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Monsters Needed

Mad Swede

Auror
Sounds like the lotr forest spirit that defends the forest.
Sort of, though Skogsrået is a bit more than that.

This sort of message is quite a common thing in Swedish mythology; if you care for your environment the various guardian spirits will care for you and yours. In mundane terms, it's a way of teaching people how to care for their environment when you don't have the scientific knowledge to explain why these things work.

It's like the "tomte" you found (find?) in every home and in every farm in Sweden. They protected the home, those living there and their animals, and helped you as the home owner/farmer keep an eye on things - provided that you did your bit by keeping the place clean, tidy and organised. If you didn't, the tomte would leave and you'd be hit by very bad luck. Most people would leave a bowl of porridge (made with cream) out for the tomte on the eve of every major festival (Christmas, New Year, Easter etc) as a form of thanks - my grandmother always did. And as Nils Holgersson finds out in Selma Lagerlöf's book "Nils' Wonderful Journey", being nasty to the tomte can have some very unfortunate consequences.
 

Mad Swede

Auror
Sounds like the skogsrået is a force of nature, not a monster. Maybe that's splitting hairs, but in my mind, there's s difference. So, for the skogsrået to get involved, she has to be provoked and it sounds like she'd be going after only the farmer, not crops, livestock or buildings. That changes the story. Once it's revealed the farmer has been irritating a local supernatural neighbor, the monster hunter now becomes a potential negotiator. Not original of course, but a writer could have fun with that.

"That fat farmer is too lazy to fix the fence. The cows keeping wandering in the forrest to muddy the pond and destroy my favorite bed of bluebells! I was only going to take his soul long enough to make him fix that fence."
Skogsrået can be both. Upset her in some way, and she's a monster, out for your soul and your blood. Help her, and she helps you. But Skogsrået is also a young woman, with a temperament to match. Possibly this is why Oden doesn't like her...
 
If it is terrorising a farmer, then perhaps something that would cause issues to the livestock and crops too. The Chupacabra (Puerto Rican monster) comes to mind - the origin of the legend was based around the creature causing havoc to rural land owners.
 

SUN WUKONG

New Member
Why would a Skogsrået or an Imp be terrorizing a farm?

In real life, what does a farmer hire an exterminator for? Infestations of destructive vermin, such as rats, prairie dogs, mice, woodchucks, etc. Taking out coyotes, foxes, wolves, feral cats, feral dogs and other predators killing livestock.

Ask yourself, what magical/mythical creature would be destroying crops, digging up pastures, mucking up water sources and/or killing livestock?

Any creatures going after humans becomes a village problem.
Why would a Skogsrået or an Imp be terrorizing a farm?

In real life, what does a farmer hire an exterminator for? Infestations of destructive vermin, such as rats, prairie dogs, mice, woodchucks, etc. Taking out coyotes, foxes, wolves, feral cats, feral dogs and other predators killing livestock.

Ask yourself, what magical/mythical creature would be destroying crops, digging up pastures, mucking up water sources and/or killing livestock?

Any creatures going after humans becomes a village problem.
 
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