In Reading Direct Anecdotes From People Who Believed In Vættir, Back In The 1800s, There Is This Sense

In reading direct anecdotes from people who believed in vættir, back in the 1800s, there is this sense that the vættir were already endangered before these people were born, and that the vættir are all but gone now. They speak of their grandparents' experiences, of things they saw in their childhood and stories that everyone knew about, but which took place a generation or more ago. They talk about how vættir "used to" live in that hill over there, or how the old house down the road "had" a vættr in the attic before it was torn down. It feels post-apocalyptic. Like they lived through an extinction event and are left to tell the tales of mammoths and aurochsen. The great enlightenment lit up the dark woods and farms and hills of rural communities and killed off the vættir en masse, forcing the last ones to retreat to the attics of madmen and storytellers.

Favorite Danish folklore I grew up with

Lygtemænd (the lantern men): Like will-o’-the-wisp, jack o’lantern and similar… Nobody really knows who or what they are. They are small creatures with lights (probably lanterns) that are moving around in marshes and swampy fields at night. Never follow them. If you follow them, you’ll never be seen again. They will probably lead you further out into the marshes where you drown. Don’t even look at them, because you may get the urge to follow the light. If you’re lost, you can however pay them (by leaving money at the roadside) to lead you back home - if you’re brave enough.

Åmanden (the river man): He lives in the rivers and lakes, and prevents overflow and floods, but needs an annual human sacrifice (aka drowned people) in return. He looks like a very beautiful young man, but has sharp teeth. If he hasn’t got his sacrifice, he will lure people into the river. He can sound like a crying baby, to make you go search for an abandoned baby at the shores, or he plays the violin so beautifully that you will follow the sound into the water, where he will drown you. Never go near a river at night or dawn!

Helhesten (the hell horse): So the first soul buried on a new grave yard will resurrect and haunt the grave yard. Because of this, the first soul buried was often not a person but a living animal, most often a horse. This hellhorse has three legs, sometimes it’s beheaded, and it brings people illness and death. When you see it, you will die. If you hear a horse neigh or stomp on a grave yard, don’t look up! Never! Never go to a graveyard at night.

De underjordiske from Bornholm (the underground ones): basically small trolls. They live on the island Bornholm in mounds, hills, cliffs or big rocks. They are small creatures, very smart and have an almost human-like farmer lifestyle. They are usually friendly and peaceful, but may be troublesome, if you dig in their mound or e.g. let your animals walk around on their home. They can also kidnap, or switch your baby out with one of their people and make him look like the baby. The new baby will become more and more ugly, stop growing, never learn to speak and eat A LOT. The only way to expose it, is to tell it something so stupid and ridiculous that it gets flabbergasted. If you visit the island ask a local - almost everyone knows somebody that met the underjordiske or had an encounter themselves.

Nisser: kind of small household gods. They are little dwarf-like creatures that live hidden in your house, typically on the loft or in the stables, if you have a farm. Usually they are helpful and some sort of nice warden, but if you treat them bad, they may trouble you. You should leave a bowl of rice pudding for them on the loft, especially at Christmas. Some may also be humorous and hide your stuff, so you think you replaced it, then they are called Drillenisse (mocking nisse).

Elverfolket (elves): They live in forests, glades and mounds and are known for their beauty and their feasts. The very beautiful elver women will typically dance around their mound looking outwards in misty nights, so you can see their beauty, but in their backs they are hollow like an old tree trunk. If you join their dance and feast, they will never let you go. Stay away from them and from their mounds and they will be peaceful. Their king is very powerful, but if you’re respectful and keep the elverfolks homes safe, he may in return bless your land.

Mosekonen (the marsh witch): She is an troll-like woman who lives in a hidden cabin in the marshes. She is known for brewing something in a big kettle, but nobody really knows what. Probably a special brew for their party’s (e.g. for Walpurgis Night). You will know that she is brewing, when there is fog and mist over the marshes. She gets help from the Lygtemænd with her fire, so you shouldn’t go out there to find her, as you may drown.

Havfolk/ nøkker (sea people): Human like creatures (like mermaids) that live in the sea and might have fish-like features like a fish tail. The women are very beautiful, sing very lovely, and may lure men into the water and (not necessarily willful) drown them as they take them into their underwater home. The havfolk may come out of the water and look human, but they will always be wet. The men can transform into a big black or white horse that comes out of the sea at night and rushes along the beach. They may lure you to climb and ride, but will then ride directly into the sea and drown you. Stay away from the sea at night to be safe, and if you hear someone singing at the sea, quickly cover your ears with your hands!

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fyribua

4 months ago