fylgja

A Fylgja (literally: she who follows; plural: Fylgjur) is, according to Scandinavian mythology, a supernatural creature which accompanies a person. It usually appears in the form of an animal, and as it was believed to correspond to a person's character or way of living, it can be conceived of as a form of a person's soul, separate from the body and thus not identical with it. Consequently, a warlike man might have a bird raven, a horse, a wolf or a bear for a fylgja. The Fylgja commonly appears during sleep, but the sagas relate that they could appear while a person is awake as well, and that seeing one's Fylgja is an omen of one's impending death. However, when Fylgjur appear in the form of women, they are then supposedly guardian spirits for people or clans (ätter).
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