Viking Folklore: Margygr

 

Viking Folklore: Margygr the Norse mermaid.

🛶🧜‍♀️🌊

In Norse mythology, the margygr is a large mermaid like creature that's believed to live off the coast of Greenland.

Unlike later mermaid legends where the mermaid is beautiful,  this creature is described as either unnerving and hideous or strikingly beautiful both and forms always leaves it's witness's in aw/shock.

Like most mermaid sightings the Margygr is a human fish hybrid, most of the time she has the top half of a beautiful  large breasted long haired woman with webbed hands with a fish like appearance from the waist down, though she is much larger then a normal mermaid. 

In other accounts she's described as a giant terrifying and grotesque creature.

 Margygr translates to "Sea Giantess" or "Sea spirit". 

The Vikings considered these being to be more of a force of nature or powerful spirit then an actual creature, some would even pray to it for a safe voyage before they set sail. 

Sightings are rare,but when it is  spotted it's always  before a powerful storm and can be either beneficial and helpful to sailors or harmful and violent.  . 

🌊🧜‍♀️🌊

skogsrå, the Foxy forest nymph

 

The northern forest's of Scandinavia are cold and dark, they are also home to many mysterious creatures Gnomes, Trolls, Giants, elves ect.

But there's another creatures that haunts these wood, as deadly as she is beautiful...

The skogsrå.

The skogsrå is a swedish version of the huldra.

,............

She most often  appears as a beautiful young woman with  a friendly attitude. 

From the front she looks like a normal woman but  from behind she usually has ether a fox or cow tail sicking out of her skirt/dress and a hollow back (but not always).

More often than not, the men that follow her into the forest are never seen again.

 In some folktales any man  that had sex with her and returned would be like a hollow shell of his former self as his soul remained with her.

 However if the  man is a hunter or someone that was kind to her, he may be rewarded with good luck in the hunt or fishing trip but should he ever be unfaithful to her, he will be struck with extreme bad luck and  accidents. In some cases the bad luck may end if the hunter fires a shot into the woods.

 Nyland, Finland Folklore says firing  silver bullets  can kill a skogsrå

In Norway, the word huldrefolk or huldre (plural)  comes from Old Norse huldr meaning ‘hidden’ it's used for all kinds of supernatural creatures. Hulder, or Huldra in the singular, signifies a female forest spirit, though she may also appear in mountains.

 These forest spirits act alone, instead of in.large group's or families like other supernatural beings, like the vittra. In northern Sweden, the name vittra refers to a group of supernatural beings that lives underground that have many traits in common with fairies from folklore of the British Isles, as well as with the ellefolk in Danish tradition or the huldrefolk /Hilda folk in Norwegian tradition.     

 Finland also has a version of the Huldra/ skogsrå, Some names in the Finnish language, mainly from the west coast, also show a link to the Swedish traditions, metsänpiika ‘forest girl’ or metsänneito ‘forest maid’ are the most often used names for the female forest spirit. However, there are also other localised names such as haapaneitsyt ‘aspen-maid’ or sinipiika ‘blue maid’.          

 

Her other Swedish names are  skogsrå, skogsrådan, skogsråa ‘forest ruler’, råan, rådande ‘the ruler,/the ruling spirit’, skogsjungfru ‘forest maiden’, skogsfru, skogssnuva ‘forest woman’, skogskäringen ‘the forest hag’, or with a nickname such as Grankotte–Maja ‘Spruce cone-Maja’, Talle-Maja ‘Pine tree-Maja’. She is also known by many different local variants like.. Gonna, Besta, Rånda, Skogela, Lanna-frökna ‘The lady of Lanna’ or Ysäters-Kajsa ‘Kajsa of Ysäter’. On the island of Gotland, there are records of a female troll called Torspjäska that plays the same role and has the same function as forest spirit on the mainland.      Germany has a legend of a long-haired beautiful fores spirits too,.  Called  Holzfräulein ‘the tree lady’, who was dressed in leaves, or as Moosweiblein ‘the moss woman’. 

If you're heading into the woods soon, be weary of any beautiful strangers that may approach you ...... 

 🖤💕Also Happy Valentines Day.💕🖤

Scandinavian Folklore: Mara.👻

The Mara is a female spirit like being from Scandinavian mythology.

