The Old Norse-Icelandic term
fylgjur(sg.
fylgja) is generally understood to refer to pre-Christian supernatural attendants in one of several forms: female attendant spirits, animal attendant spirits, or something akin to a soul that can exist outside the body. In Icelandic sagas, animal and female
fylgjuroften occur in visions or dreams in which they represent the coming of an individual or group of people. As external souls,
fylgjurmay be seen going out ahead of someone for the purpose of doing harm to their enemies prior to battle, such as causing them extreme drowsiness or fatigue, so that the attendee might have better fortunes when the battle ensues.
Fylgjurare heavily bound to an individual’s fate and the appearance of one’s
fylgjamight portend one’s death. Some
fylgjur…
1879 words
Citation: Bryan, Eric. "Fylgjur in literature". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 22 January 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=19662, accessed 06 October 2024.]