In the video he covers a lot of worth while apps to download for the iOS and Android platforms. One which caught my eye was game called Year Walk. It's based on Swedish mythology and comes with a companion app which explains all of the mythical creatures and ideas within the game. Here are the links to the game/companion app:
Year Walk game
Year Walk Companion app
(Both are links for iOS as I couldn't find a page for Android)
I haven't downloaded the game myself as I don't really want to get into the habit of paying for apps which I will probably just end up deleting anyway. I did download the companion app as the game sounded interesting.
The app describes a Year Walk - or Arsgang - as a very spiritual Swedish past time with the main goal to be able to look into the future. The Year Walker must not talk to anyone else, eat or drink or see fire on days such as May Day, Midsummer's Eve or New Years Eve. At midnight the Walker would make their way to the village church, being confronted by supernatural beings, then walk an intricate pattern in the cemetery and around the church to open their eyes to events of the next coming year. This process would also attract the Church Grim. The visions which the saw would not be clear, simply showing people dancing which could suggest who would die that year. A common thing to see would be weddings!
Along the way, there were 5 supernatural beings which my be encountered.
The Skogsraet or Huldra
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| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Huldra%27s_Nymphs.jpg |
Huldra's are creatures of the forest who look after the trees, plants and animals. She was often depicted as a young woman who was very sad and lonely. She was capable of luring men into the woods to marry of kill. Although the Huldra was considered a bad thing, hunters often spoke of how she could bless there weapons so that they would have a successful hunt. It was often thought she would live in the heart of the forest in the largest tree which was surrounded by a grove bordered by smaller trees.
The Backahasten or Brook Horse
This pale horse is said to live near rivers or streams who would lure children to ride on its back. The horses spine would grow every time a new rider was upon its back. Once the horse felt satisfied, it would leap into the river drowning all of the children with it. Another creature which did the same was the Nix which lured young girls into the river to drown with a fiddle. Many believed these to be the same creature.
The Mylingen or Myling
Myling's were considered the product of infanticide, which was common in 19th century Sweden. The baby was usually killed due to problems with money or birth out of wedlock. Children were left in the woods on their own or drowned, who then became a Myling. They haunted the families which had left them by wailing or leading them astray in the woods. They often called for their mothers to breast feed them which would 'free' them to the other side. It was believed that whoever freed them would receive a gift. The Myling was associated with the Brook Horse if the child had been drowned.
The Nattravnen or Night Raven
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| http://beyondtheblackgate.blogspot.co.uk/2009_04_01_archive.html |
The Night Raven is commonly associated with illness, disease and death. The bird was large, sharp beaked and had holes in it's wings which when looked through would cause illness. Others said that it was a large skeletal bird which would devour travellers out on nights worthy of a Year Walk. The origins of this creature are believed to be from a greedy man who was not buried properly upon death. His greed then transferred into a raven. Ravens like shiny things which could be associated with money and greed.
The Kyrkogrimen or Church Grim
The Church Grim is the most feared mythical creature in Swedish folklore and is considered bad luck to just talk about. The Grim guarded the church to ensure its well being. There are many stories which explained the existence of the Grim. It was common for an animal to be buried alive under the church as it was built which then became the Grim. A criminals heart removed from their body and placed in an animal carcass to be sacrificed then became the Grim. Some said the Grim was a creature attracted to churches to feed on the emotions of humans. There are many different ideas surrounding this creature.
I found this really interesting upon reading it. It has made me tempted to buy the game which has been very highly rated. Here are some links to reviews of the game and the developers website:
The Telegraph
The Metro
Eurogamer
Simogo
Thanks for reading! Please share this where you can and leave a comment!
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