View source for Nixie (folklore)

{{Short description|Being in Germanic folklore}}
{{Redirect-multi|2|Näcken|Näck|the Swedish Navy ships|HSwMS Näcken|other Nack uses|Nack (disambiguation)}}
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[[File:Kittelsen - Nøkken (Nasjonalmuseet)2.jpg|thumb|{{lang|no|Nøkken}} by Norwegian artist [[Theodor Kittelsen]], 1904]]
[[File:Stromkarlen 1884.jpg|thumb|{{lang|sv|Strömkarlen }} ("The Stream Man") by Swedish painter [[Ernst Josephson]], 1884. In Sweden, the Nixie is often depicted as a fair naked man, playing music to lure people in.]]
The '''nixie''', '''nixy''',<ref name="Britannica"/> '''nix''',<ref name="Britannica">{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/nix-German-mythology|title=Nix|access-date=24 June 2019|publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]}}</ref> '''neck'''{{efn|[[wikt:neck|neck]]}}, or '''nicker'''{{efn|[[wikt:nicker|nicker]]}} ({{langx|ang|nicor}}; {{langx|da|nøkke}}; {{langx|nl|nikker}}, {{lang|nl|nekker}}; {{langx|et|näkk}}; {{langx|fo|nykur}}; {{langx|fi|näkki}}; {{langx|de|Nixe}}; {{langx|is|nykur}}; [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]] {{langx|nb|nøkk}}, ''nøkken''; {{langx|nn|nykk}}; {{langx|sv|näck}}, ''näcken''), are [[Mythic humanoids|humanoid]], and often [[shapeshifting]], [[water spirit]]s in [[Germanic mythology]] and [[Germanic folklore|folklore]].

Under a [[#Names|variety of names]], they are common to the stories of all [[Germanic peoples]],<ref name="nordisknäck">The article ''Näcken'', [https://runeberg.org/nfbt/0177.html tome 20, p. 317], in {{lang|no|[[Nordisk familjebok]]}} (1914)</ref> although they are perhaps best known from [[Scandinavian folklore]]. The related English ''[[knucker]]'' was generally depicted as a [[Germanic dragon|worm or dragon]], although more recent versions depict the spirits in other forms. Their sex, bynames, and various transformations vary geographically. The German {{lang|de|Nix}} and Scandinavian counterparts were male. The German {{lang|de|Nixe}} was a female river [[mermaid]].<ref name="nordisknäck"/> Similar creatures are known from other parts of Europe, such as the [[Melusine]] in [[France]], the [[Xana]] in [[Asturias]] (Spain), and the [[Slavic water spirits]] (e.g., the [[Rusalka]]) in Slavic countries.

=={{anchor|Names|Etymology}}Names and etymology==
The names are held to derive from [[Proto-Germanic|Common Germanic]] {{lang|gem-x-proto|*nikwus}} or {{lang|gem-x-proto|*nikwis(i)}}, derived from [[Proto-Indo-European language|PIE]] {{lang|ine-x-proto|neigʷ}} ("to wash").<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.koeblergerhard.de/germanistischewoerterbuecher/indogermanischeswoerterbuch/idgN.pdf |last=Köbler |first=Gerhard |title=Indogermanisches Wörterbuch |access-date=26 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112220846/http://www.koeblergerhard.de/germanistischewoerterbuecher/indogermanischeswoerterbuch/idgN.pdf |archive-date=12 January 2012 }}</ref> They are related to [[Sanskrit]] {{lang|sa-Latn|nḗnēkti}}, Greek {{lang|grc|νίζω}} {{lang|grc-Latn|nízō}} and {{lang|grc|νίπτω}} {{lang|grc-Latn|níptō}}, and [[Irish language|Irish]] {{lang|ga|nigh}} (all meaning to wash or be washed).<ref name="hellquist">{{cite web |url=https://runeberg.org/svetym/0620.html |title=Svensk etymologisk ordbok |first1=Elof |last1=Hellquist |year=1922 |location=Lund |publisher=C. W. K. Gleerups förlag Berlingska boktryckeriet |page=532 |access-date=26 December 2011}}</ref>

