These appearances can be viewed as deceiving, as in many myths the huldra can go through a major transformation once theyР В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р Р†РІР‚С›РЎС›ve successfully seduced their victim. ThereР В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р Р†РІР‚С›РЎС›s no other connection, however, and the fox-tailed huldra act very much like the cow-tailed ones. In some Swedish myths, the huldra have fox-like tails instead, making them look a bit similar to the Japanese Shinto kitsune spirits. The huldra try to hide their tails when they are performing their seductions but in most myths, the young men are given the chance to notice and react to the huldraР В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р Р†РІР‚С›РЎС›s tail. The one distinctive feature that tells huldra apart from beautiful human women, however, is the cowР В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р Р†РІР‚С›РЎС›s tail that often sticks out from their dresses or robes. Tall, slender, with a hollow back, long golden hair, and a crown made of flowers, the huldra often appear in front of lonely young men or even boys and try to seduce them. What Do the Huldra Look Like?Р В РІР‚СњР В РІР‚С›ll myths across Scandinavia and Germany agree that the huldra are stunningly fair blonde women who wander the forests around human settlements. Ashamed, the woman tried to hide her unwashed children but God saw them and decreed that they be hidden from humanity. According to it, God once a womanР В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р Р†РІР‚С›РЎС›s cottage but she only had time to wash half of her children. Once Christianity was adopted across Germany and Scandinavia, a new origin myth was created for the huldra.

This makes them related to the aquatic sjР В РІР‚СљР вЂ™Р’В¶rР В РІР‚СљР СћРЎвЂ™ or havsfru spirits who are viewed as the Norse origin of the mermaid myth.

Most Norse folklore describes the huldra as a type of rР В РІР‚СљР СћРЎвЂ™ Р В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р Р†Р вЂљРЎС™ natureР В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р Р†РІР‚С›РЎС›s keepers or wardens in Norse mythology. While the huldra are gorgeous seductresses, the huldrekall are hideously ugly underground creatures. So much so that they can be viewed as an entirely different species. However, the huldrekall are very different from the female forest dwellers. In some Norwegian tales, there are also male huldras called huldrekall. Other names for the huldra include skogsrР В РІР‚СљР СћРЎвЂ™ or Р В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р РЋРЎв„ўforest spiritР В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р РЋРЎС™, tallemaja or Р В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р РЋРЎв„ўpine tree MaryР В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р РЋРЎС™ in Sweden, and ulda in SР В РІР‚СљР В Р вЂ№mi (Lapplander) folklore. Their name generally translates as Р В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р РЋРЎв„ўcoveredР В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р РЋРЎС™ or Р В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р РЋРЎв„ўsecretР В Р вЂ Р В РІР‚С™Р РЋРЎС™, likely because the huldra usually tryed to hide their mystical nature from people. The huldra are beautiful and seductive forest beings in Germanic and Scandinavian folklore. In fact, through their varying myths and legends across all Nordic and Germanic people, the Huldra can be credited as the origin of many subsequent mythological creatures such as elves, witches, the Slavic samodiva, and others. The huldra or hulder may sound rugged and masculine but they are actually exceptionally fair female mystical beings in Norse mythology.

Nordic symbol for female