Askefrue
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An askefrue (Danish for ash wife, plural: askefruer), also known as the askafroa and eschenfrau, is a type of legendary creature in Nordic and German folklore. They are tree-dwelling spirits similar to the Greek hamadryad. They were willing to use their powers to heal the sick if given an offering on Ash Wednesday, despite the fact that Ash Wednesday is named for fire ashes rather than ash trees.
The askefruer are, by any name, quite obscure, and consequently not prominently featured in modern fiction, although the online role-playing game Dark Age of Camelot features enemies in the form of Askefruer/Askafroa.
References
- Porteous, Alexander. (1928). Forest folklore, mythology, and romance. New York: The Macmillan Company.
- Rose, Carol. Spirits, fairies, leprechauns, and goblins: An encyclopedia.
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