Uldra
In Norse mythology, Uldras are friendly creatures that live underground only in Lapland and resemble colorless brownies . Uldra come z. B. in the fantastic novel The Book of San Michele by Axel Munthe and in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons as a character.
They are said to have pointed teeth and a hairy face and, according to mythology, are the rulers of big game, including the reindeer that can only be found in the north . In daylight they are blind and they should live in large families or tribes. Although Uldras are initially very friendly fellows, there are dire ways in which they can take revenge on people they feel disturbed by. The most terrible act of revenge on their part was the scattering of powder over the reindeer moss , which would cause the reindeer to perish in rows.
The English-language encyclopedia Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology describes the term “Uldra” as a variation of the term Huldravolk (Huldrafolk) , which, unlike the Huldra (plural Huldren), does not appear as an individual in fairy tales and folk tales , but always in multiple as a group of small beings. They lived in the mountains, were dressed in green and looked after a type of blue cattle. The mortals (meaning humans) would see them when they were looking for a lost cattle. They made music called Hudlraslaat , which is in minor and has a dark and worried sound. The Ulrden , which appear especially in the Lappish folklore and fairy tale world and are named under the same keyword, are nature spirits who live underground and who regularly come to work on earth. In winter they would feed the bears that were in hibernation and so tenderly that they would not wake up from it. Munthe also refers to this narrative form: "Yes, don't they know the Uldra, the little people that live underground? When the bear sleeps in winter, the Uldra bring it its food at night. Of course, no animal can sleep all winter without food. "
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Axel Munthe : The book of San Michele List-Taschenbuch 2009, ISBN 978-3548609294 , online
- ↑ Dragon Magazin, March 1987, p. 36 , PDF file, p. 38
- ^ Theresa Bane: Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology , McFarland, 2013, p. 185 ISBN 978-0786471119 Excerpts available online