One of the earliest mention and possibly the original origins of the tale comes from the Norse Ynglinga saga, a 13th century saga written by Snorri Sturlson, an Icelandic poet. 

In the saga King Vanlandi Sveigoisson of Uppsala is killed by a mara which is conjured by the Finnish sorceress Huld, hired by the king’s abandoned wife.

.....

–Ynglinga Saga, Verse 16..

“Driva bribed the witch-

wife Huld, either that she should bewitch Vanlande to return to

Finland, or kill him. When this witch-work was going on Vanlande

was at Upsal, and a great desire came over him to go to Finland;

but his friends and counsellors advised him against it, and said

the witchcraft of the Finn people showed itself in this desire of

his to go there. He then became very drowsy, and laid himself

down to sleep; but when he had slept but a little while he cried

out, saying that the Mara was treading upon him. His men

hastened to him to help him; but when they took hold of his head

she trod on his legs, and when they laid hold of his legs she

pressed upon his head; and it was his death. The Swedes took his

body and burnt it at a river called Skytaa, where a standing

stone was raised over him.”

....         

....... .

........

In Polish folklore the mara is described as a soul of a living person who leaves their body at night (astral projection) and are seen by others in the form of wisps of hair or moths. 

In Czech lore there are stories  of a “night-butterfly,” also thought to be linked to the mara legend. 

In Russian folklore she's  invisible but with the ability to also take the form of a woman with long hair. Other mentions of mara in Slavic folklore include descriptions of the her as a succubus-like creature that invades men’s dreams and lead them to their doom (Croatia) and as a spirit who enters through the keyhole and strangles you while you sleep (Serbia). 

In Turkey, the mara is called the Karabasan which translates to “ominous-presser.”

,.....

In the  Icelandic Vatnsdæla saga as a spirit connected to the fate of the person it is attached to and in the Eyrbyggja saga (also Icelandic in origin) where the sorceress Geirrid is said to assume the shape of a marlíðendr or “night-rider.”

In Germany there are records of charms and prayers to ward off the mara, such as the below:

Here I am lying down to sleep;

No night-mare shall plague me

until they have swum through all the waters

that flow upon the earth,

and counted all stars

that appear in the skies.

Thus help me God Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen!..

,..... . 

The legend of the mara is also connected to the legend of the old had or night hag, a story used in many cultures to explain sleep paralysis. 

The first definition of sleep paralysis appears in Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary under the term “nightmare”:

Nightmare n.s. [night, and according to Temple, mara, a spirit that in the heathen mythology, was related to torment to suffocate sleepers.] A morbid oppression in the night, resembling the pressure of weight upon the chest.

                        Old Hag, Night Hag.

.....

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Other versions from around the world.

.. 

In Japan it is referred to as kanashibari, which translates as “to bind” or “to tie.”

In Mongolia sleep paralysis is called khar darakh, which translates to “to be pressed by the Black.” 

Thai belief describes sleep paralysis as being caused by a ghost called Phi Am.

Newfoundland and parts of the southern United States where the hag leaves her body and sits on the chest of the victim.

In Arab cultures it is referred to as Ja-thoom which means “what sits heavily on something.” It is believed sleep paralysis can be prevented by reading the Throne verse of the Quran.

......

The origins of the name comes from the Nordic word for nightmare (the Norwegian word for nightmare is mareitt, the Icelandic name is martroo, and the Swedish word  is mardrom). Mareitt and martroo roughly translate as “mare-ride”, referencing the original use of the term, while mardrom translates as “mare-dream.” 

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🎃 Happy Halloween  👻

Norse God of Winter🌨️❄️

 

             ❄️Ullr❄️

Ullr, the Viking God of Winter 

He is the son of the grain goddess Sif, and the stepson of the thunder god Thor.

In chapter 31 of Gylfaginning in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, Ullr is referred to as a son of Sif (with a father unrecorded in surviving sources. 

He's a highly skilled  archer, hunter, skater, and skier.

Ullr - pronounced “ULL-er,” often Anglicized as “Ull,” and sometimes “Ullinn”)

In Grímnismál, it says his home is called Ýdalir, “Yew Dales.”

 He lives at his hall Ydalir, which translates to Yew Dales: yew wood was the material of choice for making bows in ancient Scandinavia. 

Ullr was also known as the god of oaths and combat. It's said that all oaths were taken on Ullr’s ring, which would shrink down to sever your finger should you break your oath.

