Scandinavian’s Mare and Pesta

Two common words in the English language today, nightmare and pestilence actually have their origins in two scary creatures from Scandinavian folklore.

Nightmare

Mare

A female Vette known as Mare would bring bad dreams to people by sitting on them while they slept.

Mare often appears in Germanic folklore. She takes many different shapes and sizes.

The Scandinavian words for nightmare is: in Norwegian--Mareritt, in Danish--Mareridt, in Swedish--Mardrom, which directly translated means Mare-ride and Mare-dream.

The tale of the Mare might be connected to Old Hag Syndrome, which is described here. Also, the Mare is sometimes likened to the succubus and incubus described here.

Some considered Mares witches that could transform into animals.

It was said they rode horses throughout the night--leaving these animals exhausted and sweaty when their owners discovered them the next morning. This is why horses are often included in pictures that depict Mares.

The word Mare can be traced back to the European root word “mer,” which meant to rub away or to harm.

In Germany, there was even a charm or prayer that was said to ward off Mares.

Here I lie down to sleep

No nightmare shall disturb me--

They must swim through all the waters

That flow upon the earth.

And then must count all the stars

That appears in the sky.

(Help me God, Father, and Holy Ghost)

Amen

Pestilence

Pesta carrying a rake.

Pesta is a frightening witch-like creature that was created after the Black Death hit the Scandinavian countries.

This plague was so deadly--it killed a third of Denmark’s population and a half of the people in Norway. Because of this devastation, the people in the north countries gave this plague a character all its own.

This character-- Pesta brings death and illness in her wake. She is a hideous old woman dressed in black, carrying a rake or broom. She traveled from farm to farm, spreading the disease.

If she carried a rake, some at the farm would die, but if she carried a broom, all at the farm would die.

Various depictions of Pesta
Click to enlarge

Even today, Pesta is mentioned in Scandinavia when disease and dying are mentioned. *

Pestilence is Latin for the word plague.

An interesting side note: The Black Plague was first brought to the northern countries via a ghost ship.

In 1349, a ship carrying wool set forth from England headed north. During this journey, its crewmembers started dying. Attempts to quarantine the sick failed.

The plague took every person on board. If fate had been kind, this ship would have drifted out to sea or sunk, but this was not to be.

Instead, it reached Bergen harbor in Norway. Rats and fleas on board, which carried the plague, made their way into the country.

Black Death

The Black Death then spread to Sweden and then into Russia in 1351. So it was a ghost ship that unleashed this unimaginable horror.

* Scandinavian folklore experienced a revival in the 1890s. Many of these tales were initially used to scare children. They were put aside after Christianity was introduced.

But with the onset of the industrial age, many of the old myths and legends were rediscovered.

Tales that explained the frightening aspects of the forests, mountains, and sea became popular once more. Because of this, many are still told.

Venice’s Proveglia Island Part l

This island is just one of several islands located in the Venetian lagoon. Today, tourists are not allowed on Proveglia. The legends that surround this “infamous” island have continued to become more and more exaggerated over the years. 

It is often stated Poveglia is the most haunted spot in all of Italy. This island’s very dark history does point to the fact that it is probably haunted but this activity is so interwoven with legend it is difficult to separate the two.

The Medieval Venetians were ahead of the curve in Europe when it came to public health and sanitary laws--this is impressive since at this time people didn’t know much about germs and how they spread. When the Black Plague hit Europe in the 16^th century Venice already had been using the island of Proveglia to quarantine * travelers who entered the lagoon on ships that had signs of plague. 

When the Black Plague reached Venice it is estimated that over 50,000 people ** who were stricken with this terrible disease were forced to stay on the island. When they died they were buried on the island. Combined with earlier outbreaks of plague in the late 15^th century the island altogether has over 160,000 victims buried in its soil. ***

At the time of the Black Plague conditions in the islands hospital called Lazzaretto Vecchio were horrendous. This 16^th century plague was much more deadly than previous outbreaks. About 500 people a day died on the island.

Photo: Ransom Riggs

According to 16^th century Venetian chronicler, Rocco Benedetti:

“The sick lay three or four in a bed. Workers collected the dead all day and threw them in graves without a break. Often the dying ones and the ones too sick to move or talk were taken for dead and thrown on the piled corpses.” ***

Despite this large number of dead Venice because they isolated the sick lost just one third of their population to the plague. In comparison other areas around Europe where almost completely wiped out. 

Proveglia's few lucky patients that survived were taken to a nearby island's Lazzaretto Nuovo to convalesce.

* The word quarantine was first coined and used in Venice.

**Venice at this time was a world trade center so archaeologists who have studied the remains state they represent many cultural backgrounds including African and Asian. 

Photo: Ransom Riggs

*** On Proveglia in the late 15^th century plague victims were buried in neat rectangular trenches wrapped carefully in white sheets. But the 16^th century plague created so many victims that the Monatti or corpse handlers were overwhelmed. They dug holes and unceremoniously dumped the bodies in. When these pits became full they started to burn the bodies.

In Part ll of this post entitled, "The Legends that Surround Proveglia Part ll" I share both the traditional and more recent "exaggerations" told about this island being haunted.

Update: This island is now up for sale.