The form ''[[wikt:neck|neck]]'' appears in English, as well as in Swedish, although spelled as {{lang|sv|[[wikt:näck|näck]]}} (definite form ''näcken'').<ref name="hellquist"/> The Swedish form is derived from Old Swedish {{lang|non|neker}}, which corresponds to Old Icelandic {{lang|non|nykr}} ({{abbr|gen.|genitive}} {{lang|non|nykrs}}), and {{lang|nn|[[wikt:nykk|nykk]]}} in [[Nynorsk|Norwegian Nynorsk]].<ref name="hellquist"/> In Finnish, the word is {{lang|fi|[[wikt:näkki|näkki]]}}. In Old Danish, the form was {{lang|non|nikke}} and in modern Danish and Norwegian [[Bokmål]] it is {{lang|da|[[wikt:nøkke|nøkke]]}}/{{lang|no|[[wikt:nøkk|nøkk]]}}.<ref name="hellquist"/> The Icelandic and Faroese {{lang|is|[[wikt:nykur|nykur]]}} are horselike creatures. In [[Middle Low German]], it was called {{lang|gml|[[wikt:necker|necker]]}} and in [[Middle Dutch]] {{lang|dum|[[wikt:nicker|nicker]]}} (modern {{langx|nl|[[wikt:nikker|nikker]]}}, compare also {{lang|gmh|[[wikt:Nickel|Nickel]]}} or {{lang|gmh|[[wikt:Nikkel|Nikkel]]}} plus {{lang|gmh|Kobolt}}).<ref name="hellquist"/> The [[Old High German]] form {{lang|goh|nihhus}} also meant "crocodile",<ref name="nordisknäck"/><ref name="hellquist"/> while the [[Old English]] {{lang|ang|[[wikt:nicor|nicor]]}}<ref name="nordisknäck"/><ref name="hellquist"/> could mean both a "water monster" like those encountered by [[Beowulf]],<ref name="Kemble1837">{{cite book |last=Kemble |first=John Mitchell |title=Beowulf: A Translation of the Anglo-Saxon Poem of Beowulf |url=https://archive.org/details/atranslationang00kembgoog |year=1837 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/atranslationang00kembgoog/page/n81 17]– |publisher=W. Pickering }}</ref> and a "[[hippopotamus]]".<ref name="hellquist"/> The Norwegian {{lang|no|[[Fossegrim]]}} and Swedish {{lang|sv|Strömkarlen}} are related figures sometimes seen as by-names for the same creature.<ref name="hellquist"/> The southern Scandinavian version can take on the form of a horse named {{lang|sv|Bäckahästen}} ("the brook horse"), similar to other [[Water horse|water horses]] such as the Scottish ''[[kelpie]]'' and the Welsh {{lang|cy|[[Ceffyl Dŵr]]}}.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

The modern English form ''[[wikt:nixie|nixie]]'' stems from {{langx|de|[[wikt:Nixe|Nixe]]}} (feminine form of ''[[wikt:Nix|Nix]]''), from {{langx|gmh|[[wikt:nixe|nixe]]}}, from an earlier ''[[wikt:nickes|nickes]]'', from {{langx|goh|[[wikt:nicchessa|nicchessa]]}} (feminine form of ''[[wikt:nichus|nichus]]'', ''[[wikt:nihhus|nihhus]]''), meaning "water-spirit, water-elf, crocodile".

== England ==
English folklore contains many creatures with similar characteristics to the ''Nix'' or {{lang|sv|Näck}}. These include [[Jenny Greenteeth]], the [[Shellycoat]], the river-hag [[Peg Powler]], the {{lang|sv|Bäckahäst}}-like [[Brag (folklore)|Brag]], and the [[Grindylow]].

At [[Lyminster]], near [[Arundel]] in the English county of [[West Sussex]], there are today said to dwell "water-wyrms" called [[knucker]]s, in a pool called the ''Knucker-hole''. The Victorian authority [[Walter William Skeat]] had plausibly suggested the pool's name of ''knucker'' (a name attested from 1835, Horsfield)<ref>Thomas Walker Horsfield, ''The History, Antiquities, and Topography of the County of Sussex'', Volume 2, 1835.</ref> was likely derived from the [[Old English]] {{lang|ang|nicor}}, a creature-name found in ''[[Beowulf]]''.<ref>[http://www2.prestel.co.uk/aspen/sussex/dragon.html Dragons & Serpents In Sussex] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405144710/http://www2.prestel.co.uk/aspen/sussex/dragon.html |date=5 April 2008 }}</ref>

