Fylgja
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A fylgja (literally: she, who follows) was, according to Scandinavian mythology, a supernatural creature which accompanied a person. It usually appeared in the form of an animal, and as it was believed to correspond to person's character or way of living it was probably conceived of as a person's soul that was separated from the body. A warlike man consequently had for instance a wolf or a bear for a fylgja. The fylgjur appeared during sleep, but the sagas relate that they could appear when a person was awake as well, and seeing one's fylgja was an omen of one's death.
In Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, many characters are accompanied by a 'daemon', which have many of the above characteristics of fylgjur.
When they appeared in the form of a woman, they were, however, guardian spirits for people and clans (ätter).
See also
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| Norse mythology |
|---|---|
| List of Norse gods | Æsir | Vanir | Giants | Elves | Dwarves | Valkyries | Einherjar | Norns Odin | Thor | Freyr | Freya | Loki | Balder | Tyr | Yggdrasil | Ginnungagap | Ragnarök Sources: Poetic Edda | Prose Edda | The Sagas | Volsung Cycle | Tyrfing Cycle Rune stones | Old Norse language | Orthography | Later influence Society: Viking Age | Skald | Kenning | Blót | Seid | Numbers | |
| The nine worlds of Norse mythology | People, places and things |
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