The Swedish border town of Norway, Fredriksten Fortress, has seen more bloodshed than many other places. But who is the White Lady who is said to haunt it, gliding around the clock tower at night?
High above the town of Halden, Norway's border town towards Sweden, where stone walls overlook the fjord and the borderland beyond, the fortress of Fredriksten rises with peaceful authority. Built to defend Norway from invasion, it has survived sieges, cannon fire and centuries of uneasy peace. Today it is a place of museums, concerts and summer crowds. But when night falls over the ramparts, it is said that the fortress remembers its death.
Of the many legends associated with these walls, none is as enduring as that of Den Hvite Dame, the White Lady of Fredriksten.
A fortress shaped by war
Fredriksten Fortress is one of Norway's most crucial military strongholds. Since the 17th century, it played a key role in defending the border against Swedish forces. The fortress is perhaps best known for the death of King Charles XII of Sweden, who died during the siege in 1718.
It is still debated whether he was shot by a Norwegian or whether one of his compatriots was behind the shooting. Long after the last shots were fired, the weight of the conflict still seems to lie massive in stone.
Woman in white
According to legend, the White Lady was once the secret lover of the fortress's commander. Some say it was the maid of Commander Johan Hubner von Holst, others say it was actually one of the soldiers.
Their relationship was hidden within walls known only to a few and took place in the shadow of constant threat. During a Swedish attack on a fortress, a commander or soldier was hit and killed by a cannonball or shot with a pistol. His body was never found, lost in the chaos of battle.
In some versions, her sadness was simply because her love was never reciprocated. Either way, the woman, overcome with grief and despair, reportedly climbed the white clock tower of the fortress and threw herself from it. Death tied her to the place where her life and love ended.
Since then, her spirit has never truly left Fredriksten.
Midnight on the White Tower
The White Lady is most often described near the clock tower now known as the White Tower, appearing near midnight and the full moon. She is also said to be seen near the commander's building and in the dungeons.
Witnesses describe a pale female figure dressed in white, still and motionless, never touching the ground as it flitted past. Some say she waves gently to those who see her. Others say he stands motionless, looking out over the city of Halden and the murky waters of the fjord beyond.
One of the strangest details repeated in many stories is the behavior of the fortress's lights. Several people have reported that the spotlights illuminating the walls suddenly turn off moments before the apparition appears, plunging the area into darkness just before the White Lady appears.
She is not said to be aggressive, but her presence carries with it a deep sense of sadness, as if the grief that ended her life still echoes in the stone.
The Lost Lieutenant and Mad Soldiers
One of the most notable ghost stories comes from two soldiers posted on guard at the tower in 1820. When the soldier took over the shift of a soldier named Tobias, he noticed how strange he was acting, but didn't find out what happened. Tobias looked pale and shocked as he descended the stairs, unable to put into words what he saw.
When the lieutenant came to free another soldier, he too was pale and shaken. Wanting to investigate, the lieutenant grabbed his gun and dared to approach the clock tower. Shortly afterwards, shots were fired and everyone rushed to the scene. But no one found the lieutenant, who vanished into gaunt air and was never seen again.
Tobias fell still after this incident and never spoke of anything after that, dying a year after being sent home. The second soldier went berserk and died in a madhouse a year later, and no one ever found out what really happened that night.
Some speculate that this was the woman who killed her lover and that she has hated men ever since, so they should be careful when walking around the clock tower at night. In 1926, a human skeleton was found under the tower and many claim it was the missing lieutenant. But what really happened that night was never explained. Even how true this story was is rather uncertain.
Witnesses after the incident
After this supposedly tragic disappearance, many more soldiers came forward with their own stories of those who had seen the White Lady. A newspaper published this information when an venerable soldier working there told about his encounter one August night in the 19th century:
“Her hair was covered with a grayish, veiled material that fell in folds down and blended in with the rest of her dress. I didn't notice her body, but she must have been tall and slender. Her face was very beautiful. But her mournful eyes made them look worn and pale. She stared at me intently for a moment, then her vision blurred and she disappeared.” Source
Another soldier saw a white lady when he returned to Fredriksten on leave. He saw a handsome woman who “appeared out of nowhere” and walked through a massive gate towards the Place d'Armes. She followed him to the house where he lived. At the door he turned and looked five minutes later. She was still there.
There were many white lady incidents in the 1930s and around World War II, although they may not have been reported as often in the 1900s. However, in newfangled times, there are cases of ghost sightings.
In the early 21st century, two German campers visited the fortress and claimed to have seen a smiling female figure dressed in gaunt white cloth in the middle of the night. The Germans had never heard the story of the white lady and wondered if anyone was filming her. The couple was interviewed by NRK radio and several newspapers.
Some visiting psychics claim to have felt something, and paranormal investigators from around the world claim to have found evidence of something supernatural inside the fortress. Although the ultimate truth about all this may never be revealed.
King's Bastion
There are also those who claim that the cafe is also one of the places where supernatural phenomena happen. Those who work there say tablecloths have been ripped off tables and noises are coming from the second-floor kitchen when no one is supposed to be there.
From the top of the King's Bastion the view extends over Halden, the fjord and Sweden. By day it is a place full of beauty and perspective. At night, it is one of the most frequently mentioned places in reports of unexplained sightings and experiences.
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Image Source: Pixabay.com