== Nordic folklore ==
[[File:Theodor Kittelsen - The Water Sprite - NG.K&H.B.03202 - National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design.jpg|thumb|"The Water Sprite" by Norwegian [[Theodor Kittelsen]] (1857–1914)]]
The Nordic nixies ({{langx|da|nøkke}}, {{langx|no|nøkk}}, {{langx|sv|näck}}; {{langx|is|nykur}}, {{langx|fo|nykur}}; {{langx|fi|näkki}}, {{langx|et|näkk}}) are male water spirits who plays enchanted songs on instruments, luring women and children to [[drown]] in lakes or streams. Such can also drown people directly by dragging them down into water (compare {{lang|sv|{{ILL|brunnsgubben|sv}}}}, "the well man", from Sweden and Finland, and the Sami {{lang|se|[[rávga]]}}). However, not all of these spirits were necessarily malevolent; many stories indicate at the very least that nixies were entirely harmless to their audience and attracted not only women and children but men as well with their sweet songs. Stories also exist wherein the spirit agrees to live with a human who had fallen in love with him. Still, many of these stories ended with the nixie returning to his home, usually a nearby waterfall or brook. The nixie were said to grow despondent unless they had free, regular contact with a water source.{{Citation needed|date=November 2025}}

[[File:Johan Tirens naecken.jpg|thumb|upright|{{lang|sv|Näcken}} ("The Nixie") by [[Johan Tirén]] (1853–1911), featuring a young boy learning violin from The Nixie in the waterfall.]]
The Norwegian {{lang|no|[[Fossegrim]]}} or {{lang|no|Grim}}, Swedish {{lang|sv|Näcken}} ("The Nixie") or {{lang|sv|Strömkarlen}},<ref>Or strömkarl (singular), per Grimm 1835:17:11.</ref> is a related powerful figure, a powerful [[nature spirit]], who, if properly approached, will teach a musician to play so adeptly "that the trees dance and waterfalls stop at his music".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/tfm/tfm056.htm |title=The Fairy Mythology: Scandinavia : The Power of the Harp |publisher=Sacred-texts.com |access-date=26 December 2011}}</ref>

It is difficult to describe the appearance of the nix, as one of his central attributes was thought to be [[shapeshifting]]. Perhaps he did not have any true shape. He could show himself as a man playing the violin in brooks and waterfalls (though often imagined as fair and naked today, in folklore, he was more frequently described as wearing more or less elegant clothing) but also could appear to be treasure or various floating objects, or as an animal—most commonly in the form of a "brook horse" (see below). The modern Scandinavian names are derived from {{lang|non|nykr}}, meaning "river horse". Thus, it is likely that the figure of the brook horse preceded the personification of the nix as the "man in the rapids". {{lang|no|Fossegrim}} and derivatives were almost always portrayed as gorgeous young men whose clothing (or lack thereof) varied widely from story to story.

The enthralling music of the nixie was most dangerous to women and children, especially pregnant women and [[baptism|unbaptised]] children. He was thought to be most active during [[Midsummer's Night]], Christmas Eve, and Thursdays. However, these superstitions do not necessarily relate to all the versions listed here. Many, if not all, developed after the Christianizing of the northern countries, as was the case of similar stories of faeries and other entities in other areas. When malicious nixies attempted to carry off people, they could be defeated by calling their name; this was believed to cause their death.<ref>Francis James Child, ''The English and Scottish Popular Ballads'', v 1, p 95-6, Dover Publications, New York 1965.</ref> Another belief was that if a person bought the nixie a treat of three drops of blood, a black animal, some {{lang|sv|[[brännvin]]}} (Nordic spirit) or {{lang|sv|[[snus]]}} (wet snuff) dropped into the water, he would teach his enchanting form of music.

The nixie was also an omen for drowning accidents. He would scream at a particular spot in a lake or river in a way reminiscent of the [[loon]], and a fatality would later occur on that spot. He was also said to cause drownings, but swimmers could protect themselves against such a fate by throwing a bit of steel into the water.<ref name="phantoms" />

In the later Romantic folklore and folklore-inspired stories of the 19th century, the nixie sings about his loneliness and his longing for salvation, which he purportedly never shall receive, as he is not "a child of God". In a poem by Swedish poet [[Erik Johan Stagnelius|E. J. Stagnelius]], a little boy pities the fate of the nixie, and so saves his own life. In the poem, arguably Stagnelius's most famous, the boy says that the nixie will never be a "child of God", which brings "tears to his face" as he "never plays again in the silvery brook".

