The northern countryside was quiet at night, broken only by the distant sound of cattle shifting in their stalls. The farmstead where young Lukas worked lay at the edge of an old pine forest, where stories of wandering spirits were as common as the frost in early spring.
Lukas had never believed such tales. He was strong, healthy, and too practical to be frightened by whispers about spirits of the night. His only concern was finishing the season’s work so he could earn enough silver to help his family. But as winter approached, something began disturbing his sleep.
It started with heaviness. Lukas would lie down after a long day in the fields and fall asleep easily, only to wake in the middle of the night with a crushing weight on his chest. His breath became thin. His limbs froze. A shadow hovered above him, vague and shifting, like the mist of cold breaths in the dark. When he tried to shout, no sound escaped his mouth.
Each dawn he awoke drenched in sweat, unable to recall the details except the pressure, the terror, and the sense of an unseen presence watching him.
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The other farmhands noticed his tired eyes and trembling hands. When he described the feeling, they exchanged uneasy glances. One muttered, “It is the Night Mare.”
Lukas scoffed. “A creature sitting on my chest? That is only a story for children.”
But the nights grew worse. The pressure became stronger, as if someone heavy knelt upon him. Once he felt fingers press into his ribs. Another time he sensed long hair brush across his face. He would wake gasping, feeling as though the very air had been stolen from his lungs.
At last he sought help from Marta, the village elder, a woman known for her knowledge of old northern traditions. Her cottage smelled of herbs and warm bread, and the walls were lined with charms carved from rowan wood.
After listening quietly, Marta nodded. “It is not uncommon in these lands,” she said. “Among the people of Germany and Scandinavia, tales speak of a Night Mare, a spirit that presses upon sleepers. It comes when boundaries are unsettled or when something in the home is disturbed.”
“But why me?” Lukas asked.
“There is always a reason. Spirits do not trouble the peaceful without cause.” She stood and took a deep breath. “I will come tonight to see for myself.”
That evening, Marta arrived at the farmstead with a small lamp and a satchel of protective herbs. Lukas lay in his bed, anxious but comforted by her presence. The other farmhands kept silent, watching the door as the cold night settled in.
Hours passed. Lukas drifted into sleep. Marta sat nearby, whispering soft words of protection. Then the room changed. The air tightened. The flames of the lamp flickered though no wind blew.
Lukas gasped. The pressure returned, stronger than ever. His chest collapsed inward as if pinned by an unseen weight. His eyes darted in panic.
Marta saw it. A pale shape gathered above him, almost human but thin as smoke. Its hair floated like strands of winter fog and its eyes were hollow shadows. It crouched low on Lukas’s chest, its fingers gripping his shirt.
With a firm voice, Marta commanded, “Release him.”
The spirit hissed, a sound like air leaking from frozen ground. It recoiled but did not leave. Marta rose and sprinkled herbs onto the floor. She traced a circle around Lukas’s bed and whispered ancient words passed down through northern households.
The spirit retreated, rising toward the rafters. Its form twisted like a frightened animal. As Marta stepped closer, it drifted toward the window and dissolved into the darkness outside.
Lukas inhaled sharply. The weight vanished.
When he sat up, trembling, Marta studied the room. Her eyes narrowed. “Something here drew it.”
She began searching through Lukas’s belongings. In his workbag she found an old wooden charm, cracked down the middle. Lukas blinked in surprise. “I found that near the forest path a few days ago. I picked it up because it looked interesting.”
Marta sighed. “That was not a charm for display. It was a warding seal. It once protected a resting place or a threshold. By removing it, you opened a path.”
Lukas swallowed hard. “I did not know.”
“The Night Mare came because the boundary was broken,” she said. “Spirits of oppression often slip through such places.”
She handed him the broken charm. “Tomorrow at dawn you must return this to where you found it. Place it on the ground and speak words of respect. The land remembers kindness.”
The next morning Lukas walked back to the pine forest. He found the exact spot where the charm had rested, hidden under a fallen log. Kneeling, he placed it gently upon the moss and bowed his head.
“I return what I took without understanding,” he whispered. “Let the boundary be whole again.”
A soft breeze rustled the trees, though the air had been still moments before. Something eased within him.
That night Lukas slept peacefully for the first time in weeks. No weight pressed on his chest. No spirit hovered above him. The farmstead felt lighter, as though an invisible shadow had finally lifted.
From that day on, Lukas respected the old customs. He listened to the elders. He walked carefully near the forest paths. And whenever he heard others dismiss tales of the Night Mare, he simply smiled. He knew the truth that rested between sleep and waking, where old spirits still wandered.
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Author’s Note
Night Mare traditions from Germany and Scandinavia describe a nocturnal entity that presses on the chest of sleepers. These beliefs explain experiences of sleep paralysis through spiritual cosmology and emphasize the need for balance and protection within the household.
Knowledge Check
-
What first disturbed Lukas’s nights?
A heavy pressure on his chest during sleep. -
What did the other farmhands call the spirit?
The Night Mare. -
Who did Lukas seek for help?
Marta, the village elder. -
What did the Night Mare look like when it appeared?
A pale, smoke like spirit with hollow eyes. -
What object caused the spirit’s visits?
A broken protective charm Lukas had unknowingly taken. -
How did Lukas end the haunting?
By returning the charm to its original place with respect.
