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.
