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Scandinavian folklore
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Scandinavian folklore is the folklore of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the Swedish speaking parts of Finland.
In Scandinavia the term 'folklore' is not often used in academic circles, instead terms such as Folketro (folk belief (older Almuetro)) or Folkesagn (folk tales) have been coined. In common speech, it is simply referred to as den Gamle Tro (the old belief), or perhaps sæd skik og brug (customs, the way).
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Encyclopedia
Scandinavian folklore is the folklore of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the Swedish speaking parts of Finland.
In Scandinavia the term 'folklore' is not often used in academic circles, instead terms such as Folketro (folk belief (older Almuetro)) or Folkesagn (folk tales) have been coined. In common speech, it is simply referred to as den Gamle Tro (the old belief), or perhaps sæd skik og brug (customs, the way). It evolved from Norse paganism, and it is in technical terms, labelled low-mythology, while the norse mythology is called high-mythology. High-mythology builds on low-mythology in its parts. The Christianization of Scandinavia around the 10th century meant that the high-mythology more or less phased out of use. This process may have been quite rapid because these never were the beliefs of the lower classes. Iceland and the Faroe Islands are not a part of Scandinavia (although they are Nordic countries) but should nevertheless be regarded as Scandinavian in folkloric terms. The folklore/religion of Finland and of the Sami people are clearly related to Scandinavian folklore/religion, but have retained an independent character. Because of their common Germanic origin, Scandinavian folklore shows a large correspondence with folklores elsewhere, such as in Canadian folklore, England and Germany among others. Most of what has survived there might be found, of a similar nature, in the Baltic countries.
In Scandinavian folklore, belief in the old gods still exists, but not in the form they show in high mythology. Some of the ones known in both forms of mythology are Odin (Oden), who is said to lead the Wild Hunt; Thor (Tor) who still chases trolls with his thunder, both in this context regarded as "jægere" (hunters), and we see also Ull (as Ul) and Hœnir in this role. Loki, as a housegod of the housefire, and sometimes Freyja, show up. A large number of different mythological creatures (or rather races, since few of them can be considered animals) from Norse mythology continue to live on, surprisingly little affected by Christian beliefs, even though the wicked ones at times find an ally in the Devil or had problems with Christian symbols. Nothing was surer, though, to scare these beings than a piece of steel, such as a strategically placed pair of scissors or a knife, or with salt and fire. The stories about the livings and doings of these beings, and their interaction with humans, constitute the major part of Scandinavian folklore. Even the helpful tomte, nisse, gårdbo or gårdbuk could turn into a fearsome adversary if not treated with caution and respect. Many of them blend into each other when their morals and/or place of residence are similar, and equally when one moves from one region in Scandinavia to another (the same is true for Norse mythology).
Beings of Scandinavian folklore
Perhaps most abundant are the stories about the race of trolls, a cunning and deceitful people, living in the woodlands or mountains. Trolls comes in many different shapes and forms and are generally not fair to behold, even though the female trollkonor, and sometimes even men, could appear very attractive until you spotted their tail. Trolls were often said to be able change their appearance and did so to trick humans to do what they wanted - for example look beautiful to trick you to follow them in to their mountain and there be held captive for years (bergatagen) - see the similarities with Irish "elven/fiery hills". When large, they are interchangeable with giants (jotner, jättar or jætter), who live even farther from society (since they cannot stand the sound of church bells) typically in the mountains (The fjells). In older tales, it becomes clear however that the word troll/trold (trolla as a verb) simply means "to badly harm/hurt someone" and someone who is a troll is someone that for example eats human flesh and/or engage in some other of the the worst crimes in society such as rape etc. The word trolla(to perform trolldom wichcraft/socery in Swedish) became a synonym for perform magic to hurt others in contrast to the word (Seida/Seiðr) (to prefomre seid) that was a kind of "good" magic that helped people in various ways. In modern times "trolla" is synonym to perform "lesser" magic on stage.
The race of dwarves (or Svartálfar|dark/black elves as opposite of the light elves ("[[ljusalfer]]")) was from the beginning not short, lived underground, dark haired and gray/pale skin and not very fond of the sun. They were master smiths with good knowledge in various magic and filled greed - in short not very pleasant to do business with. Some scholars believe that they may originate from some kind of Indo-European worship of dead spirits (maybe ancestors) with great knowledge - there for their original physical appearance. During the time they "became short" and less and less "ghoulish" evolved in to the dwarves whom we see in Snorres Edda and later tales. The actual Dwarven size is by some believed to have originated from German tales who were in their turn influenced by Roman stories of child slave labor in mines - but this cannot be proven.
Some say that the dwarves then lived on as wights (vättar or huldrefolk), although with somewhat different characteristics. Wights live underground, often right next to human settlements, and are commonly a menace to their ground-dwelling neighbors.
