pr. 'scoo-gs-row'.

The 'Lady-of-the-Woods' of the Swedish folklore.

She appears as a woman of unusual beauty, sometimes clad in colorful clothes, sometimes naked. Her back, though, is a cave, rotting log.
She can be also be told from a human being by her high, mean laughter, and in northern Sweden it is believed that she might have a fox' tail. Also, she is completely unable to understand the human sense of humour. Joking with her is always dangerous.

She shows herself mostly to men working or living alone in the woods. She loves men and will often attempt to seduce those she nears.
Men who fall for the Skogsrå are completely in her power. They have great luck as hunters, as the Skogsrå commands the animals of the woods, but they are also compelled to leave their home and go to her whenever she calls for them.

There are ways to protect yourself from the Skogsrå, should you ever meet one. The best one is, of course, to firmly but politely resist her avances. Wearing your jacket outside-in, uttering the Almighty's name or swearing can also make her poweless. Another possibility is the use of herbs called Tibast and Vendelaroot.

A relationship with the Skogsrå could lead to prosecution and the capital punishment in Sweden, as late as the early 18th century.

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