In some versions of the myths his wife is the giantess Skadi....(in other stories, skadi is the wife of Njord The Sae God.)

 He was the ruler of Asgard when Odin was away for ten years.

There are several locations in Scandinavia  named after him. 

A few of the city's ...

Ullevål,

 Ullevi, 

Ullared, 

Ullensaker 

And Ullensvang..

Because of his status as a winter god, many worshippers would pray to Ullr before travel in the harsh northern winter.

Within the winter skiing community of Europe, Ullr is considered the Guardian Patron Saint of Skiers (German Schutzpatron der Skifahrer).

 An Ullr medallion or ski medal depicting the god on skis holding a bow and arrow, is widely worn as a talisman by both recreational and professional skiers as well as ski patrols in Europe and elsewhere.

Ever since 1963 the town of Breckenridge, Colorado has held a week-long "Ullr Fest" each January, featuring events designed to win his favor in an effort to bring snow to the historic ski town.

Ullr is also a playable character in the video game Smite.

.......

Can't believe its already December, time flys I guess, bundle up and enjoy the snow .

❄️☃️🎿⛷️

Selma the Norwegian lake monster 🐉

 

 

 

 

 Selma is a legendary sea serpent said to live in the 13-kilometre-long (8-mile) Lake Seljord (Seljordsvatnet) in Seljord, Vestfold og Telemark, Norway

 

 

The sea serpent Selma has been depicted in the coat of arms of Seljord since 1989. 

 Designed by sculpturer, Trygve Magnus Barstad, the arms show Selma in a gold-color on a red background.

 

 

The oldest written account of the creature dates from 1750, when it was said to have rounded a rowboat belonging to a man from Bø rowing across from Ulvenes to Nes.

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One early documented sighting of  Selma dates back to 1880 when a man named Bjorn Bjorge, and his mother Gunhild, were superpose to have cut an attacking serpent in half. 

 

According to this report the lower portion of the creature squirmed back into the lake while the front half was left to rot on the shore. 

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Early one morning in the summer of 1918, Karl Karlsson walked down to the bridge at Sandnes to do a little fishing . Suddenly he saw a strange animal in the water closing in fast. It came so close and Karl was so scared that he threw down his fishing rod and ran. He described the animals head as that of a horse. It was held about three feet out of the water. When the animal came within 150 feet of the bridge it stopped, sank straight down and disappeared.

That summer Torgil Bjorge found large meat-like chunks, like from a serpent like creature, floating on Lake Seljordsvatnet close to Sandnes. On another occasion he saw an animal on the beach resembling a crocodile, which quickly vanished into a pile of stones. Two years later, Eivind Fjodstuft went out on Sinnesodden to fish. It was an unusually warm, calm day with an unbroken surface. When he came to the point he saw a strange animal on its way out of the lake and onto the cliffs. It turned back when Eivind came towards it and slipped down into the water.

He described the animal as 15-20 meters long, narrowing and with a head resembling the head of a crocodile. 

The animal was black in color and had finlike feet at the front part, right below its neck. He saw no eyes or mouth, but the animal turned its head from side to side and seemed to scout and listen. When it discovered Eivind it quickly went back into the water again. 

.................................

 

In 1996, two men were fishing around dusk on Lake Seljordsvatnet when the silence was broken by a sudden commotion in the water. A horse like head attached to a ten foot long neck rose from the water, the creature starred at the two fisherman from about 8 inches away before slowly submerging back into the water. 

 

................................

Early one morning in July, 2001, a father and son from Oslo, who wished to remain nameless, decided to take a quick walk down to the lake for a refreshing swim. When they were about 100 yards away they noticed something strange on the beach but assumed that it was either a fallen log or pile of old car tires that had washed ashore over night. The two stopped about 30 feet from the beach as they witnessed what they could only describe as a giant snake just at the waters edge.

Its head towards the water unaware of their presence but as they watched the son stumbled, making a noise, and the beast turned its long neck around and stared at directly at them . According to these two witnesses, who are reported to be respected members of their communities, the creature's head was as large as a calves. The encounter lasted roughly 10 seconds before the beast swung its head back towards the lake and glided into the lake. The two described it as having an enormous body, which was at least 30 feet long, and was as thick as a car tire. 

