As the title says, does the word Nykur ring a bell?
Well, if you aren’t from Scandinavia, it’s no surprise if you haven’t.
Like all creatures in folklore, it goes under many names. Nuggle, Wihwin and Nuckelavee are just a few of the names this creature goes under, although I believe that Kelpie might be the most famous term.
But to me, it has always been known as Bäckahästen, or the River Horse. For simplicity’s sake though, I’ll just call them Nykur. And yes, I say them because I recently found out that there can be more than one. Or at least, I think so.
Perhaps, you’ve heard one of its many names, but never bothered to look up what kind of creature it might be.
Just like all folklore and myths, the specifics vary depending on where in the world you are, but since I am from Sweden, I’ll stick to the River Horse’s lore mostly.
It is said that the Nykur is a water spirit, or in some cases, a water demon, that takes the form of a horse. As it’s connected to water, it holds its home in nearby lakes or rivers.
Its raw beauty is supposed to lure children to it, and once the child touches the horse, their hand is stuck to its fur. It is now that the spirit returns to its home, dragging the child with it back into the water.
Another version is that the horse bows down to allow the children to ride it, and its back grows longer and longer before it returns home.
The children all meet a watery grave, whether it be via horseback or by getting dragged underneath the surface.
Now that I’ve covered the basics of what Nykur is, I think a bit of background about myself is necessary. As I said before, I am born and raised in Sweden, so I’ve grown up with the stories about the River Horse.
I live in the far north, where the forests are so massive that they can swallow you whole and the lakes run so deep that no one would ever find your body if you drowned.
Now, I’ve always been interested in folklore and the supernatural ever since I was young, so naturally, I believed the stories I was told about Nykur. But as I grew up, I started to see the story about the Nykur as a precautionary tale.
A simple way to keep the curious children away from the dangerous edges of the lakes and rivers.
Now, I’m not a “trouble child” per se, although I had a tendency to sneak out of my room at night to take a midnight stroll and return before anyone realized I was gone. And that worked fantastically. Until my dad decided to install security cameras…
And while he scolded me for my reckless behavior, I never stopped doing it. Because what was the harm? So I simply found a way to avoid detection, even by the cameras.
One day, I was out on one of these midnight walks, following the usual trail. This path is made out of gravel, and it wraps around one of the biggest lakes Sweden has, although I would just turn back around once my excess energy has melted off me.
It was a pretty chilly summer’s night, and a thick fog coated the surface of the lake that was just a couple of feet away.
Just like always, I had my eyes on my phone since my feet moved on autopilot, having been brought up on this very path, with just one AirPod in my ear. Yes, even if the forest feels like home, I’m still a bit paranoid and want to be able to hear my surroundings.
Everything felt normal, until I suddenly felt as if I was being watched. Now, you might say, “Oh but of course, you’re in a forest. You’re probably just feeling the wildlife around you.” And while I understand your thinking, it’s wrong.
I know how it feels to be watched by a deer, a rabbit, a fox, or even a moose. This wasn’t like that.
This, this was something else.
And as my brain tried to scramble for a logical explanation, my eyes jumped to the clock on my phone. Twenty three minutes over one. Who the hell would be out in the middle of a forest at this hour? Well, except me.
To not give my onlooker any hint that I was aware of them, I just kept walking, although I pulled my hoodie a little tighter around myself as my eyes started to scan my surroundings.
A cold shiver ran down my spine as my eyes landed on the edge of the lake, and at the same time, my AirPod started to freak out. You know that disturbing sound that a radio makes when it’s going haywire and can’t get a signal? The static? Well, it sounded like that and only got louder and louder until I was forced to pull the AirPod out if I didn’t want to lose my hearing completely on that ear.
But if I had expected to be greeted with the calming sounds of the forests, I was wrong. Faintly, very faintly, I could hear a quiet melody of a flute being played.
Okay, was I losing my mind?
I was starting to freak out, so I quickened my pace, damn if my onlooker knew that I knew about them, and convulsively clutched my keys in my pocket.
The feeling of being watched only intensified, and I wanted nothing more than to be back home, safe in my room. Something was definitely off, and I could feel how the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
And as I lifted my head, that’s when I saw him.
My feet stopped abruptly, and the gravel crunched underneath my shoes as the horse slowly rose from the water.
He lifted his head from the surface of the water, and a few water drops dripped from his muzzle as he watched me, his hooves still in the shallow water. His long mane reached to his knees, just as white as the rest of him.
I couldn’t deny it, he was an eye catcher, but there was something… off. His pale fur almost seemed translucent, as if I would be able to catch a glimpse of his internal organs if I strained my eyes hard enough.
His eyes, unlike his body, was as black as the night, but they held none of the kindness that I knew horses held. No, these had a never ending darkness in them, like a black hole, they drew me in and I knew, in that moment, that there was nothing I could do to stop it.
