Introduction

Swedish folklore is a rich web of stories, some of native origin and many others pieced together from other cultures whom vikings raided and traded. Maybe in part because of this haphazard assimilation and adaptation of stories, there no universally accepted cannon of Swedish folklore. Rather every region and even farmstead have their own traditions passed down along the generations. Despite the variety of tales, however, there are many creatures that show up repeatedly across tales and tie the folklore together. Most Swedish folklore is of the cautionary tale variety, warning people not do certain things or to not forget to do something. This may have been a tool for keeping children safe in the wild Swedish countryside in later tradition as adults moved away form believing in such supernatural creatures. Thus it is not strange that the vast majority of tales that survive today are clearly focused on children.

It was not until the 19th century that a particular effort was made by anyone to gather  some of these tales together.  However, the last two centuries has seen a growth of interest in preserving these oral tales in writing and illustrations. In addition, the Swedish literary world can trace some of its most prominent writer's influences to this burgeoning study and spread of Swedish folklore traditions.

Gunnar Olof Hytlen-Cavallius (1818-1889)

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Born to a unwealthy family in central rural Sweden in 1818, Gunnar Olof Hytlen-Cavallius went on to become a leading figure in Swedish literary circles as a folklorist and a archivist. His parents sacrificed to put him through college yet Hytlen had no clear lear idea of what he wanted to do until in 1835 he read a collection of english folktales by Geijer-Afzelius. This spurred him to begin a similar collection of Swedish stories. This eventually became the basis for his university thesis after which he was hired at the national library in Stockholm. From there he continued to collect and publish Swedish  folktales. Though Hytlen was encouraged by some others in his pursuits for most of his life his work remained hidden. Even when he published his greatest collection, over 1000 pages of Swedish folktales and notes, in 1868 he was criticized for leaving the stories in their coarse form. At the same time, however, he succeeded in bringing increased interest on Swedish country life and traditions. After his death in 1889 interest grew and he is recognized today as the founder of Swedish folklore research. (Bringéus, 2013) 

Helene Nyblom (1843-1926)

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Originally from Finland, Helene Nyblom grew up in a upper class family where she was taught early on to appreciate art. She married an art professor, Carl Rubert Nyblom, and moved with him to his native Sweden. The Nyblom's house was well known in it's time as a place for gathering of artistic individuals. Despite their status, however, the financial situation of the family was precarious and so Helene Nyblom began writing for magazines to add to the family income. Early works of poetry and short stories were met with positives from critics and her career flourished. He greatest works became folktales/fairy-tales. Unlike Hytlen, who recorded folktales as they were from oral tradition, Nyblom applied her artistic style to create a prose that engaged readers and sparked imagination.(Vallquist, 2013)

John Bauer (1882-1918)

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When Swedish folklore, and in particular trolls are concerned, John Bauer's illustrations are what most often come to mind. His full page illustrations in Nyblom's works won him praise in this area first. The muted colors, simple lines, and character framing of his art played well to the stories he painted. The coloring also had the side affect that it became cheaper to print his material and so it became more easily accessible. This is particularly true of the series "Bland tomtar och troll" for which he illustrated from 1907-1909. If not for a bizarre accident that led to his death in 1918 Bauer may have added even more iconic illustrations to Swedish folklore. (Romdahl, 2013)

Bland tomtar och troll

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Since 1907 "Bland tomtar och troll" (translated "Of Gnomes and Trolls") has been an annual publication of Swedish folklore and fairytales. With works from Bauer and Nyblom in it's first publications and including submissions from a veritable who's who of Swedish literature the publication has been linked with the beginning of a golden age in Swedish folklore preservation, research, and publication.(  Works in this publication have gone on to inspire authors in numerous Swedish authors to take up the pen including Astrid Lindgren known globally for her work "Pippi Longstocking," a tall-tale in and of itself.(Linberg-Nyblom, 2009)

Trolls

The troll is present in many folktales from Sweden and across Scandinavia. In many ways it is the most iconic of Swedish folktale characters but at the same time the hardest to describe, for Swedish trolls can take on a variety of forms. In southern Sweden they may often be described as small creatures that caused mischief in the country. In the north some tales describe giant like creatures of great strength. Some depictions are grotesque while others are rather comely. The one thing that is agreed upon is that trolls are supernatural beings connected with nature. Some argue that the term troll could really be used to refer to any natural being that is not otherwise identifiable. (Window, passim)

Troll stories often make the troll the antagonist. In various forms trolls may be tricksters, thieves, or murderers. In some instances trolls seem to be the personification of mysterious forces that humans cannot explain. (Hellsing, passim) Another piece of the puzzle is the juxtaposition of trolls with christianity in many tales. One story talks about a troll who dug a furrow for himself in a town and caused mischief there. The townsfolk invited a monastery to be built close to his furrow and the troll departed not wanting to stay so close to the cloister.(Lindow, 112) Whether the Churches promulgated this connection with a view toward showing the Church as the source of understanding or if the tales flowed naturally through Swedish society is less clear.

