Mystic creatures

When I was a kid I lived in the country in Sweden. I was always, and remain still, fascinated by the Nordic mythology.

Here are a few creatures that I loved hearing stories about:

Neck (Näcken) - he plays the violin naked in a stream and seduces people with his music. The human would get blinded by the most beautiful music and walk down in the stream to be with the Neck, but then drown. (Picture by Ernst Josephson)

Huldra (Skogsrå) - she is a beatiful, seductive forest creature but her back is a hollow, rotten tree trunk and she has a tail. If she manages to seduce you you will loose your soul to the devil. To avoid this you have to hold her off by her tail. (Picture by Hikarinet on Photobucket)

Troll (Troll)- they live in the deep, dark forest and can be invicible to the human eye. Some of the trolls are big beasts, but others are small, cute creatures. A mother troll would often change their baby troll with a human baby. If you thought this had happened, you would have to either kill the baby troll or baptize it. (picture by John Bauer)

Elves (Älvor) - they dance during the night on open fields or on the moss in the deep forests. One second in the elf kingdom can be several years in our world so don't go with them if they call you. If you anger them, they will make you very ill. (picture by John Bauer)