The Rådare at Knavra Bro.

Stopped for a moment at Knavra bridge to have a look around. It is a beautiful stone bridge located in a natural reserve river valley. Beech trees, oaks, Hazel, and others embrace the river banks with a bright green embrace. The water was warm and my daughter wanted to stay for a while and play in the small side creeks.

So I had a look around to find out if this place had a Rådare, a guardian spirit. And, as if he heard my call, a man appeared on the other side of the river banks. Well, I don´t know what kind of man would look like that but this one was about 110 cm tall and almost as wide. He wore a strange hat on his head. Like a short top hat of some sort. His clothes had the colour of wet, stained greyish dark leather. After a short introduction, he asked me where I come from. Apparently, he had some grudge with people from the town I live in because he immediately withdrew mumbling something negative about folks from there. I get the sense he had trouble with these townsfolk before and thinks I am one of them. After assuring him of my good intentions and not being a part of town business, he returns to the river bank opposite me. Then he points to my daughter and asks me if that one is mine. - Yes indeed, I reply and in one single instant, the Rådare jumps the river and starts pinching my daughter's arm. - She looks quite tiny and weak, he says. Perplexed, I assure her she is quite sturdy for a modern kid her age. The Rådare scoffs and eyes her up and down. Then I recall that perhaps I should try and engage him in some kind of task for the thriving of this area. So I ask him if he can make people like this place as much as he does. He gives me a wondering look and I continue. - Well, you see people are not so aware of the beauty of this valley and how important it is to keep it clean. Maybe you could do something about that? Make them love it a bit more when they pass by? The Rådare gives me a slightly bewildered look and takes off. - Hey, perhaps you could tell some others that can at least, I shout out after him. From afar the voice of the Rådare reaches my mind: - I am already on my way. That was an excellent idea! How come I haven't thought of that earlier? And with that comment, he is gone.

Since only a few minutes passed I continue playing at the river banks with my daughter. After about 10 minutes the river suddenly changes the energy. A presence, warm and very loving, seems to emanate out of the river itself. It is definitely not the Rådare but the River herself. There is a slight pull towards to water. A bit too much actually. So I address the water and tell her that it would probably be bad if humans drowned because of their love to the river. One might expect her to having considered this, but no. The joyful and loving presence seems to consider this for a few heartbeats and then the pull lessens a bit. For someone who has not felt the presence of a spirit of this type it can be hard to understand the love stories of folklore between man and water spirits. They are absolutely magnificent, magnetic, cheerful and, since they have very little concern for the human body, possibly quite deadly.