Key Info

- Spirits that guard a particule location of land form

Brief Bio

The different species of rår are sometimes distinguished according to the different spheres of nature with which each was associated, such as skogsrå or hulder (forest), sjörå (freshwater) or havsrå (saltwater), and bergsrå (mountains).

In accordance with old belief systems, every object, animal, and plant had its own rå or spirit which protected it. A rå could also have jurisdiction over places and items owned by humans, such as skeppsrået (rå of the ship) and gruvrået (rå of the mine).

The term rå refers to a category of guardian spirits associated with specific elements of nature in Scandinavian folklore. These beings were believed to protect their particular domain—such as forests, lakes, or mines—and could be benevolent or dangerous depending on how humans behaved in their territory. According to Scandinavian Folk Belief and Legend, different kinds of rå were recognized across regions: the skogsrå guarded the forest, the sjörå ruled over lakes, and the bergsrå was connected to mountains and mines. Each was thought to have a humanoid appearance but also carried physical signs of their otherworldly nature, like animal tails or hollow backs. These spirits often demanded respect from humans and were known to punish those who exploited nature without proper rituals or reverence.