In Scandinavian folklore, the Forest Rå, or Skogsrå, is a guardian spirit of the forest, often depicted as a beautiful woman with a cow’s tail or a hollow back covered in bark. While similar to the Huldra, who seduces men, the Skogsrå may interact more neutrally with humans, sometimes aiding or guiding those who show respect for the forest. These tales underscore the deep bond between the Scandinavian people and their forests, imbuing nature with a sacred and mystical quality.
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Jussi
@FinnFolklorist@mastodon.social
mastodon 4.8.0-nightly.2026-10-06I am interested about folklore and mythology around the world.
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Hajovy dzied (literally - 'grove grandfather") or Hajun is a woodland spirit. He protects his grove, maintaining order. Every animal and bird in forest obey and serve him.
The head of Hajun is like mans' but his hair is of silver moss. The rest is spitting image of bear that walks on two rear legs.
Metsänpeitto is the land of the forest elves in Finnish mythology. A person who enters there becomes invisible for the others. There are many spells used to escape from Mestänpeitto. Some people also escaped by turning their clothes inside out.
#MythologyMonday
Hrungnir (Old Norse: [ˈhruŋɡnɪɹ], 'brawler') is a jötunn in Norse mythology. He is described as made of stone and is ultimately killed in a duel with the thunder god Thor.
Prior to his demise, Hrungnir engaged in a wager with Odin in which Odin stakes his head on his horse, Sleipnir, being faster than Hrungnir's steed Gullfaxi.
Archimedes was tasked with determining if a crown was pure gold. While the story focuses on his bath-taking "Eureka" moment, the actual calculation required measuring water displacement to find the volume and calculating density.
The Dagda is the chief god of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is the quintessential Celtic god of strength, often portrayed as a bearded giant.He also wields a magic club — one end can kill many people in a single blow, and the other end can bring them back to life again.
Dodona (/doʊˈdoʊnə/; Doric Greek: Δωδώνα, romanized: Dōdṓnā, Ionic and Attic Greek: Δωδώνη, Dōdṓnē) in Epirus in northwestern Greece was the oldest Hellenic oracle, possibly dating to the 2nd millennium BCE according to Herodotus. The earliest accounts in Homer describe Dodona as an oracle of Zeus. Situated in a remote region away from the main Greek poleis, it was considered second only to the Oracle of Delphi in prestige.
The Montagnais people of Quebec believed that the Saw-whet Owl was once the largest Owl in the world and was very proud of its voice. After the Owl attempted to imitate the roar of a waterfall, the Great Spirit humiliated the Saw-whet Owl by turning it into a tiny Owl with a song that sounds like dripping water.
The Hopis Indians see the Burrowing Owl as their god of the dead, the guardian of fires and tender of all underground things, including seed germination. Their name for the Burrowing Owl is Ko'ko, which means "Watcher of the dark".
In the last poem of the Kalevala, Marjatta is impregnated by a lingonberry and gives birth to a male child, who becomes the new ruler following Väinämöinen. The story symbolises the arrival of Christianity, which superseded the world of ancient Finnish beliefs.
Alunsina is the goddess of the sky in Filipino mythology. Also known as Amihan or Laon-Sina, Alunsina is a creator goddess and one of the first beings in the universe. She rules over the sky, the Eastern winds, light, and beauty. Alunsina is also a protector and guardian, shielding people and fishermen from typhoons.
Art by https://www.tumblr.com/squeegool/52295891474/alunsina-regarded-as-the-goddess-of-the-eastern
Vāyu-Vāta is the Avestan name of a dual-natured Zoroastrian deity of the wind (Vāyu) and of the atmosphere (Vāta).The names are also used independently of one another, with 'Vāyu' occurring more frequently than 'Vāta', but even when used independently still representing the other aspect.
"Hong Meng" (鸿蒙) refers to the primordial chaos or "Vast Mist" in Chinese Taoism, a concept originating in texts like the Zhuangzi and representing the state of the universe before creation. The name is a compound of two characters meaning "vast" and "mist," and it is often used to denote a primordial, chaotic state of existence before the creation of the world by figures like Pangu.
Achlys /ˈæklɪs/ (Ancient Greek: Ἀχλύς "mist"),in the Hesiodic Shield of Heracles, is one of the figures depicted on Heracles' shield, perhaps representing the personification of sorrow. In Homer, achlys is the mist which fogs or blinds mortal eyes (often in death).
art by an unknown artist
When worn around the necks of Renaissance Italians, Agnus Dei pendants containing teeth were said to prevent possession by demons.
Féth fíada is a mist or veil in Irish mythology, which members of the Tuatha Dé Danann use to enshroud themselves, rendering their presence invisible to human eyesight.Féth denotes this mist in particular, and fíada originally meant "knower", then came to mean "lord, master, possessor"
The photo is from here:
https://thedruidscauldron.net/2022/04/18/the-feth-fiada-of-druids-mist/
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Other gods venerated here are Yamasachihiko (alias Hohodemi alias Hoori, Jinmu's grandfather), Amaterasu, Amenooshihomimi, Ninigi-no-Mikoto, and Emperor Jimmu. While the original myth includes a tragic divorce of Ugayafukiaezu's parents, the shrine is popular with young couples hoping for easy childbirth and a happy marriage.
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so when they died ceremonies were held at their grave sites to honour them.
According to mythology, their spirits remained on earth, and they became living spirits (or elven beings) that either helped or hindered people who encountered them. They tended to reside in the burial sites or other sacred places. It was thought that mist on a gravehill was the spirit of the wise woman appearing, and people would bring them offerings and ask for help.
Art is from
https://www.renskeschilt.nl/portfolio_page/witte-wieven/
Fūjin is the Japanese god of the wind. Fujin (風神) is an elemental demon (oni) known as the god of the wind. He rides on a cloud while carrying a bag of wind that can cause gentle breezes or destructive storms. He has a monstrous, ogre-like appearance with green skin and red hair. His brother is the demon Raijin, the god of thunder, lightning, and storms.