On a similar theme, a 19th-century text called "Brother Fabian's Manuscript" by [[Sebastian Evans]] has this verse:

{{blockquote|<poem>Where by the marishes boometh the [[bittern]],
Neckar the soulless one sits with his ghittern.
Sits inconsolable, friendless and foeless.
Waiting his destiny, – Neckar the soulless.{{efn|The source has "bloometh" for "boometh", but this is an error; a bittern is not a plant but a bird, and it is known for its booming call. A "ghittern" is a guitar. The spelling "Nickar" ''vice'' "Neckar" is sometimes used.<ref name="phantoms">{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924079619411/cu31924079619411_djvu.txt |title=Phantoms of the Deep, or : Legends and Superstitions of the Sea and of Sailors |access-date=3 September 2013}}</ref>}}</poem>}}

In Scandinavia, [[Nymphaea alba|water lilies]] are called "nixie roses" ({{langx|no|nøkkeroser}}, {{langx|sv|näckrosor}}). A tale from the forest of [[Tiveden]], Sweden, relates that a father promised his daughter to a nixie who offered him great hauls of fish in a time of need; she refused and stabbed herself to death, staining the water lilies red from that time on:
{{blockquote|At the lake of Fagertärn, there was once a poor fisherman who had a beautiful daughter. The small lake gave little fish and the fisherman had difficulties providing for his little family. One day, as the fisherman was fishing in his little [[Dugout (boat)|dugout]] of oak, he met The Nixie, who offered him great catches of fish on the condition that the fisherman gave him his beautiful daughter the day she was eighteen years old. The desperate fisherman agreed and promised The Nixie his daughter. The day the girl was eighteen she went down to the shore to meet The Nixie. The Nixie gladly asked her to walk down to his watery abode, but the girl took forth a knife and said that he would never have her alive, then stuck the knife into her heart and fell down into the lake, dead. Then, her blood coloured the water lilies red, and from that day the water lilies of some of the lake's forests are red.<ref>Karlsson 1970:86</ref>}}

=== Swedish and Finnic folklore ===
[[File:Ernst Josephson-Näcken.jpg|thumb|upright|{{lang|sv|Näcken}} ("The Water Sprite") by [[Ernst Josephson]], 1882]]
In Sweden, nixies ({{langx|sv|näck}}) are said to be water spirits, or similar, living in lakes and streams. By some accounts, they take the shape of gnomes (Swedish: ''[[tomte]]''), but they are also said to appear in the shape of animals, most often in black or white, such as a dog, a cat, a bull, a horse, among others (compare ''strömkatten'', "the stream cat"; see [[#Bäckahästen|the brook horse]]). It can also take the shape of inanimate objects, like any floating object or treasure.<ref name="nfbt">{{Runeberg |filename=nfbt |htmlno=0177 |name=Näck }}</ref><ref name="ISOF"/> A trait shared with other folk beliefs is that the animal forms sometimes appears with three legs.<ref name="nfbt"/>

[[File:DnD Nixie.png|thumb|left|upright|Drawing of the Nixie with aquatic plants for hair. The Nixie is said to have green hair or foliage in the hair.]]
Beyond minor or regional spirits, there is also a major collective [[nature spirit]] known as {{lang|sv|Näcken}} ("<u>The</u> Nixie"), or ''Strömkarlen'' ("The Stream Man"), among others (in Norway {{lang|no|[[Fossegrim]]}}), appearing as a slender young or old undressed man, the latter bearded, sitting on a rock near water, masterfully playing an instrument to lure people to and into water.<ref name="nfbt"/> He can play many instruments, with the instrument varying, such as a [[Horn (instrument)|horn]], a [[flute]], a [[harmonica]], etc, but most commonly a [[violin]] or similar. The hair color varies but is often said to be green, or rather made of foliage, with other hair colors worth mentioning being red. The Nixie is both powerful and dangerous in its abilities, bordering on being a quasi-deity. Even in shallow water, it can lock peoples' footing in place. Other names include: ''bäckamannen'' ("the brook man"), ''dammapågen'' ("the dam boy"), ''forskarlen'' ("the rapid man"), ''gölamannen'' ("the pool man"), ''kvarngubbe'' ("watermill man"), ''kvarnrå'' ("watermill [[rå]]"), ''strömkatten'' ("the stream cat"), ''älven'' ("the river") etc.<ref name="ISOF">{{cite web |title=Näcken |url=https://www.isof.se/folkminnen/kunskapsbanker-och-webbutstallningar/kunskapsbanker-folkminnen/lar-dig-mer-om-vasen-i-folktron/vasengalleriet/nacken |website=isof.se |publisher=[[Swedish Institute for Language and Folklore]] |access-date=2025-10-26}}</ref>