 

 

 

Since 1977, Jan Ove Sundberg, president and founder of GUST, the Global Underwater Search Team, has been on the front lines of the search for Selma and many of Norway's other so called Lake Monsters. Collecting first hand accounts of the creature as well as leading his team to the lake in attempts to located Selma using sonar and hydrophones.

In August of 2000, Sundberg led a team comprised of international researchers, along with two Norwegian molecular biologists, on a mission to capture a live specimen of the creature known as Selma. The team planned to use the COMET, Co-Operative Monster Eel Trap, a specially designed monster trap professionally made by InnFsik AS at Homnes outside Kristiansand on the coast of southern Norway. The trap was named as such to get around the fact that Selma, and creatures like her, are protected and illegal to catch, or so the Norwegian authorities claim.

The COMET was 18 feet long, 15 feet in circumference and has a cone like opening where the designers expected the catch to enter, attracted by the live fish that were used as bait. The creature would never actually reach the fish however, as they are sectioned by themselves and when any creature who enters tries to escape the trap its construction would not allow it to. The idea to use such a trap originally came from limnologist Dr. Atle Hindar at The Norwegian Institute of Water Research.

The plan was to use COMET to capture a juvenile serpent, between 3 and 15 feet in length, take DNA and other samples, then tag the creature and release it back into the wild. Molecular biologists at a Norwegian university, who where standing by, would then analyze the data in order to categorize the creature and determine its genus. Unfortunately the team and their trap came up empty, but they did get some interesting sonar readings during this trip.

Speculations as to what the creature really is have ranged from giant catfish, giant eels, prehistoric relics and giant anacondas. Although reptiles are not thought to be capable of surviving in waters as cold as Lake Seljordsvatnet, some have suggested that a form of reptile may have evolved to survive in such a harsh environment. With GUST leading expeditions to the lake almost every year, and their team of experts growing larger every day, it is only a matter of time before this prestigious crew of explorers brings the identity of Selma to light in an international spotlight, proving the existence of the Lake Monsters to the world.

 

 Have fun in teh lake but swim with caution, you never know whats lurking just below the waves.

Påskkärringar: The Easter Witch

 

 

 

 

                                                                       Påskkärringar

                                                               Easter Witches

More than 200 innocent women were tortured to death in Sweden during the witch hunts of the 1600's

Because of rampant fear during this time, doors and dampers were locked to guarded against traveling   witches on there way  to Blåkulla to meet the Devil. Any tools the witches could use on their trip were put away. Barn doors were secured to prevent the witches from milking or riding the animals

 

 

The last swedish witch was sentenced in 1704 but it was not until 1779 that the death penalty for witchcraft was repealed. 

Now  it's an Easter tradition for children to dress as witches, old women and old men and go door to door for treats similar to the American  trick-or-treating tradition of Halloween on Maundy Thursday or the day before Easter (Holy Saturday).

The children sometimes present hand-made cards and other greetings. Related to warding off witchcraft and at a similar time of year is the Walpurgis Night celebration. 

 

 House's are decorated with “påskris”, ...birch twigs with colored feathers and small decorations. These are placed on dining tables and in windows and are thought to help the spring arrive after the long winter. 

                                                

 Painting eggs and the Easter egg hunt is also slightly different in Nordic country's 

Nordic Easter eggs are not made of chocolate but from cardboard. and hand painted.

They are then filled with sweets and chocolate. these “Påskägg” will be kept by the family and reused for years to come.

 

                  

 

Traditional Easter food,  will be a smörgåsbord in Sweden or roast lamb in Finland and Norway.

                                                

Norwegians (Not All) also do a traditional morning sunrise from the mountains 

                                        

Easter witches 

(Swedish: påskkärring, 'easter hag' 'easter witch'

 Finland Swedish: påskhäxa, 'easter witch', Finland Finnish: Trulli, 'Trulli') is an old Swedish legend about witches flying to Blockula (Swedish: Blåkulla, Blå Jungfrun) on brooms on the Thursday before Easter (Maundy Thursday, sv:Skärtorsdagen) or on the night between the Wednesday (Holy Wednesday, sv:Dymmelonsdag) and Thursday before, and returning on Easter.

happy april fools day and i hope everyone has a wonderful Easter.

🧙🧹🥚🐇

The Yule Log 🎄

 

                                          

                       🎄The Yule Log🔥

 

 

Norway is the birthplace of the Yule log. 

