Thralls Of Skuld - Prologue

Thralls of Skuld - Prologue

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"Long is the way,

long must thou wander,

But long is love as well;

Thou mayst find, perchance,

what thou fain wouldst have.

If Skuld her favor will give.

- Verse 4 of Grougaldr (Groa’s Spell) from Svipsdagsmol in The Poetic Edda

The fates of all living things were utterly and hopelessly implacable. The only thing within the control of mortals was how they lived through their destiny and met the death that had been spun for them. The Norns, named Uðr, Veðrandi and Skuld, weaved the Web of Wyrd, the very fabric of all that had been, all that was now, and all that would come to be. In Midgard, the mortals knew it was no use trying to appease the Norns, whose web was absolute. That was why the Norns were not worshipped like the Æsir and the Vanir, who could change the outcomes of wars, shorten the merciless winters, and decide the yield of the harvests. The Norn’s just were - and so was fate. All of this was well known.

Eira did not agree with that in the least.

She had been there the day Ulf's children had been taken by the nøkke. The screams that cut through the damp pine forest that day still rang in her ears sometimes. It had sat in her throat for months. A lump, threatening to well up and flow over at the slightest encouragement. Sometimes the dull greyness of the sky, like the one that had watched them that day, was enough to make her chest catch with terror and the tears well up in her eyes. Looking at Ulf was the worst. She barely could, for so long, when the grimness of death had still been painted on his face, dragging down his shoulders. If the shame and desperation she felt in her heart for what had happened was anything to go by, Ulf must have been a shell of a man in those months.

She was not sure if she had seen it out of the corner of her eyes or not. Years later, when she could not sleep, she vividly imagined how the monster, in the shape of an enticing white horse, had egged on the children, whinnying and inviting, until they had grabbed its tail in playfulness.

When she turned to look, both children were being pulled forcefully from the rivershore into the murky waters by that invisible string. She had sprinted the few steps until she reached the shore, looking desperately into the waters. They had been playing on the rocks just behind a gorge, where the current of the river was roaring and fast. The children had been gone even before Eira’s desperate outcry had made Ulf turn around to look. The deathly silence that ensued had settled permanently into the pits of her stomach. The only thing in the world that kept moving was the river as it thundered on, unphased by what had transpired.

Where Ulf had blamed the inevitable will of the Gods and the Norn's web, Eira had blamed herself. She was the one who had pointed Ulf in the direction of the fishing snares further down the river, as she had gone to open the trap closer to the children. Ulf said the deaths had already been woven before any of them had woken that day. Eira knew in her heart that she could have changed the outcome, could have tugged the string of the web of Wyrd in another direction. She knew not how, but it pulled at her to think of it, over and over again.

It had festered in her a deep belief that there ought to be a way to challenge the decree of divine order, which decided unjustly who should live and who should die.

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

6 months ago

Thralls Of Skuld - Prologue

Thralls of Skuld - Prologue

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Favorite Danish folklore I grew up with