Ethereal Chronicles

From his deathbed he rose, perhaps two, three days after he had passed. It had come too late, his body too long neglected, left to rest in a place unsuited for the dead as preparations continued to remain stagnant.

I noticed it first. On the first night, merely hours after he had lost his battle. I noticed a slight shift in position each time I came back to check, a flicker of movement out of the corner of my eye, though I dismissed it at the time as grief, a desperate longing for my brother to return to me.

On the second night, an awful smell rose and spread through the hut as darkness fell, only to fade once morning broke and night gave way to day.

On the third night, I heard screaming. Panicking, I rushed from my bed, injuring myself in the process, and limped across the farm to the hut where we had left him. The screams had come from Aegelmaer, my little sister, only twelve winters at the time. She had come to watch him. But something was not right. The foul smell had returned, and I could hear a struggle coming from behind the closed doors.

When I opened them, I half recoiled from the putrid stench that assaulted my nostrils, pushing my sleeve against my face. Through the tears that filled my eyes, I saw Aegelmaer, screaming and struggling against Ragnar. He had risen from his motionless position, seized her little arm, and taken a famished bite.

“RAGNAR STOP!” I yelled, lurching forwards to pull my sister from the creature, which snarled viciously, as unwilling to release her as a dog from a bone. He gnashed his jagged teeth against her flesh until her bone snapped, and he tore the arm right off, causing her to fall back against me, and I against the ground. And as he gorged on the flesh and the bone, he did not even pause to swallow, the mess glistening down his chin as he did so, all the while watching us with crazed eyes.

Draugr are the Norse undead; hideous risen corpses that return to terrorise their towns and villages.

APPEARANCE AND ATTRIBUTES

Unlike Zombies, Draugr are intelligent creatures, although similarly grotesque in appearance. They are not simply flesh-eating monsters; they possess the strength of giants and the power of sorcerers, and most importantly, they retain their memories, their identities from the lives they once led. Ancient and formidable, Draugr are the very embodiment of death, making them exceptionally difficult to defeat.

Draugr resemble swollen corpses, their skin tinged blue or black with decay, and they emit the reek of rotting flesh. Such creatures bring death to people’s doors, targeting humans and animals alike to consume their flesh and subjecting them to curses and bad luck that no amount of magic could lift. Disease sweeps through villages at the Draugr’s will, killing every inhabitant without mercy.

Draugr can attack anyone who enters their tomb or venture beyond their resting places to find their victims. These malevolent creatures are not confined to their burial sites and will actively seek out people and animals to satisfy their bloodlust.

MAGICAL ABILITIES

Draugr are immensely powerful beings, endowed with gifts akin to those of witches and wizards. This includes but is not limited to shapeshifting, weather control, and the power of foresight.

Additionally, a Draugr may invade one’s dreams, manifesting as nightmares and often leaving something behind to remind the person of its presence.

THE GREED OF A DRAUGR

Draugr are envious creatures, resentful towards the living for existing in a life that they can no longer be a part of, and this ignites a deep, festering rage that can only be eased with the torment of mankind.

Greedy by nature, a Draugr is often found guarding the treasures buried with it, and anyone who attempts to take such treasure or even venture near the tomb invites a death sentence upon themselves.

The appetite of a Draugr is like that of a Wendigo – an insatiable hunger that can never be quenched. In the story of Arun and Asmund, Arun dies, and Asmund spends some time in his tomb;

“During the first night, Aran got up from his chair and killed the hawk and hound and ate them. On the second night he got up again from his hair, and killed the horse and tore it into pieces; then he took great bites at the horse-flesh with his teeth, the blood streaming down from his mouth all the while he was eating…The third night Asmund became very drowsy, and the first thing he knew, Aran had got him by the ears and torn them off.”

Gautrek’s Saga and Other Medieval Tales, pp. 99-101

CREATION OF A DRAUGR

Draugr awaken once a person has died, often if that person had not been buried properly. However, those who choose to live a life of hatred, allowing their souls to blacken with spite and greed, are almost certain to rise as Draugr once they leave the land of the living.

Draugr are distinguished by the unusual positions in which they are found. If a corpse is discovered in a sitting position, or standing upright, then it is a clear sign that the deceased has transformed into a Draugr.

PREVENTION AND REMOVAL OF DRAUGR

The fear of Draugr carried significant weight in Viking traditions. To prevent the dead from rising, people would often bury their dead with iron, as Draugr are weakened by this material. Additionally, they covered graves with heavy rocks to weigh the spirits down and keep them from emerging as Draugr.

The Corpse Door method involved carrying the corpse feet first so that it was unable to see where it was being taken. The door would then be bricked up to prevent the creature from returning.

If prevention proves futile, vanquishing a Draugr is no easy feat. Only the strongest and bravest of warriors would be able to force the creature back to its grave.

If, by miraculous chance, the Draugr is defeated, then the head must be cut off, the body burned and the ashes scattered into the sea, to ensure that the beast is well and truly gone.

Draugr Norse Mythology: The Terrifying Undead of Viking Lore – Old World Gods