"Before you got into the water [to] swim, just to be safe, it was best to 'bind Näcken', [and] this could be done with a chant like this [one]:
Näck, Näck, nålatjuv
far din var en stålatjuv
mor din var en frilla
gick i alla gårdar och gjorde illa.
Näck, näck, needle thief
your father was a steel thief
your mother was a frilla*
went from house to house and gjorde illa**"
- Ebbe Schön, Svenska sägner
*A kind of official mistress or concubine that had certain legal rights. The practice was a well established part of (heathen) Scandinavian culture, and survived Christianisation. Swedish law granted children of frillor a certain amount of legal rights and protection. This ended when the law changed in 1734, and from then on, they were perceived as illegitimate children. It is unclear whether or not the practice was still ongoing when the laws were changed.
** Literally "did bad(ly)". The expression "göra illa [någon]" means "harming [someone]", but in (older texts), "göra illa" also means "committing crimes" or "sinning". I don't know how to translate the phrase within the context of this chant.
