Topic
Scandinavia
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Selkie
Selkies are seals that shed their skins on land and live as humans. In tales from Scotland, Ireland and the Faroes, a man steals…
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Wild Hunt
The Wild Hunt is a ghostly host that storms across the sky on winter nights. Depending on the region, it is led by Wotan,…
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Troll
In Norwegian tradition, trolls are huge, ancient beings of mountain and forest. They turn to stone in sunlight, flee from church bells and lose…
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Nøkken
The nøkken (Swedish: näcken) is the water spirit of Scandinavia. He lures people into the water as a horse, an old man or a…
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The Child in the Cradle: The Dark Truth Behind the Changeling (Norway’s Trolls: Part 2)
Last time, I only told the stories. This time, we open our eyes. Part 2 of our Norway special asks the why behind the…
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Trolls – Part 1: Why Norway’s Mountains Have Faces
Norway is full of trolls. You just have to know how to read the mountains. In this first part of our Norway special there’s…
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The Eleventh Tune: The Violin Tune That Makes the Dead Get Up and Dance
In part two of our journey into the Nøkken, we go down into the cellar — to the place where music becomes more dangerous…
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The Lake That Bleeds: The Dark Truth Behind Scandinavia’s Drowning Spirit (Part 1)
For more than a thousand years, the lakes, rivers, and millponds of Scandinavia have been haunted by a creature that has no fixed shape.…