Tradition / Region: Icelandic Mythology
Alternative Name: –
Category: Spirit
The Myth
A Vætt is the guardian spirit of a particular place, such as a hill, waterfall, burial mound, or settlement. Most are believed to be female, although they can take many different forms. According to tradition, sailors removed the carved dragon heads from their ships before approaching land so they would not frighten the local landvættir (land spirits).
Over time, Vættir came to be seen as spirits of nature and the household. They can be helpful or troublesome depending on how people treat them. When offended, they may play pranks such as tangling hair, spoiling food, stealing milk or cream, making pigs grunt, or causing general disorder. When treated with respect, they care for children, watch over livestock, feed animals, keep the house tidy, and even bring water.
They are described as having long gray beards, deep-set eyes, round bodies, thin legs, rough voices, and wearing old-fashioned peasant clothing or red jackets with red stockings while carrying birch staffs.
In a broader sense, the Old Norse word vætt can refer to almost any supernatural being, including elves, dwarfs, trolls, jötnar, and even the Æsir and Vanir.
Sources
Bestiary.us. (n.d.). Vette. In New Bestiary: Encyclopedia of Imaginary Beings. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://www.bestiary.us/vette