2.4.7 Trolls and other beings
Description
This article is from the Nordic countries FAQ, by Antti Lahelma and Johan Olofsson, with numerous contributions by others.
2.4.7 Trolls and other beings
Except for the Gods, who haven't belonged to the Nordic reallity for
centuries, there are some other important beings:
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brownie
Sw: tomte
Fi: tonttu
Sw: gårdbo
Da: nisse
Tomten is a shy, solitary and longlived human-like being, very bound
to the ground of his. Tomten regards the humans as temporary lodgers
in his domain. Tomtar are not known to reside in urban settings, but a
few less reliable reports say that Tomtar might dwell in the Woods as
well.
Tomten is known to form families, but very little is known about the
female tomte, Tomtemor. Tomte-children do not approach humans.
Although he is more keen on the animals than on the humans, his
guardiance can, if he is friendly disposed, be very valuable for the
humans too. In case of fire or other dangers he can take help by the
humans by alarming or wakening up the master of the house. A few less
reliable reports say that Tomtar might dwell in the Woods as well.
To show the tomte appropriate respect is very important. Otherwise he
would get averse and cause misfortune; and the humans could be forced
to move on. Misdeeds from children or negligent employees the tomte
might punish directly. The Nordic version of Sancta Claus is dressed
as a Tomte of human size.
For drawings of tomtar and trolls, you could for instance examine the
drawings by Hasse Bredenberg at
<http://www.lysator.liu.se/runeberg/bredberg/>.
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vättar
Vättar are smallish guardians, maybe distantly related to the tomte.
landvättar
Families living under stones, in the ground, guarding a wood, an
island or certain places. They dislike foreigners but are in principle
friendly.
Sw: gårdsvättar
Fi: maahinen
Families living under dwelling-houses or maybe beneath the stable.
Vättar like cleanliness, order and warmth. They are said to move from
a house if abandoned by the people and thereby made cold, but they
might also get angered if rainwater or sink-water leak in to their
dwelling.
When provoked they might cause illness, particularly among the
children.
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dwarfs
Sw: dvärgar
Fi: kääpiö
Dwarfs are social human-like male beings of asexual generation, living
in mountains and mines. They are very fond of metals and beautiful
stones, and can get hostile when disturbed or robbed. It's dubious if
they are seen in recent years.
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gnomes
Gnomes are smallish men who mostly dwells on the European continent
and only rarely visit our northern latitudes. The gnome travels alone
through the earth as fishes swim through water. He guards the
treasures hidden in the earth and mountains.
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rulers
It's unclear whether Huldra, Vittra and Näcken are to group together
or not, but they seem all somehow to support the Nature and its
animals against the dangerous humans.
No: huldra
Sw: skogsrå
Fi: metsänhaltija
Huldror and skogsrån (wood nymphs) are solitary female beings of
extreme beauty, but without a spine (being "empty" in the back).
Skogsrå do mostly approach hunters, probably to defend the animals or
the wood from the sufferings caused by human hands.
The hunter falls in love and forgets his duties toward wife and
family. He can also get allured astray or into a fog and die in the
wood he thought he knew so well.
vittra
Vittror are female invisible beings, probably solitary. Maybe
smallish. Dwelling in Norrland, in the high woods and on the fjeld.
Often with dwellings under earth, but also in abandoned human chalets.
Vittror are experts in milking, getting fatter and more abundant milk
both from own (invisible) cattle and from the humans' cows and goats.
Vittror can be heard sometimes when they milk or when they call for
their cattle. And the bell of their leading cow might be heard too.
The vittror do however not normally seek human company.
It is unclear whether they rule over the fjeld and its woods like the
skogsrå rules over the grand woods. But it is probable.
Sw: Näcken
Fi: Näkki
Sw: Strömkarlen
Sw: Bäckakarlen
Näcken is a very attractive man-like fiddle player or singer.
Appearing at rivers and in waterfalls. He is fond of women, who
sometimes are found drowned at places where he appears. Näcken is said
to dislike clothes.
