Näcken

See also: nacken and Nacken

Swedish

The Nix playing his violin in the rapids.

Etymology

From Old Norse nykr, from Proto-Germanic *nikwiz-, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *nigʷ-.

Proper noun

Näcken c (genitive Näckens)

1. (folklore) Nix; a water creature in human form who, among other things, lures people to drown in his river by his wonderful violin playing
2. (literary) A (Nordic) substitute for Neptunus, Poseidon, god of the sea.

   Synonyms: Neptunus, Poseidon

   Coordinate term: Astrild

   • c. 1635, Ericus Johannis Schroderus, Dictionarium quadrilingue‎^[1], quoted in SAOL, published 1948:

     Siögudens Neckens kännemärcke; Tre-uddade gaffeln.

     The sea god Poseidon's hallmark; The three-pronged fork.

   • 1844, Arvid August Afzelius, edited by Per Erik Svedbom, Läsebok för Sverges ungdom I, page 130:

     Djupt i hafvet, på demantehällen,
     Necken hvilar i grönan sal.

     Deep in the sea, on the adamant slab,
     Neptune rests in the green hall.

Related terms

• näck
• näcka

See also

• bäckahästen
• väsen

References

• näck in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• näck in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• näck in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)