Landsveattir

Old Norse: Landvættir Pronunciation: Lands-vayt-teerAnglo Saxon: Landwihta
The Landsvættir are land spirits, the guardian spirits of the woods, forests, and streams. They are usually friendly but they prefer not to be disturbed by modern man. They do befriend humans though and have been known to give aid to growing crops and in other such agricultural pursuits. The Land Wights dislike blood and violence in general. They do appear in a variety of forms and this may be due to shape shifting abilities. They seem strongest in the untamed wilds and this may be because they shy away from civilized areas. These beings dwell in rocks, springs, and so forth. They are shy and easily driven away (especially by noise or strife); when they have fled, the land will not prosper. In Heathen Iceland, it was illegal to come within sight of the shore with a dragon-prow raised, as that would frightened them. The land-wights are friendly towards humans who treat them well. Gifts of food and drink were often left by their dwelling places.