Skarvberget — Trolls, Wights and Wraiths Said to Cause the Accidents on the E4

Gävleborg · Sweden

Skarvberget — Trolls, Wights and Wraiths Said to Cause the Accidents on the E4 — Gävleborg · Sweden

The E4 through Ödmården north of Gävle is a road with a reputation. Accidents have plagued the stretch for decades, and some say there is a very unusual explanation for why this particular spot is so accident-prone.

Skarvberget — where trolls are blamed for the crashes

The E4 motorway through Ödmården, north of Gävle, is a road with a reputation. Accidents have struck this stretch for decades, and some hold that there is a highly unusual explanation for why this particular place is so prone to them. According to local legend it is not chance that decides what happens on the road, but the supernatural beings said to have lived there long before the asphalt was laid.

Accidents and strange events at Skarvberget

Skarvberget, a rest area along the E4, has become a place of both myth and misfortune. The records hold reports of cars suddenly catching fire while being driven, of drivers struck by mysterious illness, and of an over-representation of punctures and technical faults.

So what causes these strange events?

The trolls warned against the road

When the E4 was rebuilt during the 1980s, the Swedish Transport Administration received several letters from a troll woman in the forest warning against building a road across troll land. She claimed that those who disturbed the place would be struck by misfortune. There was also talk that the vittror — invisible beings said to live beneath the ground — were angered that their homes were being destroyed.

Tomtar and the little folk making mischief

Some believe the accidents happen because tomtar and vättar, the small folk of Swedish folklore, are playing tricks on drivers. It is said that if you fail to show respect to these beings, they can cause trouble — and what could be worse than a motorway cutting straight through their land?

The White Lady at the crash barrier

As if vättar and vittror were not enough, there is also a ghost story attached to this stretch of the E4. The White Lady, said to have previously haunted Oslättfors Manor, moved her activities to the motorway after the manor burned down in 1935. Since then drivers have described a woman in white standing by the crash barrier — sometimes so convincingly real that they have swerved in panic.

Is there a natural explanation?

The Transport Administration naturally dismisses all theories of supernatural causes. It points instead to the construction of the road, the short overtaking lanes and the old-fashioned camber. That does not stop local people from believing the old legends.

So the next time you drive the E4 through Ödmården, keep your eyes open. You never know what invisible forces are waiting at the roadside.

FAQ

Where is Skarvberget — Trolls, Wights and Wraiths Said to Cause the Accidents on the E4 located?

Skarvberget — Trolls, Wights and Wraiths Said to Cause the Accidents on the E4 is in Gävleborg, Sweden.

More haunted places in Gävleborg

Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.