Spirit

Elder Mother

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Tradition: English Mythology, Danish Mythology
Alternative Names: Hyldemoer, Hyldequinde, Old Lady, Old Girl
Category: Spirit

The Myth

The Elder Mother was a supernatural guardian of the elder tree, appearing in English folklore as the Old Lady or Old Girl and in Denmark as the Hyldemoer, or Elder-Mother. She was believed to dwell within elder trees and could punish people who cut their wood without first asking her permission. A woodsman was expected to politely request some of the tree’s wood and promise to give some of his own wood when he himself grew into a tree. Taking elder wood without permission could bring terrible misfortune. In one English tale, a child became dangerously ill after a cradle was repaired with elder wood without the Elder Mother’s consent. The mother believed that the spirit had pinched and tormented the child until the offending piece of elder was replaced with ash.

The Elder Mother could also appear as a witch closely associated with the elder tree. In Somerset, a farmer once saw a witch in the form of an elder tree milking his cow. He fired a silver bullet at her, but missed and was chased back to his farmhouse. His grandmother then seized a burning coal from the fire and threw it against the elder tree, setting it alight and killing the witch. In Northamptonshire, another man cut a stick from an elder and saw blood flowing from the wound in the tree. Later he encountered a local witch with a bloodied bandage on her arm, revealing the connection between the tree and the supernatural woman.

In another English legend, the elder-tree witch became the unlikely savior of England. A king and his knights marched toward Long Compton, and a witch told the king that if he could see the village after taking seven strides, he would become King of England. When the king confidently continued forward, a hill suddenly rose before Long Compton and blocked his view. The witch then declared that neither he nor his knights would become rulers of England. She transformed the king and his men into standing stones, while she herself became an elder tree. The legend was told as the origin of the Rollright Stones. In Denmark, the Hyldemoer or Hyldequinde was similarly regarded as a tree-dwelling spirit like a wood nymph or dryad, and those who built with elder wood without first seeking her permission risked being haunted or tormented by her.

Sources

“Elder Mother.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 5, 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elder_Mother

Klagmuhme

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Tradition: German Mythology
Alternative Names: Klagemuhme, Klagmutter, Klagemutter, Klagefrau, Winselmutter
Category: Spirit

The Myth

The Klagmuhme, or Wailing Aunt, was a frightening female spirit whose mournful cries announced approaching death and disaster. She was usually active around midnight and often remained invisible as she approached a house, floating above it without ever entering. Her presence could sometimes be recognized only by her eerie whining, described as a repeated “u-u-u” sound. In other traditions she appeared in many different forms: as a long-haired black dog, a white goose, a dove sitting in the eaves, a large gray cat with a scarf around its head, a white or three-legged sheep, an eerie bird, a fiery toad, or a red-eyed calf. Her human form could be that of an old woman dressed in black with a white scarf, a tiny woman with a cobweb-covered face and three-cornered hat, or a gigantic pale figure in a flowing burial robe with glowing or hollow eyes. She could even appear as a distorted black figure or a tangled ball of blue material throwing off sparks.

The Klagmuhme’s wailing was a warning that death was near. If she appeared outside a house where someone was seriously ill, clothing belonging to the sick person could be thrown outside. If the Klagmuhme carried the clothing away, the person was believed certain to die; if she left it behind, recovery was expected. In another tradition, she stretched her long, bony arm over a house during a stormy night, foretelling that someone inside would be dead before the moon completed its cycle. Hearing her cries could itself cause such terror that a person became physically ill. Yet she was not always considered actively malicious, and she normally did not enter the houses or deliberately harm those who heard her.

The Klagmuhme was also connected with the souls of the dead and with other supernatural processions. In Austria, the Klage was believed to be the soul of a deceased person, while in Saxony she was remembered as the spirit of an unfortunate mother searching for her drowned son. In the Allgäu, ghostly wailing women or men carrying a coffin could appear in a midnight procession, while in Carinthia and Switzerland the Klagmuhme was associated with the Wild Hunt. In the Fichtel Mountains she was instead regarded as a female forest spirit. Across these traditions, her mournful appearance and terrible voice remained a warning of death, making her a supernatural embodiment of grief and impending loss.

Sources

“Klagmuhme.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 5, 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klagmuhme

Issitoq

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Tradition: Greenlandic Mythology, Canadian Mythology, Inuit Mythology
Alternative Names: Issitoq, “The Giant Eye”
Category: Spirit, Dwarf

The Myth

Issitoq was a gloomy helping spirit with a strange and unsettling appearance. It had only a head and legs, with short, bristly hair that stood straight upward. Its enormous eyes were each divided into two sections, while its mouth was set vertically and contained one long tooth at the top and two shorter teeth at the sides. In another depiction, Issitoq had hair made from willow twigs.

