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 Vanir). Vættir can also refer more specifically to landvættir (, nature spirits), fjallvættir (, mountain spirits), sjóvættir (, sea spirits), skogvættir (, forest spirits), vatnavættir (, guardians of the specific waters), or húsvættir (, house spirits).

Etymology

The Old Norse term ''véttr'' , / ''vættr'' and its English cognate ''wight'' are descended from Proto-Germanic ''*wihtiz'' (thing, creature), from Proto-Indo-European ''*wekti-'' ("object, thing"). ''Vættr'' and ''wight'' normally refer to a supernatural being, especially landvættr (land spirit), but can refer to any creature. The Norwegian ''vette'' is used much in the same way as the Old Norse ''vættr'' as are the corresponding Swedish cognate ''vätte'' (dialect form vätter – Old Swedish vætter) and the Danish ''vætte''. A related form in the Slavic languages can be seen in Old Church Slavonic ''вєшть'', (veštĭ), meaning thing, matter, or subject.

Viking Age

Landvættir (nature spirits) are chthonic guardians of specific grounds, such as wild places or farms. When Vikings approached land, they reportedly removed their carved dragon heads from the bows of their longships so as not to frighten and thus provoke the ''landvættir'' to attack and thereby incur bad luck from them. Icelandic culture continues to celebrate the supernatural protection over the island and four ''landvættr'' can still be seen in the Icelandic coat-of-arms: a troll-bull, troll-eagle, dragon, and handsome giant. The troll-animals are actually jötunn who shape shifted into the form (and mentality) of an animal and such animals are supernaturally strong.

Folklore

Húsvættir is a collective term for keepers of the household, like the Scottish brownie, or the Nordic ''tomte'' (also referred to as ''Nisse''). The ''tomte'' or ''nisse'' is a solitary vätte, living on the farmstead. He is usually benevolent and helpful, which can not be said about an innately mischievous ''illvätte''. However, a ''nisse'' can cause a lot of damage if he is displeased or angry, including killing of livestock or causing serious accidents.

Scandinavian folklore features a class of beings similar to the Old Norse ''landvættir''. They are known by many names, although the most common are ''vättar'' in southern Sweden (singular: vätte), ''vittra'' in northern Sweden, and ''huldrefolk'' in Norway (although the singular ''vittra'' and ''huldra'', respectively, refer to a solitary and quite different being).

During the 19th century, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe compiled Norwegian folk tales. These stories often reflected the animistic folk belief that preserved earlier elements derived from the Viking Age but was strongly influenced by medieval Biblical cosmology. Prominent are stories that reflect later views of the vættir, usually called the huldrefolk (from Old Norse huldufólk), meaning "concealed people" and referring to their other worldliness or their power of invisibility.

The English surname Wightman retains the meaning of the word "wight" and could be translated as "elf-friend".

See also

* RÃ¥, spirits that protect natural features in later Scandinavian folklore

Citations

General and cited sources

*Reidar Th. Christiansen (1964) ''Folktales of Norway'' (University of Chicago Press)
*Reimund Kvideland & Henning K. Sehmsdorf (1988) ''Scandinavian Folk Belief and Legend'' (University of Minnesota Press)

Further reading

*
Norske Folke-Eventyr
' (Norwegian Folktales), by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen & Jørgen Engebretsen Moe, 1843, 1844, 1871, 1876.

External links

Scandinavian Folklore, compiled by Scott Trimble
– a scholarly outline of prominent themes in Scandinavian folklore.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vaettir
Germanic mythology
Nature spirits
Scandinavian legendary creatures
Tutelary deities

da:Vætte