The Soothsayer - Monster

This was an abstract from 1983's 'Monster Weekly' published in South Korea. Though the magazine was proved to be unreliable, it's observation of The Danish Soul Eater was curiously sharp.

"With the ability to see through psyches and mortal dreams of mankind, it must be a terrible burden should the monster was a person by birth. Upon every touch, the world burnt in his wake and every souls the wick for his intimacy. The Soul Eater must have exchanged his dreams to others for their pain and misery. For they all perished with smiles. It is only judicious to say that this Danish Monster understood pain only too well..." - 'Monster Weekly' August Edition.



Eilert was born Eilert Swane to a wealthy family in Kolding where his grandfather ran a booming seaport business in logistics. Two heart wrecking misfortunes happened in the Swane family in that year Eilert was born. His father whom Eilert never met, died in the freak of nature accident when a boat dropped on him in the holding bay when his wife was heavily pregnant into her ninth month and Eilert Swane was born crippled.

Eilert Swane spent his childhood confined to his wire spoked wheelchair and chained to his nanny for the fear of the only Swane grandchild ever falling over. His routine was strictly paced with him schooling with a college professor in the rose garden of his grandfather's mansion should gay weather permitted. Then he would study languages with his mother during tea sessions in which his favorite memory of his mother was that she would lovingly fed him exotic sweets from the East that went supremely well with the tea. At nighttime, before young Eilert could retreat from a day's work into dreams of running, he would learn the teachings of Lutheranism from a German pastor.

'Salvation through faith, with undying trust.' Pastor Nathan would often remind young Eilert Swane.

Young Eilert Swane would often nod obediently and his pastor would continue, 'Swane, understand that faith is not a human emotion, it is not a character in which we can breed nor a tool we could keep and use. Faith is a gift in which we can only ask from God. And only with that vessel of naivety and reliance, we can then ask for salvation from Him. You have to understand this. Because this world will test you endlessly for your love and laugh at your obedience of your service. Swane, you have to hold firm to your faith and believe in your predestination.'

'I have a predestination?' Asked young Eilert Swane looking at his unfeeling legs, his cold wheelchair and the bony chain around his tiny waist.

'Faith, Swane. Remember.'

When Eilert Swane was older, his nanny would push him into the buzzing city square for sight seeing and attended Pastor Nathan's sunday services. Young Eilert Swane would often watch from the church's window at some local children kicking a ball around in a nearby greenfield. Once young Eilert Swane heard Pastor Nathan muttering that those children would surely go to hell for disturbing his services and not attending church on sundays.

Sometimes; after services, the Swane grownups would stay to speak with the pastor and the nanny would bring young Eilert Swane along to chatter with other housemaids by the trees. One sunday, the nanny tied the chain onto a branch and left with the housemaids to look at something interesting. Young Eilert Swane was able to free the chain from the tree and rolled himself into the woods.

Young Master Eilert came to find a cat in the dark of the woods. The brown cat with whitish tail looked strange and fearful of the crippled boy in the wheelchair. Young Swane put out his hand to pet the cat. The cat snarled in rage, arching its hair of back into a fin and baring its razor teeth. Young Swane realised that something was amiss and tried to roll himself back to where he came in. The cat screamed and pounced onto Eilert's face. Young Master Swane hurled the cat onto the ground when the tail was caught in Eilert's wheel. The cat snatched away some flesh and cloth off Swane's arm. In blind panic and desperation, Young Swane rolled the rest of his wheelchair across the cat, bursting its guts and blood exploded all over Eilert Swane.

The cat was panting in death, young Swane gripped his wheel tightly and rolled over the little animal again. There was an intense look of curiosity in his eyes. For the first time, young Swane felt in control. That he was capable to dictate lives around him. When he stopped rolling his blood soaked wheels, young Swane came to realise his deed. He grew frightened at himself and burst out crying.

The Swane family along with the nanny came running upon hearing their young master's cries. They found young Eilert trembling in the rain of the brown cat's blood and his wheelchair over spilled intestines and fur.

Young Eilert Swane held his mother tightly and cried out loud.

'Mama! I've got blood all over my hands! I've got blood all over! I'm sorry! I won't do it again! I'm so sorry! Make me stop! Please! I'm sorry!'

Young Eilert Swane was so traumatised by the incident that he refused to set his wheels anywhere outside his grandfather's mansion.

Until the dream.

Eilert Swane had reached the age of fifteen where young boys were as young men, leaving home to seek better lives for themselves. Eilert Swane remained caged in his wheelchair, the silver noose around his waist and the interior of the mansion. On the night of his birthday, after his grand celebration, Eilert Swane had a dream that would change his life forever.

In his dreams, Eilert Swane dreamt of the Apocalypse. He saw God and God spoke to him. The skies were booming with rays and God warned of the intended doom. Eilert then saw himself in jewels and shinning armor. He was the selected herald to spread God's message. The earth would open up and swallow the world in blood and fire.

It was a very long and consuming dream. Eilert Swane shook himself awake in tears and moans. It was then the fifteen year old realised that he could walk.

No physicians could explain how Eilert Swane could walk and jump and wiggle his toes just like other boys. The Swanes were exhilarated as there was a proper heir to his grandfather's legacy. They quickly abandoned young Swane's intended studies and taught him the ropes of the business.

In the next two years, Swane grew to be a competent businessman, a suave suitor and there were even talks about making him the mayor in years to come. He often made short of his sunday services and a rift was formed with his mentor regarding their discussions on spirituality. As Lutherans did not believe in a predestination to damnation. They often fought about Swane's dream and cease to speak to each other again.

Eilert's mother tried to made peace between her son and the pastor. She encouraged Eilert to return to sunday worshipping with her. Eilert went one sunday and grew bored with the worship. He looked through the church's window and saw that the same boys were kicking the old ball around in the greenfield.

Then it started to rain outside. Despite the storm and shadowing clouds, the boys continued their game. Eilert started to feel worse; something was going to happen, a premonition brewed in the bowels of his mind. For a minute there, he couldn't feel his legs. Eilert was truly frightened as he gotten up, halting the service and ran out of the church. In the black rain, he yelled and warned the boys to stop playing. The boys laughed at Eilert. Then a flash of lightning struck them and a grand thunder followed faithfully.

In the rain, Eilert ran to them. All six of them were killed by the lightning. So burnt that one could smell them in the rain. Eilert collapsed to his knees and shouted in joy, 'There is God! There is really God! The dream is real! I am the herald! I was born to warn the world! I am His instrument!'

That night, he packed a small luggage and left Kolding forever.

He always traveled light, worn the cheapest and ate leftovers. For faith was his armor and destiny was his soul. Everywhere he went, people spit and beat him up. They would break his face along with his signboard.

Redeem Yourself, The Doom Is Nigh.

He had to find the venue of his dreams. The place where God would strike the hardest. Eilert found the city square that was supposed to burn and swallow the world in a small town a distance from Copenhagen.

There he made home and stood in spite of climates holding up his signboard.

One winter when the blizzard hit the fiercest, he met someone at the city square.

The little girl was peddling cheap boxes of sulfursticks in the snow.



To Be Continued...