Bäckahästen (The stream horse) is known for using its ethereal beauty and strength to lure children to climb onto its back and then drag them down into the dark and murky waters of streams and ponds. It does not matter how many children climb onto its back, for it always grows longer. Only by casting a piece of steel between the horse and the water can the spell be broken and the children saved.In Finnish mythology and folklore, Ajatar is an evil spirit called “the Devil of the Woods”, who manifests in the form of a snake or a dragon, and suckles spirits and spreads disease. She is variably described as the mother or daughter of the Devil.
