Myth of the Week 018

The Nyx (in German, Nix/Nixie; and in Norwegian, Nøkk or plural, Nøkken) are shapeshifting water spirits. They have appeared in the myths and legends of almost all Germanic peoples through Europe, although they are perhaps most popular in Norwegian and Scandinavian folklore. In recent times, the creatures have been commonly depicted as closely resembling humans.

Theodore Kittelsen, Nøkken, 1904.

Their sex, bynames, and various animal-like transformations vary according to geography. The German Nyx and his Scandinavian counterparts are male, whereas the German Nix or Nixie are usually depicted as female river mermaids.