  The ancient Norse used the Yule log in their celebration of the return of the sun at winter solstice. “Yule” came from the Norse word hweol, meaning wheel. 

The Norse believed that the sun was a great wheel of fire that rolled towards and then away from the earth.

 

The Yule log was a long oak tree carved with runes (early norse/germanic letters) to wish for the protection of the gods and burned for the duration of the celebration. To let it go out was said to be a dark omen and a sign of bad luck to come.  

The Vikings would save a piece of the log for next year's fire.

 

 

The UK Tradition.

 

The Yule log, Yule clog, or Christmas block is a specially selected log burnt on a hearth as a winter tradition in regions of Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, and subsequently North America. 

The origin of the folk custom is unclear. Like other traditions associated with Yule (such as the Yule boar.

 

                                 

 The Christmas practice calls for burning a portion of the log each evening until Twelfth Night (January 6th. 

 

The log is subsequently placed beneath the bed for luck, and particularly for protection from the household threats of lightning and, with some irony, fire. Many have beliefs based on the yule log as it burns, and by counting the sparks and such, they seek to discern their fortunes for the new year and beyond

 

 the Yule log, Yule goat, and Yule boar (Sonargöltr) are still reflected in the Christmas ham, Yule singing, and others, which Simek takes as "indicat[ing] the significance of the feast in pre-Christian times.

 

 

The Nokk or Nokken..

 

 

 

  Nokken
(Longer version later)

The Nokken  is a dangerous and manipulative creature from Norwegian folklore.

The word nøkk comes from Old Norse and  means seahorse.

It lives  in rivers, ponds, small waters ways, and lakes.


According to legend, they are aquatic creaturs and prefer water with lilies, becaues it makes it easier to attract people closer to the water,
especially woman or children who try to collect the lilies.

The Nokken is a shapeshifter.

When he see's a  women, he changes into a handsome young man with a violin, which he uses to play beautiful, alluring music, to attract her closer.



It can also take the form of a beautiful white horse with opal black eyes and a radiant or ethereal shine around it.


it has also been known to  change into an old wooden ship or an  tree trunk.

These are all illusions though and the Nokkens true form is far  more monstrous , he is covered in moss and his eyes are bright yellow.

It has a large mouth with very sharp teeth, and its skin is like that of a drowned man, who has been underwater for a long time.

It is said that if one is captured by Nokken, his name must be said and he will disappear into the waters again.

However if you do not know his name you could give the nøkk a treat of three drops of blood, some brännvin (Scandinavian vodka)
or snus (wet snuff) dropped into the water, if he likes the gift he will let you go, he may even teach you his form of music.

The nøkk is also considered an omen for drowning accidents.

He would scream at a particular spot in a lake or river, in a way reminiscent of the loon, and on that spot, a fatality would later take place.
He was also said to cause drownings, but swimmers could protect themselves by throwing a bit of steel into the water.



Its better to just avoid him altogether, so stay away from ponds and shinny horses and if you see some rando in the woods just call the cops lol

Nordic Skraeling, Tiny people of the north pole

                                        The Skraeling

 

 The first written accounts of Arctic elves come from Viking Sagas- texts written by medieval Norsemen in ancient Nordic and Germanic history. 

Among the most famous of these is the saga of Erik the Red.

Erik the Red, a  Norse farmer who lived in Iceland in the late 10^th Century. 

In 982 A.D., he was banished from Iceland for committing a murder. 

Accompanied by a handful of  friends and relatives, he left his home and headed out to sea, bound for a mysterious land to the west which had been spotted by Icelandic sailors blown off course.

Erik the Red and his crew spent three years exploring this new land, and discovered that it had areas which were suitable for farming. 

In 985, he returned to Iceland and told  tales of what he dubbed “Groenland”, or “Greenland”. Having convinced a number of Norsemen to help him settle this new territory, Erik the Red returned to Greenland that year and established a colony there.

In 999 A.D., one of Erik the Red’s sons, called Leif Eriksson, traveled to Norway, his father’s birthplace, where he converted from Norse paganism to Christianity. 

 

Determined to bring the Christian religion to Greenland, he headed out into the North Atlantic. During his voyage, he was blown off course, and landed on a strange shore where wild grapes grew in abundance. 

