October 21: Jenny Part 6

I believed every bit of the Jenny tale as a child, the details so clear and spooky. Plus, my father had known his own grandmother, Anna, and she was probably a compelling witness. But the story of the rings holds so many iconic images that it catches in my brain--burying, rising again in 3 days, indestructible items that want to be somewhere they are not, the repetition of the 3. To learn it was likely rooted in fact (finding the newspaper article) added an interesting layer. Threes are a common northern European number in folk tales. Think: 3 pigs, 3 bears, 3 goats, 3 days to guess a name, 3 nights to spin straw. I’m convinced it’s rooted deep in our genes.

 Picture: the portrait of Jenny that hung above her son and daughter-in-law's bed. It has seen some wear.