Unlike Nils Dacke in the 1540s, there was no ONE leader for the Snapphanar in the 17th century. One reason being, as previously mentioned, that there was no ONE Snapphane-movement. There was independent peasant uprisings,…
As we continue our journey through Scandinavia’s peasant uprisings, we turn to the 17th century and the guerilla fighters known as Snapphanar. I will explain it’s meaning below, but let’s start with some background: During…
When we look back at history, there seems to be a tendency to believe that ALL people living back then thought and believed in the same. That was of course not the case. Even though…
The Draugr is a resurrected dead person, often a viking or warrior, who leaves his burial mound to terrorize the living. It could also be a sailor who drowned at sea and were thus never…
Here is another Norse mythological creature I have hard time translating into English. The old Norse word is vættr, and in Swedish the word is vätte (singular) or vättar (plural). One possible translation might be…
The Mare (Maran) is an evil female spirit who visits men or animals at night – hence the term ”nightmare”. She is riding her victims, making them sweaty, out of breath and with a feeling…
The elves in Nordic Folklore are usually described as very small, female beings, dressed in shimmering white and with wings, often dancing on a misty field. But as with other supernatural beings, they can change…
The Huldra is a female supernatural being in the Nordic Folklore (although as with the Nix it is a species, not a single entity). The Norwegian name Huldra comes from Huld, a völva in Norse…
Next up among our mythic creatures is the Nix (Swedish: Näcken). The Nix is a water creature, who lives in lakes, rivers, streams and brooks, and tried to lure people into the waters to drown.…
The Nordic ”Tomte” or ”Nisse” has no really good translation to English. The closest might be hobgoblin, elf or gnome. But since it is a specific Nordic creature, I will call it Tomte. The Swedish…