Fossegrim, also known simply as the grim ( Norwegian) or Strömkarlen (

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

), is a water spirit or troll in Scandinavian folklore. Fossegrim plays the fiddle, especially the Hardanger fiddle. Fossegrim has been associated with a mill spirit (''kvernknurr'') and is related to the water spirit (''

neck The neck is the part of the body on many vertebrates that connects the head with the torso. The neck supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that carry sensory and motor information from the brain down to the rest of the body. In ...

'') and is sometimes also called ''näcken'' in Sweden. It is associated with rivers (Swedish name "Strömkarlen" means "The River Man") and particularly with waterfalls (''foss'' in Norwegian) and mill races. Benjamin Thorpe, ''Northern Mythology: comprising the principal popular traditions and superstitions of Scandinavia, north Germany, and the Netherlands'', 3 vols. London: Lumley, 1851–52, , Volume 2 ''Scandinavian Popular Traditions and Superstitions''
p. 23

Eugen Mogk Eugen Mogk (19 July 1854 – 4 May 1939) was a German academic specialising in Old Norse literature and Germanic mythology. He held a professorship at the University of Leipzig. Life and career Mogk was born in Döbeln. He studied Germanic st ...

, ''Mythologie'', Grundriß der germanischen Philologie 1, Strasbourg: Trübner, 1891,
p. 1028
equated them, but Reimund Kvideland and Henning Sehmsdorf, ''Scandinavian Folk Belief and Legend'', Nordic Series 15, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 1988,
p. 248
distinguish the "mill sprite" as a mischievous creature who punishes grinding on Christian holy days.

Description

Fossegrim is described as an exceptionally talented fiddler: the sounds of forest, wind and water play over his fiddle strings. Fossegrims can be induced to teach the skill. The Swedish strömkarl's lay is said to have eleven variations, the final one being reserved for the night spirits because when it is played, "tables and benches, cup and can, gray-beards and grandmothers, blind and lame, even babes in the cradle" will begin to dance. Fossegrim is said to be willing to teach away his skills in exchange for a food offering made on a Thursday evening and in secrecy: a white he-goat thrown with head turned away into a waterfall that flows northwards,Jacob Grimm, ''Teutonic Mythology''
p. 493
or smoked mutton (''fenalår'') stolen from the neighbour's storage four Thursdays in a row. If there is not enough meat on the bone, he will only teach the supplicant how to tune the fiddle. If the offering is satisfactory, he will take the pupil's right hand and draw the fingers along the strings until they all bleed, after which he will be able to play so well that "the trees shall dance and torrents in their fall stand still".

Jacob Grimm Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm (4 January 1785 – 20 September 1863), also known as Ludwig Karl, was a German author, linguist, philologist, jurist, and folklorist. He is known as the discoverer of Grimm's law of linguistics, the co-author of th ...

cites a variant in 18th-century ''Chorographia Bahusiensis'' by Johan Ödman (1682-1749) according to which the Strömkarlen must be offered

redemption Redemption may refer to: Religion * Redemption (theology), an element of salvation to express deliverance from sin * Redemptive suffering, a Roman Catholic belief that suffering can partially remit punishment for sins if offered to Jesus * Pi ...

or he will merely break his instrument and weep bitterly. Famous fiddlers who were rumored to have learnt from the Fossegrim include Torgeir Augundsson (1801–1872) known as Myllarguten and

Ole Bull Ole Bornemann Bull (; 5 February 181017 August 1880) was a Norwegian virtuoso violinist and composer. According to Robert Schumann, he was on a level with Niccolò Paganini for the speed and clarity of his playing. Biography Background Bull was ...

(1810–1880) whose statue in the centre of Bergen depicts a fossegrim playing his harp under the falling water.

In Popular Culture

* Dungeons & Dragons introduced the fossegrim as a monster in Deities & Demigods (1980) *Fossegrim is featured in the video game Dark Age of Camelot (2001) *The Norwegian Metal Band

Kvelertak Kvelertak () is a Norwegian heavy metal band from Stavanger, formed in 2007. The group comprises vocalist Ivar Nikolaisen, guitarists Vidar Landa, Bjarte Lund Rolland and Maciek Ofstad, bassist Marvin Nygaard and drummer Håvard Takle Ohr. Foun ...

has a song called Fossegrim (2010) *Fossegrim (Näcken) is featured in the video game Unforgiving: A Northern Hymn (2017). *Fossegrim is featured in the digital card game Mythgard (2019) as a rare minion in the Norden faction. *Fossegrim is featured in the video game Röki (2020) in Fossegrim's Cavern.

References

{{Reflist European legendary creatures Norwegian folklore Swedish folklore Water spirits Germanic mythology Supernatural legends Scandinavian folklore Scandinavian legendary creatures