Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: Wilde Wrigge, Wild Wrigge
Category: Ghost
The Myth
Wylde Wrigge is an evil spirit from Frisian folklore that perversely rewards wicked people with wealth. Rather than punishing them directly, the spirit makes bad people rich so that they become even more godless and ultimately more miserable. Its gifts are therefore a form of spiritual corruption, turning apparent good fortune into a source of moral decline and unhappiness.
The spirit is invoked in a traditional Frisian expression about someone who has become rich through sheer luck: “All his fortune was thrown through the window by the Wylde Wrigge.” The saying reflects the belief that sudden, undeserved wealth may not be a blessing at all, but the work of a malevolent supernatural force seeking to lead its beneficiaries further into wickedness.
Sources
Van der Veen, Abe. “Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/