My other comics: Scandinavia and the World, Niels, Manala Next Door

Troll and Well Man

This is a lesser knows Danish folklore creature, either known as the well man (because he hides in wells) or the black man (because he hides in the blackness of the well and has black skin to hide better).

He is said to have ink black skin, red eyes, and grabs people and animals when they try to get water from the well and pulls them down. In some places he was believed to send out bad spirits (possibly of the people and animals he killed) that could cause sickness. This was obviously a way o explain why people got sick from the well water.

Troll

26th January 2014

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16 Comments:

Scandaminky

27 F

6 years ago #9780796

That troll is the absolute cutest

elbaronjack

O

4 years ago #9843964

This reminds me to the Brunnmigi, a troll who also was used to explain poisonus waters, but Well Man is like a svartalf version

frendly_creeper

10 years ago #9340095

XD welp that guy would have trouble if he went to norway our trolls are too big for that well.

Lennydk

35 M

11 years ago #9076413

I'm a Dane never heard of it but it do remind me of a story by dennis jürgensen, The monster in the well..

SparklingDane

16 F

11 years ago #9075798

That troll looks less thirsty now XD

Drayst

11 years ago #9075383

The wellman sounds very much of our own "Näkki" and the old finnish children game "Kuka pelkää mustaa miestä" translated to english "Who is affraid of the dark man" or in german "Wer hat Angst vorm schwarzen Mann?".
I personally dont think it as a rasist on people with darker skin color, but towards spirits/demons