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One outlier tale in this regard comes from Lund in Sweden, where it is said a troll came to St Lawrence, in Lund to build a church, and said that he would complete the church in a week. As payment the troll asked for one of three things: St Lawrence to call him by name, the sun and the moon, or to poke out St Lawrence's eyes. St Lawrence agreed, apparently not believing the troll could complete the task. When it became obvious that the troll would finish the saint was downcast and so went walking. While in the woods he heard the troll's wife and learned the troll's name so when the troll came to exact payment St Lawrence named him and with the power of that name bound him to the church. If you go into the crypt of the Cathedral in Lund you can actually see the form of a troll or some creature hugging a pillar. (Lindow, 84-85)

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Sirens of Swedish folklore

Of the many characters in Swedish folklore there are a few that stand out because of their similarity. They can all be loosely grouped in to the category of sirens: Creatures that lure unsuspecting people away to some fate.  

Bäckhästen

Bächkhästen, 'brook horse' in english, is one of these siren creatures. According to a 1926 encyclopedia of folklore A water spirit that appears on the banks of rivers, especially in foggy weather, in the guise of a horse who lures people to ride on its back and then plunges into the water drowning its rider. Stories with this creature often involve either the horse tricking the person into riding it or the person tricking the horse into doing something (or both). (Meijer et al., p 316-317) Another version of this water spirit, called 'Näcken', Elof Hellquist explains is probably originally form Norway based on entomology. (1922, p 532) This spirit takes the form of a male violinist who lures people into the lake to die. In this derivation, however, the luckless victim is cut across the throat rather than drowned. (Meijer et al., p 316-317)

From url

From url

Skogsra or Hulder

The forest spirit acts in a similar manner to the water spirit in Swedish folklore. The Skogsra, however, is a beautiful woman when viewed from the front but if someone sees her from behind she has a tail and a hollow in her back. Alternatively she can be a tree trunk or some other natural element from behind. This spirit attracts men with her beauty as long as they only see her facing towards them, otherwise the spell is broken. (Granberg, p 2-15) In a twist on the siren story, sometimes the Skogsra becomes as attracted to the man and leaves the forest to live as the man's wife but he must treat her well or her true nature may come out. (Flatin, 1912)

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Even into the 20th century these tales were given credence in parts of Sweden. The circumstances of the death of a person found drowned along a stream were rarely investigated. In modern times however these stories are used to scare children or as 'urban myths' where particular mysterious events have occurred. Depending on the tale and teller these nature spirits may also be considered part of the troll family. (Lindow, 50 & 65)

The Tomte

One of the more fun characters in traditional Swedish folklore is the tomte. This creature (sometimes translated as gnome) is said to inhabit the farms of rural Sweden. it stands no more than three feet tall with a beard and red pointed hat much like Santa's hat. The tomte is often depicted as a mischievous creature but usually in an innocent way as more of a prankster than evil. In fact the tomte's role is to protect and care for the farm. In this task the tomte cleans cares for the animals and brings prosperity to the household. Thus a well ordered home is considered a sign of the presence of a tomte.(Ingebretsen's, 2015)

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While tomte usually don't interact directly with their humans or require much in return for their services, the tomte does like a bowl of rice porridge. Traditionally a bowl is set out in  the barn or on the front step on Christmas eve for the tomte to eat. Various stories hold that a slighted tomte (one without his porridge) will exact revenge on the household and the farmer will become poverty stricken. At other times a poor farmer who has no way of keeping up his farm finds that everything is tended to with care by the tomte. (Linberg-Nyblom, 2009)

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The Christmas tomte or Jultomte is a slightly different creature but of the same ilk being simply larger. Like his smaller kin the Jultomte enjoys porridge, however the German tradition of St Nicholas has a large influence on the character as a whole. Ironically this Swedish equivalent to santa does not come on reindeer in a country where reindeer actually exist. Instead the Jultomte, often helped by other tomte, brings gifts on a sled pulled by a goat. This is probably a nod to norse mythology in which the god Thor rides across the sky in a chariot pulled by goats. A more modern derivation is linking the goat with lucifer as St Nicholas has conquered the devil. Regardless, the goat has become a common symbol for christmas time in Sweden and Norway (Ingebretsen's, 2015)