[[File:Näcken Ijo.jpg|thumb|A depiction of The Nixie, playing a horn, on the [[altar cloth]] of the [[Ii, Finland|Ii church]], in [[North Ostrobothnia]], Finland]]
The Swedish {{lang|se|näck}} was loaned into Finnish as {{lang|fi|näkki}} and Estonian as {{lang|et|näkk}}. Näkki was seen as a water [[haltija]], primarily depicting the dangerous side of a water spirit. It lied in ambush for swimmers it could pull down to its underwater kingdom, drowning them. It was common to say "näkki onto the land, me into the water" before going swimming and the other way around when coming back onto land; this was also learned from Swedes. Näkki also made its way into [[runic song]]s where a disease was cast away into the black mud in water, where the dog of water and näkki of water would catch it.<ref name="krohn">Krohn (1914:102).</ref>

In [[North Karelia]], a distinction was sometimes made with water spirits, as a {{lang|fi|näkki}} grabbed onto a swimmer while a {{lang|fi|vetehinen}} caught the swimmer as an illness. {{lang|fi|Näkki}} was also considered a newer name for {{lang|fi|vetehinen}} who one could see sitting on a rock, brushing its long hair, before drowning. In [[South Karelia]], this creature was thought to be {{lang|fi|veden emo}} 'mother of water'.<ref name="krohn2">Krohn (1914:103).</ref>

In [[Estonia]], it was thought that näkks originated from children thrown into the water by their mothers, those who drowned themselves, and those submerged by previous näkks. This motif is also found in other Nordic folklore, like the Sami {{lang|se|[[rávga]]}}. In southeastern Estonia, the corpses of those who suffered a violent death were called näkks: the corpses still held their spirits as prisoners. If one sat or laid on ground where such a corpse had been buried, one would fall ill and die: this was caused by a {{lang|et|maanäkk}} 'land näkk'. If one swam over a drowned corpse, one suffered a cramp in the leg as the {{lang|et|veenäkk}} 'water näkk' grabbed onto them. There were also {{lang|et|soonäkk}} 'bog näkk' and {{lang|et|arunäkk}} 'dry grassland näkk'.<ref name="krohn"/><ref name="krohn2"/>

=== The brook horse{{anchor|Bäckahästen}} ===
{{further|Water horse}}
[[File:Theodor Kittelsen - Nøkken som hvit hest.jpg|thumb|The Neck as a brook horse by Theodor Kittelsen, a depiction of the Neck as a white horse]]
[[File:Gutt på hvit hest.jpg|thumb|{{lang|no|Gutt på hvit hest}} (Boy on white horse) by the same Kittelsen]]

One of the more infamous shapes, in which the Nordic nixie appears in, is the "{{ILL|the brook horse|sv|Bäckahästen}}" ({{langx|sv|bäckahästen}}, {{lang|sv|åhästen}}), also simply referred to as nixie (especially {{langx|fo|nykur}}). It has a close parallel in the Scottish [[kelpie]] and the Welsh {{lang|cy|[[Ceffyl Dŵr]]}}.

The {{lang|sv|bäckahäst}} was often described as a majestic white horse that would appear near rivers, particularly during foggy weather. Anyone who climbed onto its back could not get off again. The horse would then jump into the river, drowning the rider. The brook horse could also be harnessed and made to plough, either because it was trying to trick a person or because the person had tricked the horse into it. The following tale is a good illustration of the brook horse:
{{blockquote|A long time ago, there was a girl who was not only pretty but also big and strong. She worked as a maid on a farm by Lake Hjärtasjön in southern [[Nerike]]. She was ploughing with the farm's horse on one of the fields by the lake. It was springtime and beautiful weather. The birds chirped, and the [[white wagtail|wagtail]]s flitted in the girl's and the horse's tracks to pick worms. All of a sudden, a horse appeared out of the lake. It was big and beautiful, bright in colour and with large spots on the sides. The horse had a beautiful mane which fluttered in the wind and a tail that trailed on the ground. The horse pranced for the girl to show her how handsome he was. However, the girl knew it was the brook horse and ignored it. Then the brook horse came closer and closer, and finally he was so close that he could bite the farm horse in the mane. The girl hit the brook horse with the bridle and cried: "Disappear you scoundrel, or you'll have to plough so you'll never forget it." As soon as she had said this, the brook horse had changed places with the farm horse, and the brook horse started ploughing the field with such speed that soil and stones whirled in its wake, and the girl hung like a mitten from the plough. Faster than the cock crows seven times, the ploughing was finished, and the brook horse headed for the lake, dragging both the plough and the girl. But the girl had a piece of [[Iron in mythology|steel]] in her pocket, and she made the [[sign of the cross]]. Immediately she fell down on the ground and saw the brook horse disappear into the lake with the plough. She heard a frustrated neighing when the brook horse understood his trick had failed. Until this day, a deep track can be seen in the field.<ref>Hellström 1985:16</ref>}}

