(explanatory essay)

There are many beautiful things in the world that are worth living for. One of those things for me is the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. It looks incredible even from photographs. And although I cannot see it now, or at least in the near future, I can tell you more about it. Not from the point of view of physics, but from the point of view of stories.

In Scandinavian myths and legends, the attitude to the Northern Lights varied. Some glorified it, while others feared it.

The Vikings considered the northern lights to be a sign from the gods. They believed that Odin, the chief god and ruler of Asgard, chose warriors after each earthly battle who would have the honour of joining him in Valhalla after death. The Valkyries, warriors on horseback, were called upon to escort the fallen to Valhalla. The Polar Lights were attributed to the glare of the valkyries’ armour. The Vikings had a slightly different explanation. Depending on the legend, the northern lights became the breath of brave warriors who died in battle, or the Bifrest Bridge, a link connecting the world of mortals to the world of the gods.

The Sami, a people of northern Scandinavia, were afraid of the Arctic Lights. They considered it a symbol of dead souls. Any conversation or even mention of the Northern Lights was forbidden.

My favourite Aurora Borealis metaphor comes from Finland. There, people finally stopped associating it with the dead. This time, the culprits were polar foxes. According to a legend, these animals ran through the sky so fast that they accidentally hit mountains with their fluffy tails. This created sparks that lit up the sky. In Finland, even the word for the northern lights ¾  “revontulet” is literally translated as “fire fox”.