page_title: Hulder
section_title: Relations with humans
hierarchical_section_title: Hulder / Folklore / Relations with humans
caption_attribution_description: English: A troll woman meets a man cutting wood in the forest. Note the tail she is holding sticking out from under the skirt. This kind of female troll is called huldre in Norwegian folklore and skogsrået in Swedish folklore. From "Swedish Fairy Tales" by Herman Hofberg. Svenska: Skogsrået besöker en kolare i skogen
context_page_description: A hulder is a seductive forest creature found in Scandinavian folklore. Her name derives from a root meaning "covered" or "secret". In Norwegian folklore, she is known as huldra. She is known as the skogsrå "forest spirit" or Tallemaja "pine tree Mary" in Swedish folklore, and ulda in Sámi folklore. Her name suggests that she is originally the same being as the völva divine figure Huld and the German Holda.
  The word hulder is only used of a female; a "male hulder" is called a huldrekall and also appears in Norwegian folklore. This being is closely related to other underground dwellers, usually called tusser. Whereas the female hulder is almost invariably described as incredible, seductive and beautiful, the males of the same race are sometimes said to be hideous, with grotesquely long noses.
context_section_description: The hulders were held to be kind to charcoal burners, watching their charcoal kilns while they rested. Knowing that she would wake them if there were any problems, they were able to sleep, and in exchange they left provisions for her in a special place. A tale from Närke illustrates further how kind a hulder could be, especially if treated with respect (Hellström 1985:15).
caption: A hulder is talking with a charcoal burner. She looks like a young farmer woman, but her tail is peeking out under her skirt. From Svenska folksägner (1882).