Scandinavian Folklore & Ghost Tales

Each tradition has its personal relationship to dying and superstition. Ghost tales are normally part of that; what they give attention to are a macabre, gateway to understanding the fears and obsessions of that point and folks by means of mythological creatures.

My private favourite intervals of ghost folklore are Victorian England, largely as a result of these individuals had been so repressed that they managed to combine intercourse and dying in a manner beforehand extraordinary, and the American West, as a result of you then get entire cities of ghosts! I’m nothing if not economical.

Folklore within the Scandinavian area skilled a surge of curiosity within the late nineteenth century, with these cultures starting to look past their histories of Christianity and again to their mythological roots.

Lots of the Scandinavian people tales, as is so widespread worldwide and will also be seen in fairy tales, had been created to scare youngsters into obeying their dad and mom. Others satires of norse monsters grew and adjusted as a solution to clarify phenomena that appeared in any other case inexplicable.

In honor of Halloween, which lately has develop into semi-celebrated within the Nordic international locations, listed here are the creatures and creepies of the area:

Myling: Scandinavian folklore ‘s little one ghost

Undoubtedly essentially the most disturbing of the ghost tales, Myling narratives inform the story of undesirable or murdered youngsters. Typically the ghosts are additionally known as utburd, that means “that which is exterior.”

The ghosts of those youngsters lengthy to be buried correctly, in order that they soar on the again of the primary particular person they meet and demand to be taken to a cemetery. In some tales, the Myling ghost drains energy from its human journey. In others, the human is simply too weak and dies from the exertion.

The ghost typically takes on human kind because it will get nearer to the burial floor and is described, although it represents a baby, as a really giant spirit.

These tales are believed to have been written to reply to cases of infanticide; a taboo topic.

Sorry to bum you all out with that one.

Draugen: The ocean ghost of Scandi sailors

The ghost of a person who died at sea, Draugen has many tales to his identify. In a single iteration, a person ran from the ghost, calling out to the useless to avoid wasting him. The subsequent day, the cemetery was coated in seaweed and the graves had been huge open.

Enormous, draped in seaweed and screaming (similar to my marriage ceremony day), many declare to see Draugen throughout storms.

He sinks boats and drowns sailors. So, not an awesome man.

Pesta: Scandinavian folklore ‘s plague ghost

Starting through the time of the Black Dying, Pesta is the personification of the plague.

Because the legend goes, if she involves your home with a rake, among the household could reside. But when she comes with a brush, you’re all doomed.

She is normally described as an unpleasant, shriveled previous girl. Pesta, additionally known as “Plague-hag,” continues to be generally talked about in reference to dying in Northern Europe.

Mare: Scandinavian folklore’s sea monster

She’s not likely a ghost, however she is fairly terrifying. This evil spirit or goblin sits on you and provides you unhealthy desires (or night-mares! Aha!).

Tales about her might be traced again to the thirteenth century, when King Vanlandi Sveigðisson of Uppsala died throughout a nightmare.

It was stated that his spouse, whom he had deserted ten years earlier, requested a sorceress to make use of his desires to lure him again to her or, failing that, kill him.

Have a ghost story you need to share, Scandinavian or not? We love a superb ghost story! Shoot us an e-mail at hey[@]scandinaviastandard.com

This text was initially printed in October, 2014.