Northern mythology

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SWEDISH TRADITIONS. 75
The Skogsra is further described as a female spirit of the
woods, and as a young person in elegant attire, of friendly
demeanour and small figure, but—with claws instead of
nails ! An eye-witness of her existence relates, that once
when out grouse-shooting, having just kindled a fire, and
while taking his repast, she appeared before him, and
kindly greeted him. To his invitation to warm herself
she responded by a friendly nod. He then offered her a
share of his fare, holding it, however, at the end of his
axCj as he felt somewhat diffident at the sight of her talons ;
but she declined his offer, smiled and vanished. He now
shot five grouse. If he had not offered a part of his fare
to the Skogsra, he would not have killed a single bird.
He, with seven others, was once sitting watching grouse,
when a Skogsra darted past them from a tree. Never
before had they seen the birds so numerous, but they
missed every one. For fourteen days their shooting seemed
bewitched, until at length he was so fortunate as to see
another Ra come rustling by from a tree, and to throw
his knife over her, whereby the spell was broken. These
little gobhns milk the cows and deprive the horses of their
strength, but anything of steel cast over them hinders
them from doing harm. The narrator of the above
secured his horses with garlic and asafoetida, which must
be placed concealed somewhere about the head.
The same individual relates, that being with several of
his neighbours on a fishing expedition, they began to joke
about the Siora and beings of a similar kind, treating
them as ridiculous fictions, when on a sudden a Siora appeared
before them, and with a loud plash plunged into
the lake. They saw fish in abundance, but could not
catch one.
1 He was Arndt's postillion during a part of liis journey.
E 2