I blinked hard, and to my horror, I saw that my feet had moved me closer to the stallion without me even realizing it. He was so close now that if I just stretched out my hand, I would be able to touch him.
It seemed as if the forest held its breath, the trees leaning in closer to watch us and block out the light from the skies above. But the moonlight still shone through, thank the gods for that.
And it was in this light, that I discovered another thing that made me feel uneasy about the stallion. His fur seemed to have a slightly green undertone. As if algae had started to grow on him for being underwater too long.
As I took a shaking breath, a foul odor invaded my nostrils. It was a mixture between wet wood, washed-up seaweed and something old. Something very old.
But even with the warning bells going off like crazy in the back of my head, I wanted nothing more than to touch him. Despite the warning signs I could so clearly see, they didn’t seem to matter.
I wanted nothing more than to let him drag me down into another realm. One where I didn’t have to be myself.
My hand was just inches away from his muscular neck by now. It was as if he had me in a trance, because I wasn’t even aware of my body moving. I think this is what scared me the most. The fact that I was nothing more than a passenger in my own body.
His dark eyes dragged me down even deeper, and I knew, I just knew I would be dead as soon as my skin touched his.
But just as it was about to happen, the moment before my fingertips would feel his fur, something caused me to turn around and face the forest.
Call it fate, instinct, or destiny. Whatever you wish to call it, I’ll call it a miracle, because I still couldn’t hear anything else but the faint music of the flute.
So, call me surprised when my eyes saw another horse.
This one was the complete opposite of the stallion, and she seemed to stand taller somehow. Her fur was as black as the midnight sky, but unlike the stallion’s emotionless eyes, her fur was scattered with silver dapples that seemed to shine like stars in the darkness.
She was the complete opposite to the stallion that stood beside me.
Her eyes were ice blue, as clear as a summer sky and they seemed to hold all the answers to the mysteries of the universe. She seemed… wise. All-knowing.
But there was a hidden fire burning in her eyes as she looked at the white stallion.
Thanks to Yin and Yang, I’ve always associated light with good. Stupid, I know, but I think it’s because of the whole “Light and Darkness”-thing. Neither can exist without the other. An eternal battle always going on between them. A balance, if you may.
Unfortunately, she was too late to be my savior. The stallion seemed to have lost his patience with me and took matters into his own hooves by closing the distance between us.
As soon as I felt his fur underneath my fingertips, a huge wave of regret washed over me. Just like the slightly green hue suggested, his fur wasn’t smooth. It felt slimy, and it was cold, ice cold. Like he had dwelled too long in the depths of the lake.
Those dark eyes seemed to suddenly shine with a sort of malice I’ve never seen the likes of to this day.
And to my great horror, he started to turn around. He did so slowly, without hurry, but there was a certain way about his walk that made it seem as if he held himself back from getting too excited.
Because he knew. He knew I couldn’t get away.
I tried to yank my hand away, but just as the legend told, I was stuck. Stuck to him like a fly in a glue trap. There was nothing I could do. I would be forced to follow him down into the depths and feel my lungs burn for air.
Nobody would ever find my body. Nobody would ever know what happened to me.
And while my parents might search for me, the police would probably just tell them that I had run away from home. Which honestly wouldn’t be a surprise, considering my nightly walks.
I would be forgotten. And for once in my life, I didn’t want to be. No, I didn’t want to die because Nykur chose me as his victim.
As the stallion turned his back to the forest and the mare, my feet were finally submerged in the water. My sneakers got soaked within mere seconds, and a shiver ran down my spine.
But maybe, this wasn’t the worst way to go? Perhaps, as my lungs screamed for oxygen, I would simply pass out and not feel the cold hand of Death.
My head was a mess, and I couldn’t help but think that the stallion somehow affected my thoughts. It was as if he didn’t appreciate the way I panicked about drowning.
All these thoughts rushed through my head as the water was now up to my knees. Despite it being summer, the water held no warmth for me and goosebumps erupted all over my body.
“No…” My voice was barely above a whisper, to be honest, it sounded more like a terrified squeak. And even by my low standards, I sounded pathetic. But what else was I supposed to say?
I was literally being dragged towards my death and there was nothing I could do to prevent it.
Perhaps it was my pitiful plea that caused her to step in.
The dark mare appeared beside me from out of nowhere, or perhaps she had been walking towards us the whole time but I had been too preoccupied with my own thoughts to even notice.
The mare rounded the stallion until she blocked his path with her body. A small breath of relief escaped my lips as the stallion was forced to stop. My death would be postponed a little longer.
The water just reached the bottom of her stomach, and it clucked gently against her. As if it wasn’t about to help the stallion to drown me.
Her eyes now fell on me and she tilted her head just a little bit. Those strong, blue eyes made me feel as if I was being x-rayed. As if she was unraveling all of my deepest , darkest secrets and letting them see the light for the first time in a very long time.
But unlike the stallion, who seemed to want the world down for what it had done to him, I felt no judgment from her.
