Hotfullt mörker och gudomliga ingripanden i den medeltida skogen

Abstract

The medieval forest provided the stage for stories of getting lost in the wilderness, encountering strange and dangerous creatures, and receiving divine salvation from these threats. This article explores the narrative function of the forest in the medieval Swedish miracle stories, sermons and revelations of St. Bridget. It showcases how the forest is depicted as a liminal space where the inhabitants of orderly society met with wild, untamed creatures. Getting lost in the woods appears a common phenomenon in medieval Swedish society, built on the verge of the great forests. This proximity has inspired a rich tradition of stories about encounters with wild animals, outlaws and even the devil himself in the woods. Not only could a person get lost physically, but they could also lose their sanity and become wildmen, living like wild animals in the woods, or turn into outlaws hiding in the dark woods. These stories lack depictions of the mythological creatures that did not fit with the teachings of the church, but the imagery of the devil tempting with sexual relations and riches to wanderers in the wood have much in common with the folklore on elemental beings.