Deildegast
A ghost bound to a displaced boundary stone.
In Norwegian folklore, a deildegast is a ghost associated with the sanctity of boundary stones and the consequences of moving them. This tradition was most common in southern Norway and is related to the gjenganger phenomenon. The deildegast is condemned to haunt the area near the stones, forever attempting and failing to lift a displaced stone back into its correct position.
Quick Facts
- Region
- Southern Norway
- First literary mention
- Draumkvedet, near the end of the Middle Ages
- Related phenomenon
- gjenganger
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- The deildegast's sorrowful scream is heard each time the stone slips from its grasp.
- The ghost was said to wear the clothes of its own era, which appeared very outdated to observers.
- The belief may have prevented people from taking physical revenge on neighbors who moved boundary stones.
Description
The earliest known literary reference to the deildegast appears in Draumkvedet, composed near the end of the Middle Ages, though the belief likely predates this text. The deildegast could transform into a bird, most often an owl, which locals called ghost (gasten). In human form, the deildegast appeared normal except for its clothing, which was outdated because the ghost had died many years earlier. Socially, the belief served to deter tampering with border stones and to discourage physical revenge, as people trusted that the wrongdoer would face metaphysical punishment after death.
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