The oceans, for instance, are said to be home to such creatures as the Kraken, the Trolual, and the Draugen. There are many other beings in Scandinavian folklore, some of which will be briefly mentioned here. The seductive huldra ( public domain ) The Many Faces of Scandinavian Folklore God declared ‘Then let all that is hidden, remain hidden’, and the hidden children became ‘De Underjordiske’ (meaning ‘The Ones Living Underground’), Huldra being one of them. Having seen the children, God asked if there were any more, to which Eve replied ‘no’. As not all the children were clean, Eve hid the dirty ones. One day, as Eve was bathing her children, God came to visit. Another story about Huldra that came with Christianity is that she was a daughter of Adam and Eve. She would also, however, lose the beauty she is so famous for. If the Huldra was able to convince a man to marry her in a church, her tail would fall off, and she would become human. When Christianity arrived, this story was given a twist. This creature would lure mortal men into her forest den in order to steal their souls. Huldra looks like a normal woman, though with one major exception – her long tail. The influence of Christianity on Nordic folklore may also be seen in a being known as the Huldra, who is described as a beautiful, seductive creature who lives in the forest. Scandinavian trolls by John Bauer ( public domain ) The Seductive Huldra Ancient DNA Sheds Light on the Mysterious Origins of the First Scandinavians.The long goodbye to Scandinavian Paganism and the Christianization of three realms.

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This was a symbolic gesture to personify the old, pagan ways, which the new religion condemned. It may be interesting to point out that when Christianity arrived in Scandinavia, trolls were ‘given’ the ability to smell the blood of a Christian man. Whilst trolls are often portrayed as antagonists in modern media, they are said to be able to show kindness if one does a favor for them. Their great size, however, is not matched by their intellectual capacity, and they are often seen as slow and stupid. Whilst the physical appearance of the troll may differ from one tale to another, it is generally agreed that they are huge and ugly. 'To make my small elves coats.' Illustrations to Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream by Arthur Rackham ( public domain ) The Scandinavian TrollĪnother creature from Scandinavian folklore that many would be familiar with is the troll. Although generally depicted as peaceful creatures (and often portrayed as good in modern media), there are some Scandinavian tales in which elves are the perpetrators of wicked deeds. According to Nordic folklore, elves live in meadows and forests. Unlike the dwarves, the elves are believed to be graceful, ethereal beings. One hypothesis is that the idea of dwarves evolved from a form of Indo-European ancestor worship. Originally, however, they were thought to have been pale and ghastly in appearance. They are also characterised by their short physical stature, with the males of this race almost always sporting long beards. According to Norse mythology, dwarves are master blacksmiths who live in underground cities. It is fair to say that two of the best-known groups of Scandinavian mythical creatures are the dwarves and the elves. This article will look at some of the well-known and lesser-known beings in Scandinavian folklore. Others, however, are much less renowned, and perhaps only familiar amongst enthusiasts of this field. Some of the beings from Scandinavian folklore are well-known, and have been used in modern works of fiction, such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Some are believed to be benevolent towards human beings, whilst others less so. Between these two groups of beings are a range of creatures that come in all shapes and sizes.

In rather simplistic terms, these may be said to represent the forces of good and evil. In Scandinavian folklore, there are numerous races of beings, the best-known of which (apart from human beings) are the gods and the jötnar, their nemesis.

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