Monday 9 April 2012

H is for Huldra

One of the many things that inspires me about the Nordic region is the abundance of folklore that can be found here. It seems as though every forest is enchanted, every lake infested, every rock inhabited by little people, elves, trolls, witches and spirits. One of my favourite creatures is the Huldra. Also known as 'Skogsrå', 'Skogsfru', 'Skovfrue', the Huldra is a stunning woman of extraordinary beauty. She is often depicted with long, golden hair and is sometimes naked. In Norwegian folklore it is said that she can be identified as being one of these creatures by her cow's tail (the same is said in Sweden, although as a variation she is often said to have either a fox tail or a hollow back) and she is usually dressed much in the same, plain way as an ordinary farm girl and would probably go unnoticed if not for her striking features.


I have always heard of the darker side of the Huldra's temperament. In the legends that I have heard she is vengeful and bitter, often luring unwitting men into the forest only to kill them if they leave her unsatisfied. Upon marriage to a Christian man, her true self is shown, a hideously ugly being who often steals human babies from the villages in exchange for her own repulsive 'huldrebarn'. I was therefore initially surprised when I read about the more gentle side of the Huldra. In certain legends she is kind-hearted and sweet, a definite contrast to the versions that I have heard. However this is only if she is treated with respect; in one particularly dark tale she reacts to the betrayal of her husband by beating him about the ears with her tale, resulting in him becoming deaf and mad. 


Most legends offer advice about how to avoid the Huldra, but my advice is simply this: if you come across a stunningly beautiful woman, wandering naked through the forest, make sure she doesn’t have a tail. She might be too good to be true :)

(pictures lovingly taken from here)

inspire nordic

43 comments:

  1. Lol! Yeah I'd have thought her having a tail would have been seriously offputting for men!

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  2. Huldra is my favourite as well. No wonder we have such an abundance of folklore, just look around at the nature that surrounds us. There's bound to be little people around, they're just very good at hiding ;-)

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    Replies
    1. I agree! Scandinavia does feel quite enchanted somethings :)

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  3. I find mythology and folklore interesting, so I enjoyed reading about Huldra here - she is a new character to me.

    I love the first picture. There is definitely the potential to play the reverse and come up with one's own story based on that picture.

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  4. Great post, I've never heard of a Huldra before! I love learning about different cultures and their folklore :)

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  5. I love folklore. Thank you for introducing the Huldra.

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  6. Oh, I loved reading about this! (I think the Huldra is quite right getting angry for being disrespected, but then I wouldn't go about stealing babies.) Great story, thanks!

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  7. Huldra, I love the name conjures up all kinds of dark images for me. Folk tales are so interesting, thank you for introducing Huldra.

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  8. yes if i see a lady with any kind of tail, i will be leery---fascinating post

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  9. I really wanted to use the Huldra in my last book. But I didn't have a good hook for them. I'll have to keep reading your blog for more ideas!

    I am trying to read all the A to Z blogs, but coming back to the ones I really like.
    Looking forward to seeing what you do all month!

    Tim
    The Other Side
    The Freedom of Nonbelief

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  10. Great, informative post. I love mythology and folklore.

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  11. Great post. I am just getting into folklore. I am learning so much in what you post, Nikki. I cannot thank you enough for what your theme is this year.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, that makes me so happy to hear!

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  12. this is really cool, and thank you so much for following my blog!
    taylah x
    www.acesocietyblog.com

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  13. I'm a huge mythology and folklore fan. Thanks for this!

    My A-Z

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  14. Hi Nikki, that's fascinating! Great post!

    This is me, Duncan D. Horne, visiting you from the A-Z challenge, wishing you all the best throughout April and beyond.

    Duncan In Kuantan

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  15. Aww this post is so whimsical and fun. You're so cute ;)


    Wida
    Missing Amsie Blog

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  16. yes I should say beware
    lovely pictures
    hope your trip is lovely

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  17. Trust me, if I came across a strikingly beautiful woman walking naked in the woods, I'd haul tail out of there. Nothing like that happens in real life but rather only in slash films and folklore. lol

    Huldra is a meany!

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  18. Interesting stuff! I understand how a beautiful (and naked) woman could be tempting to the unwary, but why the tail? Perhaps it's a throwback to Lucifer?

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  19. i love learning about different myths and legends. never heard of Huldra but I'm glad I know about her now.
    Happy A-Zing!
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

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  20. Yes, I'll definitely look for the tail! She must be immune from hypothermia, being Nordic. I'm trying to visit all the A-Z Challenge Blogs this month.

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  21. I love enchanted gardens...thank you gorgeous girl

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  22. I love it! Folklore is so fascinating. And in the USA (where I live), our culture is so young--for the most part, we must borrow folklore from the old countries. Great post! :-)

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  23. Interesting post. I love Norse mythology. By the way, I read a terrible thing about Huldra that she is hollow from the back. Have you happened upon such info anywhere?

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  38. A song by Kathryn Roberts 'Huldra' inspired me to find out more, and to watch 'Thale' both inspire the emotive response that folklore promotes....

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