hotmail.com