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follower
fylgja
In old times powerful men were often accompanied by an invisible
animal, fitting to their personality, as for instance a bear or a
bull. The fylgja followed the person throughout life, and they died
together. Occasionally the fylgja might be seen by others, but by the
owner only at the end of his life.
family-fylgja
Some families also had a family-fylgja: a female being who followed
the head of the family, and when he died turned to the heir. She could
assist in battles, and in general cause problems for enemies.
People with a powerful family-fylgja had much luck, and were therefore
often elected as leaders for a village, a ship or a province.
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elfs
Elfs are little known beings who originally were closely related to
the goods. Signs suggest that they in later times have interbred with
the hidden people of the vittror.
alver
Alver are human-like beings of both sexes. They often get very old and
wise but they never look really old. They live their life with minimal
contacts with humans, why we know very little about alver of today.
Sometimes they change infants with humans, with the sad consequence
that the human family gets a very gifted child which however has less
of solidarity with its relatives than one could expect.
In old times people used to sacrifice to the alver. Nowadays this
custom is forgotten, but we guess that such rites could improve the
harvest, the fertility of the cattle or the health of the family.
Sw: älvor
Fi: keiju
fairies
Fairies are beautiful female beings, usually invisible but sometimes
with visible veils. They are fond of pleasures and beauty, and also
very enjoyable to meet. Sometimes they dance, sometimes they sing or
giggle. Often shy for humans. They can be seen or heard at some
distance, but use to disappear, or become invisible, when humans
approach. They dislike to be disturbed, but might fall in love with
beautiful men, and can then be very persistent.
Fairies are rather young - or at least do they behave like
light-hearted teenage girls. Open meadows, shallow tarns and sheltered
water mirrors can sometimes attract great parties of fairies.
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norns
Norns are female beings who at birth determine the fate of the
newborn. The best known has the name Verðandi.
valkyrior
valkyrias
Valkyrias are probably a kind of norns who is responsible for the
collection of the warriors whos time it is to die. One is known under
the name Skuld (of the same root as in "shall").
dis
A dis is a nowadays almost forgotten female being, related to norns
and valkyrias, with the power to protect against ones enemies. In old
times death in late winter was explained by insufficient sacrifice to
the dises. These sacrifices took place at midwinter time or at fall.
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troll
Fi: peikko
No: troll
Sw: troll
Da: troll
Trolls are human-like beings living in families or clans in for
instance woods, mountains and hillocks. Some trolls live in
pre-Christian graves after great kings and chieftains. They are very
interested in jewelry in general and gold, silver and beautiful stones
in particular.
Trolls usually get very old, but not even as young they are
particularly beautiful. Trolls are fertile, but they fancy young
beautiful women and infants seemingly hoping for offspring less ugly
than they are themselves. Human women, and rarely young handsome men,
have now and then been captured. Except for sexual services the humans
have had hard labor as the foreigners they are, and their life at the
trolls is said to be full of sufferings. Trolls don't seem to
understand that humans are not as strong and endurant as they are
themselves.
When trolls rob infants from their mother they usually leave an own
infant, a changeling, in exchange. the changeling has however a hard
time to follow human morals, and is not rarely quite stupid.
For views of trolls you could for instance examine the drawings at
<http://www.lysator.liu.se/nordic/ill/titta/troll.html>.
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giants
risar
Sw: jättar
Fi: jättiläinen
Giants dwell in caves, mountains and deep woods. Often in harsh
landscape were humans can not survive for longer times. Giants are
said to be insensitive for ice and snow.
Some people (Mots 1984) believe the giants and the trolls to have been
the Gods of the pre-Germanic population.
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ghosts
Sw: gengångare
Fi: haamu
Sw: vålnad
Fi: aave
(Fi: kummitus)
Sw: spöke
ghosts
Deceased persons who live on after death have usually committed an
evil deed in their lifetime. They cause illness, insanity and death.
In medieval times the law punished production of ghosts (i.e. people
who disturbed the dead).
mara
The mara is a female being who likes riding horses in their stable,
and humans in their house, causing unrest, anguish, fear, bad dreams
and feeling of suffocating. The mara is maybe the ghost of an
unfortunate woman who died as a unsatisfied virgin.
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