When I was at the open-air museum Skansen, I sat and listened to an old woman telling fairy tales about mythical creatures. The story I heard was about trolls, and how a troll can do magic and disguise itself amongst humans. This got me thinking about other mythological creatures and monsters that inhabit Sweden. And a new series was born!
First out – The Lindworm.
In Swedish folklore, lindworms (’lindorm’) are giant forest serpents without limbs, living deep in the woods. They are a danger to humankind. Dark in colour, they sometimes have a brighter underbelly. They have large horse-like manes, and spit out a foul milk-like substance to blind passers-by. Once their victim is blinded, the snake captures them and drags them under rocks to devour them.
Lindworms lay eggs under linden trees and, once hatched, can become extremely long. To catch fleeing humans, they swallow their own tails and become a wheel after which they roll at high speed. This has also earned them the name ‘wheel snakes’. They are said to mostly exist in the deep forests of county Småland. But who knows where else they might be!
So, if you are out this summer hiking through the forest, take extra care that you do not fall victim to a lindworm!
Watching the Swedes 