#FolkloreThursday - Trolls, Hulder, and Nattmara - #Scandinavian Mythological Beings

Theodor Kittelsen [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Part One - Scandinavian Mythological Beings

In Scandinavian folklore, there are several kinds of mythological beings. Trolls (jotnar), hulder and nattmara, to name a few. 
Trolls (jotnar) are said to dwell in isolated rocks, mountains, or caves. They often live together in small family units but are rarely helpful to humans. They are towering, stone-like creatures with colossal limbs. Some of them are so unkempt that plants will root in their skin. The ugliest jotnar can have single eyes or multiple heads. It is said they turn into stone when exposed to sunlight. Trolls are traditionally dim-witted creatures, boasting brute strength and a connection with nature.

Bernard Evans Ward [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The hulder are seductive creatures and can easily be mistaken for attractive humans. They have beautiful voices that mimic wind or water. It is said they can lure men into caves or forests in order to suck the life from them. The only giveaway to their deceptive form is they have a cow or fox-like tail, which they usually keep hidden. If a hulder can convince a man to marry them in a church, that tail falls off and they will become human. However, their beauty will also be lost and the hulder transforms into an ugly creature.

Nattmara (nightmares) are a race of female werewolves. They appear as a pale, skinny woman with long black hair and talon-like fingernails. They have the ability to turn themselves into sand and slip through the smallest crack. Once they've breached the home, they straddle the victim's chest at night to cause nightmares. Nattmara could also tangle one's hair so that the knots would have to be cut out. In some tales, they are similar to the banshee in that they are a death omen. The nattmara would leave a dirty poppet behind to cause a member of the family to contract tuberculosis. To avoid being targeted by a nattmara, a person could leave shoes (or nail a horseshoe) at/to the foot of the bed. Supposedly, the nattmara would see this are being an uncrossable boundary or find them distracting. They would then leave that person alone.

Stop by next Thursday for Part Two: Scandinavian Water Spirits

#FolkloreThursday - Scandinavian Gjenganger

Originally a Viking legend, a gjenganger was the spirit of a deceased who left something undone in life. The creature was corporeal and said to be malicious, stalking the living at night. When the victim was asleep, the gjenganger would inflict a dødningeknip (dead man’s pinch). The pinch would turn the victim's skin blue as it spread and ultimately killed them. 

The Scandinavian people took extreme measures to prevent these creatures from rising. Coffins were carried over the church wall rather than through the gate, and then carried three times around the church itself. This would supposedly stop the deceased from coming back from the dead. Any shovels used to dig the grave would be left undisturbed in a cross formation. A varp, or pile of rocks and twigs, was left where the person died. When a traveler passed the varp, it was important they throw another stone or twig on top to commemorate the death. Doing so would bring luck--not doing so risked certain misfortune.

Towards the beginning of the 20th century, the perception of gjenganger in Scandanavia has evolved. A modern version of spøkelse (ethereal ghosts who are non-violent in nature) seems to have taken over. Many varps have disappeared over time, though there are a few marked with a sign or something similar. However, the tradition of adding a stone or stick is kept alive to this day, even if in jest.

Interested in reading more on Scandinavian folklore? Check out Scandinavian Folk Belief and Legend (The Nordic Series) by Reimund Kvideland and Henning Sehmsdorf. Great book!