She just saw the true me. The one beneath the mask I wear everyday, flaws and all.
And as she lowered her head towards me, I knew I had a chance. She was offering me another chance. A chance at life.
But a tug on my hand made my eyes dart back to the stallion, and I was immediately swallowed by the darkness in his eyes. He wanted me to join him. To follow him into the dark abyss. But unlike last time, I had a glimmer of hope.
The mare.
With all the strength I had left, I tore my gaze away from him. The world that had turned into a blur as soon as I set eyes on the stallion suddenly came back into focus. I didn’t really know how, because I still felt paralyzed, but somehow, I managed to lift my other hand, my free hand, and stroked the mare over the forehead.
The feeling was instant.
Her fur was soft, softer than anything I had ever felt before and it felt warm, like a hug from the loving mother I never had. My shoulders felt lighter than ever, as if a huge weight had been lifted from them and my hand unstuck from the stallion’s neck with a nasty squelch.
He didn’t move for a moment, but merely observed us with a fire raging in his eyes. For a moment, it felt as if he weighed his options. Was it worth taking the fight against the mare for my life?
With a toss of his great head, he snorted before he sidestepped the mare and continued his walk towards the heart of the lake. It seemed like he decided I wasn’t worth it after all.
I watched him, almost transfixed, as he walked further away and slowly disappeared beneath the blank surface of the lake. The last part of him that I saw was his white tail disappearing into the darkness.
With him gone, I returned my gaze to the mare. I took a deep, shuddering breath, and it felt like I could breathe properly for the first time in minutes.
My hand was still absentmindedly stroking her forehead, and she had closed her eyes, as if she appreciated the touch.
I didn’t want to be in the water anymore. I wanted to get out. To get as far away as I possibly could from the stallion. But I wasn’t sure my legs would be able to carry me back to the shore.
My hand wasn’t stuck to her fur as it had been with the stallion, and I think she somehow sensed that my trembling legs would fail me if I attempted to walk back on my own.
She walked in a circle around me before she headed for the shore, but before she did so, she glanced back at me. And I somehow understood what she wanted.
I let my hand slide over her ear, along her neck to finally let it tangle into her mane. As we walked, I truly felt like a baby who had just learned to walk. Had it not been for my firm grip on her mane, and the fact that she allowed me to lean heavily on her side, I would’ve collapsed.
As soon as my feet were out of the water, my legs wouldn’t carry me any longer and I fell to my knees, my hand slipping out of her mane.
All I could do was breathe. Breathe because I was still alive. I wasn’t fighting for breath on the bottom of the lake. I wasn’t stuck with the stallion for all eternity.
The mare hummed quietly, and as I felt the soft touch of her muzzle on my cheek, my tears welled over the edge. If it was gratitude, relief, or all the pent-up fear that had been coursing through my body, I had no idea. Or maybe it was all at once.
“Thank you.” It was all I could say. My voice was hoarse, and I was surprised that the words were even distinguishable. She has saved my life. She had given me another chance.
And for that, I would be forever grateful.
As if she understood the meaning of my words, she closed her eyes slowly before turning around. It didn’t take long before she vanished between the trees, but just before she did, she cast a look at me over her shoulder. Almost as if to say “do not waste this chance”.
To this day, I have no idea of who or what she was. All I know is that she was, no, is, my savior.
Maybe she was a Nykur that couldn’t live with the guilt of dragging humans to their deaths. Or maybe she was a forest guardian.
After my encounter with the two horses, or spirits, might be the proper term, I found a new spark.
I focused on my studies and made new friends. I found new hobbies, and some, I even excelled at! I’m the Swedish champion in bare bow archery. Who would’ve thought? Certainly not me.
I never told anyone about my encounter with the spirits, because I doubt anyone would believe me.
I moved out a couple of years ago now, but I still live in the area with my dog so our longest nature trail is still the one that wraps around the lake.
Even today, a couple of years after our encounter, it isn’t unusual for me to catch a glimpse of the white stallion. Sometimes, I can just spot his head in the middle of the lake, the water rippling around him as he peers at me. Other times, he’s waiting by the water’s edge, with drops dripping off of him.
It’s like he’s telling me that he knows, that one day, I will undoubtedly join him.
And you might say that I’m crazy, but I know I’m not. Because my dog can see him too. She usually gives a warning bark, the scruff of her neck standing up and she glues herself to my legs, on the side facing the water.
But she’s not my only protector.
The mare still watches over me. I can see her shadow moving among the trees, and sometimes, I can even catch a glimpse of those radiant eyes of hers.
And I know, as long as she’s here, I’m safe from the Nykur’s grasp.
Maybe none of you will believe me, but I just needed to tell someone.
And a thought that has hit me in later days, I wonder if the stallion was just feeling lonely. Perhaps, in his own twisted way, he just wanted a friend.
Because why else would my mind levitate towards a certain amount of acceptance when it came to drowning?