Huldra, a succubus demon from Scandinavian folklore, is a forest fairy whose human form is that of a seductive woman. Her name is derived from a word meaning hidden or covered. In Norwegian mythology, this apparition is called
skogsfru or
skovfrue, meaning
Lady of the Forest. In Swedish, she is called
skogsrå, meaning
Forest Spirit, or
Tallemaja, Pine Tree Spirit (from the pine forests). In Germany, the forest demon is called
holda, and her male counterpart is
huldu.
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| Huldra |
This forest demon, the huldra, is described as a woman of overwhelming beauty, who often wears no clothing and has long, loose hair. Sometimes she is described as having a cow's or a fox's tail, and in northern Sweden, legends say her back is covered in tree bark. In Norway, the huldra's appearance has been described as resembling a... milkmaid wearing ordinary clothes, like any other farmer's daughter in the area, the only difference being that she is exceptionally beautiful and attractive.
The Legend of Huldra (Swedish Legend)
A boy, going fishing at a lake in the forest, had no luck and caught no fish. Seeing a woman of breathtaking beauty, the boy stopped to look at her, forgetting even to breathe. However, he saw a fox tail hanging from under her skirt. He then realized the woman was, in fact, a huldra and, knowing that the huldra is sensitive to discussions about her appearance—especially her tail—he told her that her undergarments were showing from under her skirt, rather than mentioning the tail. The woman thanked him kindly and, after lifting and hiding her tail under her skirt, advised the boy to fish on the other side of the lake. The boy did exactly as she said and caught a huge amount of fish. This was the huldra's gratitude for the boy's good manners.
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| Huldra by the water's edge |
In some stories, the huldra is said to marry one of the village farmers, who is charmed by her beauty. However, the huldra's radiance disappears the moment she enters a church for the wedding or when the officiating priest touches her.
It is also said that the huldra will punish anyone who betrays her, as seen in the stories of a young man from Sigdal. After having a romantic connection with a huldra and promising to marry her, he bragged to all his friends and those in the village. Upon finding out, the huldra whipped him across the ears with her cow tail. The man who was to be her fiancé lost his hearing and his sanity following this punishment from the huldra.