He called this New World “Vinland”, or “Wineland”, and later returned there to establish a colony of his own. Some historians believe that Leif Eriksson’s Vinlandic colony was what we know today as L’Anse aux Meadows, a cluster of Viking ruins discovered on the northern tip of Newfoundland.

 

 

Icelanders  told of Erik the Red and Leif Eriksson’s adventure in New World.

 

This collection of story's would later become the Icelandic Sagas.

Many of the Sagas mention the Norsemen's  encounter with small humans in the New World, in both Vinland and Greenland. 

 

The Vikings called these people “Skraeling”. According to the 13^th Century Saga of Erik the Red, the Skraeling “were short in height with threatening features and tangled hair on their heads. Their eyes were large and their cheeks broad.”

Many historians believe that the Skraeling were the Thule people, the ancestors of the modern Inuit. , Inuit folklore even contains some references to bearded, sword-wielding giants called “Kavdlunait”, believed by many to be Viking explorers. 

Others claim that the Skraeling were the ancient Dorset people, whom the Inuit eventually displaced.

Though some maintain that the Sagas’ references to Skraeling constitute the first written records describing a lost tribe of Arctic dwarfs, remnants of which, some say, still inhabit the Northland to this very day.(see captain foxes discovery in previous post)

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🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

next weeks post will be the last one for 2021...

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

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 So what do you think, is it possible there is still a hidden race of small people living the arctic to this day?

Norse Lullaby by Eugene Field

 

Winter is here, cold nights and snowy days, at least in most places. So here is a Norse lullaby by Eugene Fields no cryptids or monsters technically but still a nice addition to my posts. and it showcases the spirit of winter so still kind of paranormal lol 🙂

.........

..

The sky is dark and the hills are white

As the storm-king speeds from the north to-night,

And this is the song the storm-king sings As over the world his cloak he flings:

  "Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;"

He rustles his wings and gruffly sings:

  

"Sleep, little one, sleep."

On yonder mountain-side a vine

Clings at the foot of a mother pine;

The tree bends over the trembling thing, And only the vine can hear her sing: "Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep; What shall you fear when I am here?

  

Sleep, little one, sleep."

The king may sing in his bitter flight, The tree may croon to the vine to-night,But the little snowflake at my breast Liketh the song I sing the best,—

  

Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;

Weary thou art, anext my heart

  Sleep, little one, sleep.

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more winter / christmas themed posts soon😃🎄🎄🎄🎄

Norwegian Myth and Legends St. Lucia Day, and Christmas

Merry (early ) Christmas everyone. 

OR God Jul, if your from Scandinavia :) 

----------------------------------------------

 With December 13th approaching, i decided to do a post about St. Lucia Day. Those of you with Scandinavian ancestors, or anyone that has been in Norway or Sweden during the Christmas seasons will have heard of Lucci at least once. 

 

The legend of St. Lucia comes from a combination of old Norwegian myth's and folklore, mixed with the christinization of the old viking world. 

 

The modern Christian holiday, St. Lucia's day is celebrated with a candlelight procession through the streets with one kid in the group placing a wreath with lit candles on their head and then walking through the school or church in prayer Because of the old practice of staying indoors with all the candles lit and a fire in the hearth to ward of the evil spirits, the church's official St. Lucia's day is also associated with candles and light, and during this night you will see candles in the windows of homes and even along the sidewalks throughout the city.

 

 ========================= NORWAY ================= 

 

 Norwegians considered what they called Lussinatten (December 13th) the longest night of the year and no work was to be done. 

From that night until Christmas, spirits, gnomes and trolls roamed the earth. Lussi, a feared and powerful witch or possibly a demoness, would punish anyone who dared work.

 Legend also states  that farm animals talked to each other on Lussinatten, and that they were given additional feed on this longest night of the year. 

 

The Lussinatt, the night of December 13th, was largely forgotten in Norway at the beginning of the 20th century, though still remembered as an ominous night, and also celebrated in some areas, especially in Mid, Central and Eastern inland.

 

 It wasn't until after World War II that the modern celebration of Lucia in Norway became adopted on a much larger scale.  It is now observed all over the country.

Like the Swedish tradition, and unlike the Danish, Lucy is largely a secular event in Norway, and is observed in kindergartens and schools  (often through secondary level). However, it has in recent years also been incorporated in the Advent liturgy in the Church of Norway. 

