Tale of the North Wind was a larp event inspired by Nordic folklore, run in May 2019. Over the course of 24 hours, the participants would portray pre-written characters in the form of 14th-century villagers, living in a close-knit society, where historical gender roles were in place. The event ran in two versions, one adult-run, which explored the darker side of the old Nordic fairy tales and folklore, and one family-run for participants of all ages. The themes of the larp were ‘village life’ and ‘fear of the unknown’, and in balancing the two we sought to create a dark fairytale. 

In the world of Tale of the North Wind, the creatures from Nordic folklore were real. They were just as powerful, magical, dangerous and morally grey as in the old stories. And they came. Nordic folklore was used as an umbrella term for the folklore of Sweden, Norway, Denmark. Influenced by Norse mythology the folklore was a result of its interaction with a new faith during the Christianization of the Nordic countries; the myths and stories were altered to fit new beliefs. The folklore creatures became sensitive to crosses and church-bells, and some of the less benevolent ones even became linked to the devil. However, the essence of the original creatures remained, both in their name, looks, culture and behaviour. At this larp, we explored the tales of ordinary humans interacting with these legendary creatures.