The Bøyg ( no, Bøygen, ), also referred to as the "Great Bøyg of
Etnedal
Etnedal is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Brufla ...
" is a legendary gnome-like creature in
Scandinavian folklore
Nordic folklore is the folklore of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. It has common roots with, and has been mutually influenced by, folklore in England, Germany, the Low Countries, the Baltic countries, Finland and Sapmi. ...
.
It is a great
troll
A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human be ...
from
Telemark
Telemark is a traditional region, a former county, and a current electoral district in southern Norway. In 2020, Telemark merged with the former county of Vestfold to form the county of Vestfold og Telemark. Telemark borders the traditional ...
and
Gudbrandsdalen
Gudbrandsdalen (; en, Gudbrand Valley) is a valley and traditional district in the Norwegian county of Innlandet (formerly Oppland). The valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer and the lake of Mjøsa, extending towa ...
. It is commonly characterized as a giant, slimy serpent which stands as a hindrance to travellers. The name means 'bend', 'twist' or 'curve'. It appears in the fairy tale of
Per Gynt
Per Gynt (, ) is a Norwegian fairy tale which originated in the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal.
The story of Per Gynt is set in the historic district of Gudbrandsdal in Norway. Per Gynt's home in the folklore is traditionally claimed to h ...
, the basis for
Henrik Ibsen's play ''
Peer Gynt''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyg
Fairy tale stock characters
Scandinavian legendary creatures
Legendary serpents
Scandinavian folklore