In [[Faroese language|Faroese]], the word {{lang|fo|nykur}} ("nixie") specifically refers to the "brook horse", described in one Faroese text as the following:
{{blockquote|The {{lang|fo|nykur}} dwells in water; at the bottom, down in the depths, he has his lair; from here he often goes onto land and it is not good to meet him.

Sometimes he is like a beautiful little horse which seems to be good and tame, and thus he lures people to draw near to him to pat him and stroke him along the back. But when they come to touch the tail, they become stuck fast to him, and then he releases no-one, but he drags them with him to the bottom of the water.

Sometimes he encounters people in human form, as a handsome youth, to lure young women to himself, and promises them joy and gladness in his hall if they want to go along with him. But if they get a suspicion of who he is, when they are giving themselves away, such that they can call him by his true name — {{lang|fo|nykur}} — then he loses the power over them and must release them and go along into his waters.

It is said that the {{lang|fo|nykur}} can equally well change itself into the form of all quadrupedal animals, except that he does not know how to create the horn-points of a ram or a male lamb on himself.

But when he hasn't changed his form, he is like a horse, and it has come about that people gain power over him by carving a cross into his back, and then they have been able to have him drag great stones by his tail down from the mountains to homesteads or houses. Some are still seen in [[Húsavík, Faroe Islands|Húsavík]] in [[Sandoy]] and on [[Eiði]] in [[Eysturoy]] and the big rocks that are gathered together there bear witness to how strong he is. At Takmýri in Sandoy lies one huge rock, which they wanted to have him draw to Húsavík, but his tail broke here, and the stone remains there. One part of the {{lang|fo|nykur}}'s tail, which was attached to the stone, is visible on it still.<ref>"{{lang|fo|Nykurin býr í vøtnum, á botninum niðri í dýpinum hevur hann sítt tilhald, men haðan fer hann ofta á land, og honum er ikki gott at møta. Stundum er hann líkur einum vøkrum lítlum hesti, sum tykist at vera góður og spakur, og harvið lokkar hann fólk at nærkast til sín at klappa honum og strúka honum eftir baki. Men tá tey koma at nerta við halan, verða tey áføst við hann, og tá sleppur hann ongum, men dregur tey við sær til botns í vatninum. Stundum møtir hann fólki í manslíki sum ein prúður unglingi at lokka gentur við sær og lovar teimum gleði og gaman í síni høll, um tær vilja fylgja honum eftir. Men fáa tær illgruna um, hvør hann er, sum tær eru við at geva seg burtur til, so at tær fáa nevnt hann við rætta navni: "nykur", missir hann maktina yvir tær og má sleppa teimum og fara einsumallur í vatn sítt. Tað er sagt, at nykurin kann líkaleiðis umskapa seg líkan øllum ferføttum djórum, uttan stikulin av veðra- ella veðurlambshorni skal hann ikki kunna skapa á seg. Men rossi er hann líkur, tá ið hann ikki hevur broytt ham sín, og tað hevur borið monnum til at fáa vald yvir hann við at rista kross á baki á honum, og hava teir tá havt hann til at draga við halanum stórt grót oman úr fjøllum til gerðisgarðar ella hús, sum enn sæst í Húsavík í Sandoy og á Eiði í Eysturoy, og tað stóra grótið, ið har er saman komið, ber vitni um, hvussu sterkur hann er. Á Takmýrum í Sandoy liggur ein stórur klettur, sum teir vildu hava hann at draga til Húsavíkar, men har slitnaði halin, og steinurin stendur har. Ein partur av nykarhalanum, sum var áfastur við steinin, er sjónligur á honum enn.}}" V. U. Hammershaimb, ''[https://heimskringla.no/wiki/Nykur_(2) Færøsk Anthologi]'' (Copenhagen, 1891).</ref>}}

