14 March 2009

Huldra

Continuing on our "Norway in a Nutshell" tour, we take the Flåmsbana (bana meaning train, or course - ie golf bana is golf course) up to the top of the mountain from the tiny town of Flåm that is right at the end of the fjord that comes the furthest into Norway's land mass. Halfway up the mountain, we stop on a bridge with a giant waterfall that flows under the train.

If you look closely, you will see 'Huldra' a mythical Norwegian creature dancing on the rocks by the the water. She appears in two different places and only shows herself at certain times of the year so we were lucky to get a shot of her. You cannot see it, but she is a beautiful troll (much to the downfall of human man) and hides her tail that all Norwegian trolls have under her dress.

2 comments:

Court said...

The Huldra story is an awesome fairy tale...siren trolls, crashing waterfalls, and hidden tails.

One question: Is this a real lady who dresses up like a Huldra?

Lori Hurst said...

Yes, there are actually two who pop out from caves and make it look like she can magically move very quickly. We have been told it is local high school students wanting extra cash and wear wetsuits under the dress so that they don't get hypothermia.