Draugr
A draugr ( Old Norse , plural draugar , Norwegian Draug ) is a dead person in Scandinavian folklore who "lives on" in his burial mound and represents a great threat to the people around him. Draugar were a popular literary item in the Icelandic sagas .
The Scandinavian popular belief goes back to a much older idea, according to which a dead person continues to exist in his body with full vitality. This idea has nothing to do with belief in a soul .
In the saga literature, Draugar are described as follows: Their appearance depends on the type of death. Drowned people appear dripping wet or those who have fallen in combat are smeared with blood with gaping wounds. They have superhuman powers and magical abilities: they can predict the future and transform themselves into animal forms. They are often described as guardians of the grave goods. If you know the correct incantation , you can also make it useful. Their radius of action is limited to their burial mound, but they may be able to move through earth and rock in such a way that they can appear elsewhere. There are also stories of those who leave their hill at night to ride furiously on the ridge beams of the roofs and to spread fear and terror in other ways. It is sometimes said that normal weapons cannot be wounded. If you want to extinguish them for good, you have to separate their heads from their torso according to popular belief, then place them on the buttocks and then burn the whole body.
Even in the belief that fire can finally destroy an undead, an old trait of these ideas appears to come to light.
The medieval Scandinavians apparently felt threatened by these Draugar. This is indicated by numerous runic inscriptions with defensive charms on amulets. Inscriptions were also found on grave slabs that ordered the deceased to remain in his grave. The inscription was turned towards the dead. The frequency with which the topic was taken up, especially in Icelandic sagas , testifies to its importance.
Modern reception
Draugar are occasionally mentioned in fantasy books, films and games.
See also
literature
- Rudolf Simek : Lexicon of Germanic Mythology (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 368). 3rd, completely revised edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-520-36803-X .
- Matthias Teichert: From Saga to Skyrim. The Literary and Multimedia Reception of the Norse-Icelandic Draugr Myth. In: Barbara Brodman, James E. Doan (Eds.): The Supernatural Revamped. From Timeworn Legends to Twenty-First-Century Chic . Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, Madison, New Jersey 2016, ISBN 978-1-61147-864-8 , pp. 237-248 .