Issitoq was originally the helping spirit of a fox, but later came into the possession of Anarqåq. It was said to appear to someone who had lost their parents, approaching the grieving person and telling them not to fear it because it too struggled with sad thoughts. Issitoq would then accompany them as a helping spirit. Its particular ability was to find people who had broken a taboo, making it a spirit closely associated with the discovery and punishment of taboo violations.

Sources

Rasmussen, Knud. Intellectual Culture of the Hudson Bay Eskimos. Copenhagen: Gyldendal, 1930. 3 vols.

Zhyzh

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Tradition / Region: Belarusian Mythology
Alternative names: Zhizh, Zhyzhyk
Category: Spirit, Cave dweller

The Myth

Zhyzh is a fiery underground spirit associated with fire and the earth. He travels beneath the ground, sometimes moving slowly and sometimes rushing through the earth while releasing flames. When he moves quietly, the ground is said to become warm, but when he begins moving rapidly, fires can break out across the land.

According to Belarusian legend, Zhyzh constantly wanders through the underground. When he walks slowly, only the soil is warmed by his passage. But when he gathers speed, flames rise from beneath the earth and spread across forests, hayfields, meadows, and fields.

People believed that spontaneous fires could be caused by Zhyzh moving beneath the ground. The places where he passed could become scorched, and the earth itself could dry out from the heat.

In some traditions, Zhyzh was regarded as the Belarusian god of fire, comparable to the fire deities known among neighboring peoples. His fiery nature was not always destructive, however, as his slow movement beneath the earth could warm the soil.

When Zhyzh became angry and began rushing through the underground, his flames were said to burst through to the surface. Forests, meadows, and crops could then catch fire, while the earth became dry and scorched beneath the heat.

Sources

“Жыж (Zhizh).” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed August 15, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/zhyzh

Fylgja

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Tradition / Region: Norse Mythology
Alternative Name: –
Category: Spirit

The Myth

A Fylgja is a supernatural spirit that accompanies a person throughout life and is closely connected to their fate and fortune. Although its name means “follower,” it often appears ahead of its owner, foreshadowing important events. As death approaches, however, it stays close to the person.

A Fylgja most commonly appears in one of two forms: an animal or a woman.

In its animal form, the Fylgja reflects the nature of the person it belongs to. Gentle or dependable individuals might be accompanied by an ox, goat, or boar, while fierce or cunning people could have a wolf, fox, bear, eagle, falcon, serpent, deer, lion, or other powerful animal as their spirit companion. The animal often appears in dreams as an omen, foretelling future events or the owner’s destiny. In some sagas, the Fylgja is also linked to shape-shifting, with warriors taking on the forms of bears or wolves in battle.

In its female form, the Fylgja appears as a mysterious woman, especially in dreams. She acts as a guardian spirit for an individual or an entire family, warning of danger or revealing a person’s fate. Some heroes are visited by both a benevolent and a malevolent dream-woman, representing opposing destinies or influences.

Seeing one’s own Fylgja while awake is considered a grave omen, often foretelling the person’s imminent death. The sagas describe several warriors and poets who recognized their Fylgja shortly before they died.

According to one traditional belief, the Fylgja originates at birth. It may take the form of the first animal that consumes a newborn’s afterbirth, linking that animal to the child’s life. Because of this connection, the Fylgja is regarded not merely as a guardian but as a person’s spiritual double, sharing their life and ultimately perishing when they die.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Fylgja. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fylgja

Vætt

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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

Luupainaja

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Tradition / Region: Estonian Mythology
Alternative names: Painaja, Painak, Panijas, Paanjas, Painakane, Luupaanija, Luupaine, Luupatak, Tallaja
Category: Spirit

The Myth

The Luupainaja is a spirit that torments sleeping people and animals during the night. It presses down upon its victim’s body, leaving them unable to move while causing intense fear, sweating, trembling, and a pounding heart. According to tradition, prolonged attacks could even lead to death. It was also believed to weaken working animals by riding and exhausting them during the night.

The Luupainaja appears in many forms. It is most often seen as a young woman, though it may also appear as an old woman or old man. It can also take the form of animals, especially a black cat, horse, or dog, and is sometimes described as appearing as a goose feather.

Several methods were believed to drive away the Luupainaja. Moving the big toe would force it to flee, while lighting a fire would scare it away because it feared light. Sleeping on the left side was also thought to protect a person from its attacks.

