Bäckahästen

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bäckahästen (Swedish: bäck "Bach", hästen "the horse") is the spirit of the brook or the Näck in horse form in Norse mythology and in the Skåne folk beliefs . It can be compared to the water horses from Celtic mythology such as the Scottish Each Uisge , the Scottish- Irish Kelpie or the Welsh Ceffyl dŵr .

Appearance

The Bäckahäst is a devious predator that lurks by streams, rivers and lakes, where it pulls riders and other horses into the water to drown them. It shows itself as a stately stallion , usually shimmering white, but its coat can also change apple-gray, black or blue. Its mouth is full of sharp fangs. It usually behaves like an Aquarius , the Swedish Näck. Hence the idea that it is the Näck in disguise.

Swedish popular belief

children

In Swedish popular belief, it is reported that the Bäckahäst is a white, large, graceful but wild horse that seduces children to ride on its back and then drowns them in the water. The children believe because the horse looks so beautiful that they can ride the animal. The number of children does not matter, as the horse's back gets longer the more children sit on the monster. If you want to prevent a bakery tree from drowning children, you should throw a piece of steel between the horse and the water. Then the horse cannot take its planned path and its power is broken. Another way to escape the monster is when a child calls out the Christian word cross , so the horse throws the children off and disappears.

farmers

In Swedish folk belief it is further reported that the bakery branch allowed a farmer to harness it to the plow in order to serve him as an excellent field horse. When evening came and the toiling was over, the horse jumped back into the water with neighing laughter and tried to drag the farmer away. The stallion was tamed by the steel in the harness during the day's work.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Johan Egerkrans: Nordiska Väsen, Stockholm 2013, p 58
  2. ↑ AM Hellström: "Jag vill så gärna berätta, p. 16
  3. ↑ Johan Egerkrans: Nordiska Väsen, Stockholm 2013, p 59
  4. ↑ Johan Egerkrans: Nordiska Väsen, Stockholm 2013, p 59

literature

  • Anne Marie Hellström: Jag vill så gärna berätta ... ISBN 91-7908-002-2 , p. 16.
  • Johan Egerkrans: Nordiska Väsen, B / Wahlströms, Stockholm 2013, pp. 58–59.