Nature spirits bound to land, sea or home in the Old Norse belief system.
The vættir are a broad category of beings in Old Scandinavian belief: landvættir who protect a territory's land, sea-spirits tied to water and house-spirits dwelling in farms and homes. They require respect and small rituals to remain benevolent.
Iceland's landvættir are mentioned in Landnámabók and Old Norse law prohibited ships from approaching land with dragon heads mounted, so as not to frighten the landvættir. The vættir survive in Scandinavian folk tradition as tomten and nissen.
Attestations
- Landnámabók, kap. 268
- The role of Icelandic landvættir in the settlement narratives.