Vättarna

The Origins of the Vättar

The word vätte springs from the Old Norse vættir, meaning “spirits” or “beings.” In the sagas and early myths, the landvættir were mighty guardians tied to valleys, cliffs, and seas, honoured even by royalties. Over time, these mighty nature-spirits became intertwined with the smaller, more domestic figures of folklore: the vättar, beings who lived side by side with ordinary humans, though rarely seen. In many tales, the vättar were seen as the true owners of the land, with humans living there, only by their tolerance.

They were never gods, nor mere ghosts, but something in-between, like entities bound to the earth itself.  They are spirits of the land, fleshless yet powerful, old as the stones themselves. In some regions, during the enforced christianity-wave, Vättar were confused or conflated with elves (älvor) and gnomes (tomtar), but vättar hold a distinct place: they are not household helpers like gnomes, nor ethereal spirits like elves. They are one of the hidden folks of the ground, closer to the earth.

Who Are the Vättar?

Stories describe the vättar as small, humanlike beings who prefer to remain invisible. When they choose to show themselves, they often look like miniature men and women, dressed in simple, old-fashioned garments, sometimes with grey or mossy complexions that blend into the earth. with faces pale as lichen or dark as soil. Some tales say their eyes gleam like embers in the dusk.  They are very shy and withdrawn, preferring the cover of darkness, and are said to avoid sunlight, which can weaken them or force them back into their underground homes.

The vättar belong to dusk and night, to the quiet hours when humans retreat indoors and the land reawakens with its secret life. Their laughter is said to sound faint and far away, like wind curling through stones, and their footsteps can be heard in the stillness, light, hurried, and never quite where one expects.

Where Do They Live?

The vättar are most often linked to underground dwellings like old burial mounds and heaps of stone.  They could also live inside hollow hills, much like the elves of other European traditions. Some tales place them near water sources, where they guarded purity and punished those who defiled it. Vättar were sometimes believed to live under houses or stables, silently sharing space with humans. Because of this, certain acts were strictly avoided. Pouring hot water outside, throwing waste into the ground, or shouting near mounds could anger them, as these acts might disturb their unseen dwellings.

What Do the Vättar Do?

The vättar are watchful neighbours. They can be helpful or harmful, depending on how they are treated. Vättar protect their land. To cut down a tree, build on a mound, or foul a spring without asking, is to risk their wrath. A lot like fairies. Those who angered them, behaved greedily or rudely might suffer twisted ankles, or failing crops, they might find their cattle sick, their luck gone, or themselves stricken with strange illness. In return, kindness to the vättar could bring good harvests, healthy livestock, or safe journeys. Like many hidden folk, vättar sometimes plays tricks, moving objects, creating strange sounds, or leading travelers astray in the woods. 

Culture and Beliefs Around Them

For centuries, vättar shaped daily life in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Farmers would pour out milk, beer, or bits of food as offerings to appease them. Silence and respect were observed when walking near their mounds. Even in Christian times, belief in vättar endured, though priests often tried to cast them as demons or restless spirits. In Sweden, it was common courtesy to whisper a greeting,  “God kväll, vättar” (“Good evening, vättar”),  when passing by certain stones or groves, just to keep relations peaceful.

Tales of the Hidden Folk

Folktales across Scandinavia are filled with reminders of how close the vättar once felt. A farmer who poured dirty dishwater onto the ground without warning found his family plagued with sudden sickness until he learned to ask permission first. Travelers told of hearing faint music beneath hills, the sound of feasts in the earth,  but woe to those who tried to join, for time flowed differently in the vättar’s halls. A woman who cursed aloud while drawing water from a spring found the water turned foul, only when she begged forgiveness did it run clear again.

These stories reminded people to tread carefully, to respect both land and life, to never assume that the world was empty. 

The Vättar in Modern Memory

Though few today believe outright in vättar, their presence is still there. Place-names across Sweden and Norway reference them:  Vättakulle (“Vätte Hill”), Vättersjö (“Vätte Lake”). 

Even today, hikers speak of strange silences in the forest, or of the uncanny sense of being observed when wandering through misty glades. Some say it is imagination. Others wonder if it is simply the old memory of the hidden folk, pressing faintly at the edge of awareness. As a Sámi I don't ignore old folklore, for most of us, Vättar are very present in our everyday life. Ever since I was a child, I've whispered to those hidden ones, as well as leaving treats and offerings in nature and also in my kitchen for those spirits who dwell there, among my child and I. It feels better knowing I've done my best to be at good terms with the invisible ones, because I sure don't want to end up on their naughty-list...