The Blue Maiden

Småland · Sweden · Natural site

This is where the witches flew on Maundy Thursday. And whoever takes a stone from the island has bad luck until it is returned – the council gets parcels every year.

In the middle of the Kalmar Sound a bare granite dome rises out of the sea. The island is called Blå Jungfrun, the Blue Maiden – for a long time people avoided saying the name outright – and in folk belief this was where witches flew on Maundy Thursday night to hold sabbath with the devil. It counts as one of Sweden's most legend-haunted places and became a national park as early as 1926. The most persistent belief concerns the stones: anyone who takes a stone from the island is struck by misfortune, and the run of bad luck only ends when the stone is back. So every year Oskarshamn council receives parcels of stones from unhappy visitors, with requests to return them to the island. Up on the bare rock lie labyrinths and grinding grooves, and the caves in the southern cliff run straight into the mountain.

FAQ

Where is The Blue Maiden located?

The Blue Maiden is in Småland, Sweden.

More haunted places in Småland

• The Dog That Leapt into the Grave, Locknevi Småland · Cemetery
• The Evil One in the Smithy, Malmbäck Småland · Haunted site
• Sven the Fiddler and the Promised Girl, Mulseryd Småland · Site of legend
• Ghost Hotel Gasten (Liseberg) Västra Götaland · Amusement park
• The Strange Herdsman with Hooves, Knäred Halland · Site of legend
• The Protective Circle at Gammelstad Church Norrbotten · Church
• The Evil One as a Servant, Västra Tunhem Västergötland · Site of legend
• The Money and the Bones in Halvard's Cottage at Dalby Värmland · Site of legend

Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.

Image: Geological Survey of Sweden SGU from Sweden · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons