Fossegrim
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In Scandinavian folklore, the fossegrim (plural fossegrimen) is a supernatural spirit or troll said to live under a waterfall (foss). He is known to be an exceptionally talented Hardanger fiddle player who plays all sounds of nature. The sounds of forest, wind and water play over his fiddle strings. The Fossegrim is willing to teach away his skills, but only to one which show up four Thursdays nights in a row with a fenalår (smoked sheep meat) stolen from the neighbour's storage. If there are not enough meat on the bone, he will only teach you how to tune the fiddle. This must happen in great secrecy, or else the Fossegrimen will come naked and dance for you. This is not particularly good, and people from Hedmark tell of this being a strongly traumatic thing. He is quite loose and easy going, and he will sit naked on a big stone in front of the waterfall, quite lustful, whether you are a man or a woman.
There is a similar legend in Sweden called Näcken.
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Norse mythology | |
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