▶ Denmark Exorcised Ghosts

n Denmark, ghosts that had been exorcised-forced down into the earth and pinned in place with a stake driven through the heart-did not rest easily.  They lay in the dark, waiting for a chance to escape, and for that reason, people who ventured into lonely fields and meadows were warned not to disturb unmarked posts.  Too often, those who touched the wood heard an eager, muffled voice demanding freedom from the post that held it down.  “You pull,” the voice would whisper, “and I will push.”