Looking for Icelandic ghosts and spirits? Start here. From Glámur the bone-crushing draugur to the half-spoken Deacon of Myrká and the lake-lurking nykur, these are the night terrors you don’t want to meet after dark.
1) Glámur, the Worst Kind of Draugur
From Grettis saga: Glámur is a heavy, daylight-hating draugur (revenant) who wrestles heroes and leaves curses like footprints. Lesson: don’t boast in wide-open places… something might be listening.
2) The Deacon of Myrká
A love story turned icicle-cold. After a fatal Christmas-Eve accident, the deacon returns for his sweetheart—half-frozen, speaking in half-words so they can’t bind him. Should someone call from the dark and stop midway through your name… don’t go.
3) Mara, the Night-Rider
The mara visits when the house is quiet: a weight on your chest, hooves in the rafters, breath that won’t come. Grandmothers still turn pillows at midnight. Hot chocolate helps. So does iron by the bed.
4) Nykur, the Water Horse
Shiny, beautiful, standing very still by a tarn. You swing up; it bolts straight into the lake. Tip: if the hooves point backwards, admire from afar. Very afar.
5) Urðakötturinn – The Rock Cat
A cat the size of a sheep that lives in stone scree (urð). It blends with boulders until dusk, then pads after stragglers on mountain paths, knocking them off balance with a silent shoulder-bump. Best defense: stick to the cairns, avoid resting beneath loose scree, and carry a bit of iron.
6) Skuggabaldur – The Shadow Tom
A witch’s familiar in some tales, a free-roaming shadow-beast in others. It keeps to the edge of lamplight, growing darker the longer you watch. Footsteps sound like dry leaves even on snow. Folklore says it won’t cross running water or bright iron; step into full light and it fades.
7) Útburður, the Wailing Child
Ghost of old cruelties, heard more than seen on lonely paths. Should a cry tug you off the road at night, keep to the cairns and walk on.
8) Grýla, the Winter Ogress
Not a spirit, but a nightmare presence all the same—she hears mischief and hungers for it. When the wind booms down a valley, you’ll understand why kids behaved.
9) Tilberi, the Witch’s Thief
A conjured creature that steals milk and luck from neighbors. Small, quick, and bad news if it’s lurking by the byre. Moral: envy breeds monsters.
10) Lagarfljótsormurinn, the Lake Serpent
A long, knotted shape in still water, older than any tourist rumor. If the surface wrinkles without wind, maybe don’t lean in.
How to Stay on the Good Side of Things
- Greet old stones and cairns; leave them as you found them.
- Don’t brag in the wilds (the wind carries gossip).
- Keep a small charm—iron, wool, or a gift from a grandparent.
- Respect the sea. Always.
Make it a Night Out
Hear these stories where they belong—on lantern-lit lanes and old squares:
- Reykjavík Folklore Walk (evening, family-friendly)
- Walk With a Viking – Reykjavík History & Folklore Walk (daytime saga + lore sampler)
Planning a winter trip? Pair spooky tales with the skies: The Northern Lights in Iceland and Private Northern Lights Tours (or go rugged with the Northern Lights Superjeep – Private).
