Peitilijä

Peitilijä is a Finnish term that translates to "blanketer" or "coverer." It refers to a creature or entity in Finnish folklore that is said to lie on top of people or animals, often during sleep, and cause a feeling of suffocation or extreme heaviness. The Peitilijä is typically described as a dark, shadowy figure, sometimes amorphous, and its presence is associated with nightmares and a sense of being trapped. It is often considered a type of incubus or succubus in broader folklore contexts, though its specific characteristics and origins are rooted in Finnish tradition. Belief in the Peitilijä was a way for people to explain experiences of sleep paralysis or night terrors, attributing these unsettling sensations to an external supernatural force. Descriptions of the Peitilijä vary, with some accounts portraying it as a malevolent spirit and others as a more neutral, albeit disturbing, phenomenon. Various countermeasures and protective rituals were believed to ward off the Peitilijä, including the use of certain amulets or prayers. The concept reflects a historical understanding of the human psyche and the unexplained physical sensations that can occur during sleep.