''Di sma undar jordi'', or simply ''di sma'', are legendary

vættir The vættir (Old Norse: ; singular vættr ) are spirits in Norse mythology. The term can be used to refer to the full cosmos of supernatural beings, including the álfar (elves), dvergar (dwarves), jötnar (giants), and gods (the Æsir and V ...

-like creatures found in

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

from the island of

Gotland Gotland (, ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a province, county, municipality, and diocese. The province includes the islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to the ...

, Sweden. The name can roughly be translated as "the small ones underground". ''Di sma'' are said to take care of farms and the people and animals that live there, as long as one does not anger them. The most classical example of doing so is to mindlessly scald them when disposing hot water outdoors. According to Gotlandic tales, ''di sma'' can only be seen by looking through a hole in a sheet of paper. The Swedish ''

rauk A rauk is a column-like landform in Sweden and Norway, often equivalent to a stack. Rauks often occur in groups called "raukfält" or "rauk fields". The limestone rauks of Gotland in the Baltic Sea are among the best known examples. Sweden R ...

'n'roll'' band

Di sma undar jårdi Di or DI may refer to: Arts and media Music * Di, a tone in the solfège ascending chromatic scale existing between Do and Re * dizi (instrument) or di, a Chinese transverse flute * ''D.I.'' (band), a punk band from Southern California ** '' ...

, active in the 1980s, was named after these creatures.

References

{{reflist, 30em Gotland Scandinavian legendary creatures Scandinavian folklore

See also

References