== German folklore ==
The German ''Nix'' and ''Nixe'' (and ''Nixie'') are types of river [[merman|mermen]] and [[mermaids]] who may lure men into drowning, like the Scandinavian type, akin to the [[Melusine]] and similar to the Greek [[Siren (mythology)|Siren]]. The German epic ''[[Nibelungenlied]]'' mentions the nix in connection with the [[Danube]], as early as 1180 to 1210.

Nixes in folklore became [[Sprite (creature)|water sprites]]<ref name=autogenerated1>Grimm 1835:17:11.</ref> who try to lure people into the water. The males can assume many different shapes, including that of a human, a fish, and a snake. The females bear the tail of a fish. When they are in human form, they can be recognised by the wet hem of their clothes. The Nixes are portrayed as malicious in some stories but harmless and friendly in others.

The 1779 poem [[Der_Fischer_(Goethe)|Der Fischer]] by [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]] handles of a fisherman who meets his end when he is lured into the water by a Nixe.

By the 19th century, [[Jacob Grimm]] mentions the Nixie to be among the "[[Sprite (creature)|water-sprites]]" who love music, song, and dancing, and says, "Like the sirens, the Nixie by her song draws listening youth to herself, and then into the deep."<ref name=autogenerated1 /> According to Grimm, they can appear human but have the barest hint of animal features: the nix had "a slit ear", and the Nixie had "a wet skirt". Grimm thinks these could symbolise they are "higher beings" who could [[Shapeshifting|shapeshift]] to animal form.<ref>Grimm 1835:33:2.</ref>

One famous Nixe of recent [[German folklore]], deriving from 19th-century literature, was [[Lorelei]]; according to the legend, she sat on the rock at the [[Rhine]] which now bears her name and lured fishermen and boatmen to the dangers of the reefs with the sound of her voice. In Switzerland, there is a legend of a sea-maid or Nixe that lived in [[Lake Zug]] (the lake is in the Canton of Zug).

''[[The Yellow Fairy Book]]'' by [[Andrew Lang]] includes a story called "[[The Nixie of the Mill-Pond]]" in which a [[malevolent spirit]] that lives in a mill pond strikes a deal with the miller that she will restore his wealth in exchange for his son. This story is taken from ''[[Grimms' Fairy Tales]]''.

The legend of [[Heer Halewijn]], a dangerous lord who lures women to their deaths with a magic song, may have originated with the nix.

{{See also|Lorelei}}
{{See also|Wagner's Rhinemaidens}}
Alternate names for the female German Nixe are Rhine maidens ({{langx|de|link=no|Rheintöchter}}) and [[Lorelei]].

In a fictional depiction, the '''Rhine maidens''' are among the [[protagonist]]s in the four-part Opera ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen]]'' by the composer [[Richard Wagner]], based loosely on the nix of the ''Nibelungenlied''.

The Rhine maidens [[Wellgunde]], [[Woglinde]], and [[Floßhilde]] ([[Flosshilde]]) belong to a group of characters living in a part of nature free from human influence. [[Jörð|Erda]] and the [[Norns]] are also considered a part of this 'hidden' world.

They are first seen in the first work of the Nibelungen cycle, ''[[Das Rheingold]]'', as guardians of the ''Rheingold'', a treasure of gold hidden in the [[Rhine|Rhein]] river. The dwarf [[Alberich]], a [[Nibelung]], is eager to win their favour, but they somewhat cruelly dismiss his flattery. They tell him that only one who cannot love can win the ''Rheingold''. Thus, Alberich curses love and steals the ''Rheingold''. From the stolen gold, he forges a [[Ring (jewellery)|ring]] of power. Further in the cycle, the Rhine maidens are seen trying to regain the ring and transform it into the harmless ''Rheingold''. But no one will return the ring to them; not even the supreme god [[Odin|Wotan]], who uses the ring to pay the giants Fasolt and Fafner for building [[Valhalla]], nor the hero [[Sigurd|Siegfried]], when the maidens appear to him in the third act of ''[[Götterdämmerung]]''. Eventually, [[Brynhildr|Brünnhilde]] returns it to them at the end of the cycle, when the fires of her funeral pyre cleanse the ring of its curse.

