draugar

Draugar, often anglicized as draugr, are undead beings in Norse mythology and Icelandic folklore. The word derives from Old Norse and is usually translated as ghost, revenant, or undead. In legend, draugar are reanimated corpses that remain near their graves or burial mounds, often guarding treasure and preying on the living.

In Icelandic saga tradition, draugar are dangerous and intelligent: they can speak, change shape, and exert substantial physical and magical power. They haunt houses, farms, and ships, spreading illness, fear, and misfortune. Some tales emphasize the moral dimension of greed, with treasure guarded by a draugr becoming a curse on those who disturbed it.

Physically, draugar are described as non-decaying or slowly decaying corpses with supernatural vitality. They may appear as living people, corpselike figures, or spectral beings, and they are commonly portrayed as stronger than living humans. They commonly guard their burial sites and can harm or kill intruders.

Scholarly and folkloric traditions do not present a single fixed rule for defeating a draugr; resolutions range from removing the cause of the undead’s anger—such as the treasure—to performing proper burial rites, exhumation, or destroying the corpse. In later fantasy literature and role-playing games, draugar are often adapted as classic undead enemies or guardians.