The boys are often incorporated in the procession, staging as magi with tall hats and star-staffs.
Occasionally, anthems of Saint Stephen are taken in on behalf of the boys.

For the traditional observance of the day, school children form processions through the hallways of the school building carrying candles, and hand out lussekatt buns. While rarely observed at home, parents often take time off work to watch these school processions in the morning, and if their child should be chosen to be Lucia, it is considered a great honor. Later on in the day, the procession usually visits local
retirement homes, hospitals, and nursing homes.

The traditional Norwegian version of the Neapolitan song is, just like the Danish, not especially Christian in nature, the only Christian  concept being "Sankta Lucia". Excerpt: "Svart senker natten seg / i stall og stue. / Solen har gått sin vei / skyggene truer."

 ("Darkly the night descends / in stable and cottage. / The sun has gone away / the shadows loom."


You will also see Lucia crown cakes and Lucia buns this time of the year :)

 ...Crown cake...

 

 ....Buns...

 

 

 

 

 The English word “Yule”   originated from one or more of seven spellings in Old English, which meant the months of December or January. 

Around the year 900, “Yule” came to mean Christmas and its festivities. Further back, these words came from the Old Norse jól, which in addition to being the root of the modern Norwegian word “jul,” is the root of the word “joli” in French, meaning lovely, nice, or pleasing, and from it the word “jolly” in English.

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We all know of Santa and his reindeer, but how many of you know about the Julebukk (“Christmas Goat”) of Norway, known as Julebock in  Swedish, Juleged in Danish, and Olkipukki in Finnish.

Originally the Julebukk was a goat that was slaughtered at Christmastime to celebrate
the end of the agricultural work year.

However over time, it meant a person who led a costumed procession from house to house, to entertain
the residents and be rewarded with food and drinks.

In the early 19th century, the Julebukk also became the bringer of presents,
and was the predecessor of the Julenisse, equivalent to Santa Claus in English.
 
Jul Goat..and St. Nicholas

-------------------

Today the Julenisse and Santa Claus have taken over present-bringing,
but effigies of the Julebukk can still be found all over norway and sweden, most of them are made of straw,  and the largest one is  a giant statue in Gefle, Sweden.

Giant Jul Goat.

Also if your ever in the area you could check out the city of Rovaniemi at the Arctic Circle in Finland.
 

It's About six miles north of the city you will find Santa Claus Village and theme park, located just two short miles from the Rovaniemi Airport.
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Christian version of st lucia.
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St. Lucy was a young Christian martyr who died in the early 4th century in Italy.
She quickly gained a widespread following and is the patron saint of virgins.


Saint Lucy's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Lucy, is a Christian feast day observed on 13 December.
The observance commemorates Lucia of Syracuse, an early-4th-century virgin martyr under the Diocletianic Persecution, who according to legend brought food and aid to Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs, wearing a candle lit wreath on her  head to light her way and leave her hands free to carry as much food as possible.

Her feast day, which coincided with the shortest day of the year prior to calendar reforms, is widely celebrated as a festival of light.

Falling within the Advent season, Saint Lucy's Day is viewed as a precursor of Christmastide, pointing to the arrival of the Light of Christ in the calendar on Christmas Day.

Saint Lucy's Day is celebrated most widely in Scandinavia and in Italy, with each emphasizing a different aspect of her story.
 

 In Scandinavia, where Lucy is called Santa Lucia in Norwegian and Danish and Sankta Lucia in Swedish, she is represented as a lady in a  white dress symbolizing a baptismal robe and a red sash symbolizing the blood of her martyrdom, with a crown or wreath of candles on her head.

 In Norway, Sweden and Swedish-speaking regions of Finland, as songs are sung, girls dressed as Saint Lucy carry cookies and saffron buns in  procession, which symbolizes bringing the Light of Christ into the world's darkness.

In both Protestant and Catholic churches, boys participate in the procession as well, playing different roles associated with Christmastide,  such as that of Saint Stephen. 

The celebration of Saint Lucy's Day is said to help one live the winter days with enough light.

 

 

 

 A special devotion to Saint Lucy is practiced in the Italian regions of Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto  Adige, in the north of the country, and Sicily, in the south, as well as in the Croatian coastal region of Dalmatia. 