One folktale tells of a farmer whose work animal was repeatedly attacked by a Luupainaja. Following the advice of a wise man, he hid outside the stable and watched. When the animal suddenly began screaming and stamping, the farmer looked inside and saw a black cat riding its back. He beat the cat with a whip until it disappeared, and from that night onward the Luupainaja never returned.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Luupainaja. In Vikipeedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luupainaja

Tulehaldjad

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Tradition / Region: Estonian Mythology
Alternative names: Fire Spirits
Category: Spirit, Flame

The Myth

The Tulehaldjad are the living spirits of fire. Fire was believed to possess a soul and a will of its own, capable of rewarding those who respected it and punishing those who neglected or insulted it. For this reason, families carefully kept the household fire alive, burying glowing embers beneath ashes overnight so the sacred flame would never die.

One legend tells of a woman whose hearth fire had gone out. After bringing home a new flame from a neighbor, she heard the two fires speaking. The visiting fire praised its careful mistress for always tending it, while the neglected hearth fire complained that its own mistress often left it to starve. It swore revenge, and soon afterward the farmhouse burned down.

Fire was regarded as sacred. People were forbidden to spit into it or kick burning logs, as such acts dishonored the spirit dwelling within the flames. Lightning, as heavenly fire, was also revered. Fires started by lightning were believed to be extinguishable only with milk, not water.

Offerings of bread and milk were made to the fire spirits during Midsummer. The sacred fire was believed to purify people, drive away evil spirits, and protect livestock. Ancient fire charms also invoke both a Fire Lord and a Fire Lady, asking them to come and calm the flames.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Tulehaldjad. In Vikipeedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulehaldjad

Ehaema

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Tradition / Region: Estonian Mythology
Alternative names: Mother Twilight, Twilight Mother
Category: Spirit, Fairy

The Myth

Ehaema, or Mother Twilight, is a mysterious spirit associated with evening twilight and the coming of night. She appears as a female elf or supernatural woman who visits homes after sunset, especially where spinning has been left unfinished.

Her most famous trait is spinning. If thread, flax, or a spinning wheel is left prepared overnight, Ehaema may enter the house and begin spinning through the night. People claimed to hear the spinning wheel turning on its own while everyone slept. Because of this, families carefully removed thread from the wheel before going to bed to prevent attracting her.

Although feared, Ehaema was not always hostile. Some traditions believed that anyone who managed to catch or witness her while she spun would gain exceptional skill and strength in spinning. She was therefore both a warning against laziness and a mysterious helper connected to household work.

In other traditions, Ehaema belonged to a group of nocturnal beings that included the Midnight Mother and the Midnight People. These spirits were believed to wander during the dangerous hours of twilight and midnight, making children cry, causing illness, or disturbing sleepers. Like many Estonian household spirits, Ehaema gradually became associated with ghosts and elves that silently visited homes during the night.

She remains one of Estonia’s most distinctive domestic spirits—a twilight woman who emerges with the fading light, quietly spinning abandoned flax while the household sleeps.

Sources

Valk, Ü. (2004). Night Wailer and Night Mother in Estonian and Finno-Ugric Folk Tradition. Sator, 5. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://www.folklore.ee/rl/pubte/ee/sator/sator5/night.pdf

Kratt

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Tradition / Region: Estonian Mythology, Finnish Mythology
Alternative names: Pisuhänd, Puuk, Tulihänd, Vedaja
Category: Spirit, Object

The Myth

The Kratt is one of Estonia’s most famous magical beings—a supernatural servant created by humans to steal wealth and carry out endless work. It was usually built from hay, old tools, sticks, household objects, or other scraps, then brought to life after its creator made a pact with the Devil by giving three drops of blood.

Once animated, the Kratt obeyed every command of its master. Its favorite task was stealing grain, livestock, butter, money, and valuables from neighboring farms and secretly delivering them to its owner. It could travel through the night sky, often appearing as a blazing streak of fire as it flew between farms carrying stolen treasure.

The Kratt could never be left without work. If it had nothing to do, it became dangerous and could turn against its own master. To destroy an unwanted Kratt, people assigned it an impossible task—such as weaving a rope from sand or building a ladder out of bread. Unable to complete the impossible command, the hay-built creature would labor endlessly until it finally burst into flames and burned itself to ashes.

People also believed that blazing fireballs or bright meteors crossing the night sky were Kratts attempting to complete impossible tasks before burning away.

A closely related belief existed in Finland. There, Kratti or Aarni was the supernatural guardian of buried treasure. Hidden riches were protected by a spirit that revealed their location only to those who made the proper offerings. On Midsummer Night, mysterious flames known as Aarni Fire were said to burn above hidden treasure pits, marking where great wealth lay beneath the earth. Those who approached correctly could claim the treasure, while the greedy or disrespectful would see it disappear again.

Whether as a tireless servant stealing wealth for its master or as the guardian of hidden riches beneath the earth, the Kratt became one of the most enduring magical beings of Estonian and Finnish folklore.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Kratt. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kratt