In folklore across the Nordic world, the human soul or ‘hug’ is a force to be reckoned with and is intimately connected with the body. Indeed, if a person were to be somehow separated from their hug, perhaps through magic, they were said to have been ‘hugstjalet’ or ‘hug-stolen - a folk explanation for people who showed abnormal behaviour and psychological disorders. The soul, or ‘hug’, is a source of power and manipulation of the hug is the source of all magic.  The hug could free itself of the body for various periods of time and could live a life outside the body. Unconsciously or consciously, the hug can be used to effect the material world and can even become a supranormal entity, one of the most terrifying examples being the mare, the nightmare personified, a being who puts immense pressure on the chest of their sleeping victim. This projection of the ‘hug’ is considered the cause for the frightening experience of sleep paralysis.

The ‘hug’ can also be used in what is a kind of Scandinavian astral projection. The Vord (or Swedish vård) is not only the doubled presence of every individual but the dream-soul that can separate from the sleeping body. A Swedish folklorist defined the vård as ‘a being attached to the individual’ which ‘sometimes reveals itself either as a glimmer or in the form of the person as a second self, a phantom. The presence of the vård can be felt both by other people and the individual when he is out of doors at night.’

Welcome to Series 3: Folklorica Nordica. As these autumn days descend into the dark days of winter, we will journey into subterranean and spiritual realms - through the folklore of the Nordic world. We will encounter the shamans, the subterranean beings, the wise-folk and healers, and the trolls and giants of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Finland. In these northern lands, we will encounter a fascinating body of tales retold to evoke not only the original magic of the stories but also the beautiful and mysterious regions they come from.

Music by Co-Ag Music (Available on Youtube)