Descendants of German immigrants to [[Pennsylvania]] sometimes refer to a mischievous child as "nixie".

== In popular culture ==
In ''The Nixie's Song'', the first book in the children's series [[Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles]], the main characters rescue a Nixie named Taloa after fire-breathing giants destroy her pond. Nixies are depicted as aquatic female humanoids related to mermaids but with frog-like legs instead of tails.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Nixies-Song/Holly-Black/Beyond-the-Spiderwick-Chronicles/9780689871313 |title=The Nixie's Song |date=2007-09-18 |isbn=978-0-689-87131-3 |language=en}}</ref>

In the 2019 film ''[[Frozen II]]'', Queen [[Elsa (Frozen)|Elsa]] of Arendelle encounters and tames the Nøkk (in the form of a horse), the Water spirit who guards the sea to the mythical river Ahtohallan.<ref>{{cite web|first=Ben|last=Allen|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2019-10-02/frozen-2-easter-eggs/|title=Trolls, Nokks and Joik singing: the Nordic cultural artefacts that inspired Frozen 2|website=radiotimes.com|access-date=9 April 2020}}</ref>

In the video game ''[[Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege]]'', there is a Danish operator named Nøkk. During gameplay she uses a glove attachment called HEL to disappear from cameras and sneak up on enemies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/rainbow-six/siege/game-info/operators/nokk|title=Operator Page: Nøkk|website=www.ubisoft.com|access-date=29 April 2025}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Wikisource|Water Nix}}
* [[Årets Näck]], a Swedish competition where constestants play music whilst dressed as Näcken
* [[Hulder]]
* [[Kelpie]]
* [[Nāga]]
* [[Naiad]]
* [[Nuckelavee]]
* [[Rusalka]]
* [[Selkie]]
* [[Taniwha]]
* [[Undine]]
* [[Wetlands and islands in Germanic paganism]]

== Footnotes ==
{{notelist}}

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== References ==
* [[Rick Riordan|Riordan, Rick]] (2017). ''[[The Ship of the Dead|Magnus Chase and the gods of Asgard: The Ship of the Dead]]''
* Grimm, Jacob (1835). ''Deutsche Mythologie'' (German Mythology); From English released version ''Grimm's Teutonic Mythology'' (1888); Available online by Northvegr 2004–2007: [http://www.northvegr.org/secondary%20sources/mythology/grimms%20teutonic%20mythology/01711.html Chapter 17, page 11]; [http://www.northvegr.org/secondary%20sources/mythology/grimms%20teutonic%20mythology/03302.html Chapter 33, page 2]. File retrieved 4 June 2007.
* Hellström, AnneMarie (1985). ''Jag vill så gärna berätta...''. {{ISBN|91-7908-002-2}}.
* Karlsson, S. (1970). ''I Tiveden'', Reflex, Mariestad.
* Krohn, Kaarle (1914). ''Suomalaisten runojen uskonto''. Porvoo: WSOY, Finnish Literature Society.
* {{Nuttall|title=Nixie}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|nixie}}
{{Commons category|Nixes}}
* [http://www.morion.com/morion/wood/english/eng_nacken_stagnelius.html The Watersprite], an amateur translation (no rhyme, no meter) of Stagnelius's poem.
* [http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/fulltext/scrap1/ch04_ln.htm Manxnotebook]
* [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/tfm/tfm056.htm Sacred-Texts.com]
* [http://www.ststp.com/Archives/Scandinavian/Folklore/ Scandinavian Folklore] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723131752/http://www.ststp.com/Archives/Scandinavian/Folklore/ |date=23 July 2008 }}

{{Fairies}}
{{Anglo-SaxonPaganism}}
{{Scandinavian folklore}}
{{German folklore}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nixie}}
[[Category:Nixies (folklore)| ]]
[[Category:Creatures in Norse mythology]]
[[Category:Danish folklore]]
[[Category:Danish legendary creatures]]
[[Category:English folklore]]
[[Category:English legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Faroese folklore]]
[[Category:German legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Medieval literature]]
[[Category:Scandinavian folklore]]
[[Category:Folklore of the Benelux]]
[[Category:Scandinavian legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Swedish folklore]]
[[Category:Shapeshifters]]
[[Category:Water spirits]]
[[Category:Mythic humanoids]]