 

In Hungary and Croatia, a popular tradition on Saint Lucy's Day involves planting wheat grains that grow to be several centimeters tall by Christmas Day, representing  the Nativity of Jesus.


--------------------------------------------------
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Now onto a darker myth.......

 Lussi the witch/ demon.

 

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Nils Bergslien, Julereia, 1922: Lussi is shown stealing a child while riding her broom

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Tis the season to be jolly, unless you enconter one of the most feared jul tide monsters,
and i'm not talking about Krampus... though a goat hooved, horned anti santa is not an ideal
Christmas guest ether lol.

 

 

=======

In the old days people believed that ghost both good and bad along with demons and monsters walked the earth and could interact with us  just the same as the living do. 

Winter was an especially feared time of the year, dark cold and bitter whether, shorter days and monsters to contend with, not exactly  a merry Christmas.

 

Winters in midevil Norway were dark and cold, and the myths and legends from the region are equally so.
 

Just like the Germanic Wild Hunt, Lussi and her demon hordes would haunt the night, taking anyone they encountered during one of their nightly raids.
 

Starting December 13, in some versions this would go one all the way up until Jul/Yul.

 

 

The Wild Hunt. 

In the old Julian calendar the longest night of the year was December 13th.

Lussis night.

Lussi, Lussinatta, or just the Lussi Night, was marked on   December 13. when it was believed that  Lussi, a demoness or possibly  a powerful witch would ride through the cold winter night  with her minions, her and her followers,  called Lussiferda, Preying on  anyone foolish enough to be outside after the sun goes down, or anyone who had not finished their preparations for Jul.
 
Lussi was  also seen as a sort of anti-Santa, coming down the chimney to take away bad children. similar to Krampus a Germanic anti Santa that accompanied St. Nicholas and punished bad children.

 

 

 Older triditions

This itself might be an echo of the myth of the Wild Hunt, called Oskoreia in Scandinavia, found across Northern, Western and Central Europe.

Between Lussi Night and The cow, trolls and evil spirits, and in some accounts even the spirits of the dead,  thought to be active outside.
It was believed to be particularly dangerous to be out during Lussi Night.

According to tradition, children who had done mischief had to take special care, since Lussi could come down through the chimney and take them away,
and certain tasks of work in the preparation for Yule had to be finished, or else the Lussi would come to punish the household.
The tradition of Lussevaka – to stay awake through the Lussinatt to guard oneself and the household against evil, has found a modern form through
throwing parties until daybreak. Another company of spirits was said to come riding through the night around Yule itself, journeying through the air,
over land and water.

There is little evidence that the legend itself derives from the folklore of northern Europe, but the similarities in the names ("Lussi" and "Lucia"),  and the date of her festival, December 13th, suggest that two separate traditions may have been brought together in the modern-day celebrations in  Scandinavia. Saint Lucy is often depicted in art with a palm as the symbol of martyrdom.,

==============

The best way to avoid meeting  monster Lussi was to stay up all night long, indoors with all the lights on.



In short, if you don't want to meet Lussi just say inside with a warm fireplace and a lot of light maybe some hot chocolate, and just  watch a good Christmas movie or something :)

=====================
=====================
St Lucia Day poem.

English

The long Lussi-night,
The long Lussi-night, nothing to be afraid of.
God protects farm and land,
The fishes in the water and the birds in the grove.
Nothing to be afraid of, the long Lussi-night.

The long Lussi-night, nothing to be afraid of.
Cows and horses and pigs and goats
will be healthy, round, and fat.
Nothing to be afraid of, the long Lussi-night.

The long Lussi-night, nothing to be afraid of.
Holy Mother of Good Christ,
free from death and the devil's list.
Nothing to be afraid of, the long Lussi-night.


=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-=In Norwegian=--=-=-=-=-=-=

Lussi-natti lange
Lussi-natti lange, intet være bange.
Gud beskytte gård og grund,
fisk i vand og fugl i lund.
Intet være bange, lussi-natti lange.

Lussi-natti lange, intet være bange.
Ku og hest og svin og geit
blive karske trinn og feit.
Intet være bange, lussi-natti lange.

Lussi-natti lange, intet være bange.
Hellige Moder gode Christ,
fri fra død og djevels list.
Intet være bange, lussi-natti lange.

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Merry Christmas and have a safe and fun new year everyone, hopefully 2021 will be a great year.