A type of wight from Northern Sweden is called Vittra who lives underground, is invisible most of the time and has its own cattle. Most of the time Vittra are rather distant and do not meddle with human affairs but are fearsome when made upset. This can be done by not respecting them properly. For example perform certain rituals (such as saying "look out" when putting out hot water or urinate so the can move) or build your home to close to or even worse,on top of their home, disturb their cattle or if you block their roads they can make your life very very miserable not to say dangerous - they do what ever it takes to drive you away even it takes arrange accidents to harm or even kill you. Even in modern day people has re-build/moved houses just not to block a "vittra-way" or moved from houses that they have called "a Vittra-place" (Vittra ställe) because of bad luck - even if this is rather uncommon. In tales told in the Swedish North Vittra often take the place that trolls, tomte and vättar holds in the same stories told in other parts of Sweden. Vittra are believed to sometimes "borrow" some cattle and when they eventually come back to the owner they are believed to have been given the ability to give more milk as a "thank you" gift. This tradition is heavily influenced by the fact it was developed during the time people had their cattle on mountain/forest grazing for long periods of the year.
The tomte or nisse(in the south of Sweden) is a good wight, who takes care of the house and barn when the farmer is asleep, but only if the farmer reciprocates by setting out food for the Tomte and he him self also take care of his family, farm and animals. If the Tomte is ignored or maltreated or the farm is not care for, he can sabotage a lot of the work on the farm to teach the farmer a lesson ot two. In Swedish Tomten (the Tomte in singular) is very closely linked to the word for the plot of land where a house/cottage is built and spells the same both in singular and plural(Tomten/tomtarna) but is pronounced with slightly longer vocals. Therefore some scholars believe that the wight Tomten originates from some sort of general house god/deity from the before the Asa belief. A Nisse/Tomte is said to be able to change his size between that of a 5 year old child and a thumb. They also are said to have the ability to make them selves
Elves (in Swedish called Älva if female and Alf if male) are in some parts mostly described as female (in contrast to the light and dark elves in the Edda), not-of-this-world beautiful and seductive residents of forest, meadows and mires. They are skilled in magic and illusions. Sometimes they are describes as small fairies, sometimes as full size women and sometimes as half transperent spirits - or a mix. They are closely linked to the mist and it is often said in Sweden that "the Elves are dancing in the mist". The female form of Elves can have originated from the female deities called Dís (singularis) and Díser (pluralis) found in the pre-cristian scandinavian religion. They was very powerful spirits closely linked to the seid magic. Even today the word "dis" is an synonym for mist or very very light rain in Swedish. Particularly in Denmark, the female elves have merged with the dangerous and seductive huldra or skogsfrun or , the "keeper of the forest", here often called hylde. In some parts of Sweden the elves also got some features from "Skogsfrun"/"Huldra"/"Hylda" and can seduce/bewitch uncareful men and suck their life out of them or make them go down in the mire and drown. But at the same time the the "Skogsrå" still exits as an own being with other distinct features clearly separate from the elves.
In more modern tales it ain't uncommon that a rather ugly male Tomte, Troll, Vätte or a Dwarf fall in love with a beautiful Elven female - as a beginning of a story of impossible/forbidden love.
Many of the terms in Nordic beliefs can be used broadly about many different set of beings, and one first knows for sure what they are meant, when having seen them in context. That characteristics are sometimes flowing in to each other doesn't make it easier. Vætter (evil little creatures), "Underjordiske"(the hidden ones/they below ground) and "småfolk" (little people) can be used as loosely terms about nearly all small beings in the old beliefs.
Huldra, Hylda, Skogsrå, Skogfru (Forest wife/woman) is a dangerus and seductive being that lives in the forest. Common is that she lures men into the woods by seducing them and then she might suck the life out of them so that they die, become old in an instant, become mentally broken/insane or she might simply murder them. Some stories say that she has the tail of a cow, some say that she has the tail of a fox and others say that her back is hollow filled with wood or bark. A mermaid/coastal counterpart does also appeare - then called "havsfrun" or "Havsrå" (Sea wife/woman) etc. - very similar to Sirenes Odysses meets in the Odyssey.
Water spirits can be found in, among others, the nix (näcken or nøkken), a water spirit who play some kind instrument (mostly flute or fiddle/vilion) in the rapids to lure/bewitch people to drown and was believed to be able to transform into a predatory kelpie (bäckahäst or bækhest) and often is presented as a shape of the devil.
In Scandinavian folklore, dragons are commonly known as lindworms, and are monstrous serpents with or without hind legs. In Norway and Denmark, they typically live in the ocean, and here, tales of marine monsters appear to be most plentiful, although a famous specimen is also said to reside in the Swedish lake Storsjön. The Norwegian lake Seljordsvatn is also famous for its claimed inhabitant, a serpent known as Selma. The coasts of Norway are reportedly also haunted by the terrifying Kraken, as well as the ghastly draug.
The myling is the ghost of a child left to die in the wilderness, and the mara is a wraith said to cause nightmares and sleep paralysis. Stories also recollects of will o' the wisps (irrbloss, lyktgubbar or lygtemænd), often assumed to be the spirits of people who had drowned in lakes and marshes. According to some stories, they could lead a lost wanderer to a death similar to their own; according to others, they could lead him home.
These are only a few of the beings, and only shortly explained.
See also
External links
- in Norwegian. See esp. .
- in Norwegian with English translations.
- in Swedish.
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