Tradition / Region: Swedish Mythology
Alternative names: Di Sma Undar Jordi, The Little Ones Underground
Category: Cave dweller
The Myth
The Di Sma are small human-like beings said to live beneath the ground on the Swedish island of Gotland. They are usually invisible to humans and, according to tradition, can only be seen by looking through a hole in a sheet of paper.
According to Gotlandic folklore, the Di Sma live beneath farms, where they watch over the people, animals, and land. As long as they are treated with respect, they quietly care for the farm and its inhabitants.
One of the best-known warnings concerns throwing out boiling water. People believed that carelessly emptying hot water outdoors could scald the hidden beings living beneath the ground. Angering the Di Sma in this way could cause them to withdraw their protection from the farm.
Sources
“Di sma undar jordi.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed July 28, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Di_sma_undar_jordi