NACK

By Per Jorisch (ljusalven@sopti.pp.se)

Description

A Nack can in human form, according to Nordic mythology, be compared with the evil water goddess Ran, who with her nets tried to pull seamen into the water. The Nacken is a dangerous ruler over the seas and all bodies of water, but also a wonderful but dangerous musician who uses his music to entice unwary people to join his watery kingdom. (They actually go down to the water, and drown themselves). A Nack is always of male sex; no female nack exist. He usually sits on a rock near running water like a waterfalls, watermills or under bridges, playing his violin(or harp). Someone might come to fetch some water and never return. The person got caught by the magical music, couldn't resist it, and drowned. A Nack is especially dangerous to women, whom he tries to seduce with his music. His music makes people dance, and they must dance until sunrise. He can even make furniture dance with his music, the so called ellestrofen.

Sometimes a ordinary musician learns to play as the Nack; the Nack can even teach the musician, but there's a catch. When the musician has learned to play as the Nack he can't stop playing and he and the people around him who hear his magical music dance until they drop down dead on the ground, exhausted. One time a deaf man rescues the musician and the listeners from dancing to death by cutting of the strings on the violin. The Nack can also teach a musician without killing him. He almost always teaches at night, often three Thursday nights in a row, and the midsummer night or Sunday night. The meeting place is by running water (as above). A human could then learn even the ellestrofen, so he could make the furniture dance.

A Nack is able to change it's shape to a horse. Then he's called a Backahast (back=brook, hast=horse, brookhorse in English). The Backahast tries to fool children, or an adult to ride on its back. It then dives down into the water, drowning its rider. The Backahast has the ability to become longer and longer as more children gather on its back.

To be protected from the Nack or Backahast you must throw a stone vertically down into the water so it doesn't splash. Then the Nack will be tied, and cannot take you, or you can put an iron knife into the sand by the water.

Two Nackar has never been seen at the same time in the same body of water.

Appearance

The Nack is always a naked man or boy. His hair is made out of leaves and his beard as well (if he has one). When he is in the form of a Backahast, he's always a totally white horse.

Seeming

Childling: A childling Nack is the most demonic of all Nackar. They seduce and drown many women and children, and they never teach anyone how they play. They love to show themselves as Backahasts and drown children.

Wilder: A wilder Nack is not as demonic. He drowns humans with his magical music, but not as much as a childling. He sometimes learns his teach to a human musician, but only to very skilled and special musicians. He's still an evil being.

Grumps: A grump Nack is the best Nack to learn how to play from. He begins to feel guilty for all the people he has drowned, and feels that he must give something back. He sometimes shows himself as a Backahast but not often, and he doesn't drown any children.

Lifestyles:

A Nack lives in the seas, and there's not much more to tell. They breed on some kind of passion that makes them drown people.

Affinity

Actor

Birthrights

Hypnotising Music: A Nack can hypnotise people with his mystic music. He uses it to drown humans who are enchanted to believe that the water isn't dangerous. The music also makes people dance, and they can't stop before sunrise or sunset. The music can make furniture dance. The Nack can teach this music to a human musician if he likes to. But the human will just play magically beatiful music, not with all the dangerous things that happens when a Nack plays it. The human might be able to get furniture dance, but not entice someone into drowning him/herself. The Nack will only teach male musicians.

Backahast chapeshange: A Nack can turn into a Backahast at will. As a horse he can become longer, so more children can sit on his back. But he cannot stray far from water.

Frailties

Waterbound: A Nack's home is the water and he can't go on land for very long. Furthermore, if someone throwes a stone verticaly in the water in which he lives, he he is tied up until sunset or sunrise (whichever comes first). If someone sticks a knife in the ground by the water, he can't pass the knife.

Curse of Drowning: A Nack has this weird passion for drowning people. They must drown themselves without any help and he only uses his magic music to do this.

Quote

"Come here little girl, and I'll play the violin for you..."