Huldra – the seductive forest spirit
The seductive ‘huldra’ could be described as Scandinavian folklore’s take on the siren. In Swedish folklore, this irresistible being is also known as ‘skogsrå’ – forest spirit – or ‘Tall-Maja’ (Pine Tree Mary).
With roots in Christianity, the origins of the huldra unfolds in a tale about a woman who’d only washed half of her children when God appeared at her cottage door. Deeply ashamed about her dirty children, she hid them from sight, whereupon God commanded them forever hidden from humanity. And thus, they became ‘hulders’, the collective name for these “hidden folk”.
In Swedish mythology, the huldra is mostly seen as a benign spirit, known to be kind to charcoal burners, allowing them to sleep restfully by keeping an eye on their charcoal kilns. By way of thanking her, the charcoal burners would leave provisions. But her dangerous side has been revealed in some tales, recounting how she lures men with her charms, carefully hiding her cow’s tail by tying it in a knot under her skirt. The only way for her to lose her tail is if she gets married inside a church, when her tail will drop off, and she’ll transform into a human.
The female hulder, whether devious or not, is almost exclusively portrayed as a beautiful being, but if you come across the male equivalent, the ‘huldrekall’, you might find him somewhat less appealing – grotesque, even.