Fröja’s Apples

Plants, Gods, & Other Beings in Swedish Folklore

Sara Bonadea George

“If you call me Mugwort, I will cure neither wife nor cow…”

In the countryside of 19th and early 20th century Sweden, folklorists traveled the land recording a wide variety of folk beliefs and practices. Some of these recordings demonstrate a belief in ancient gods, supernatural beings, and personified plants helping or hindering humanity. For example, the goddess Fröja visits on a winter night to shake apple trees, beneath an evergreen oak lives a white serpent that grants wisdom when consumed, and an offering of braided straw should be made to a field god to ensure a bountiful harvest. Translated and discussed by Swedish folklorist Sara Bonadea George and introduced by legendary folklorist John Lindow, this beautiful and fully illustrated window into a world now gone is unlike anything before it.

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