What is a Fylgja?
In Norse belief, a fylgja (Old Norse: fylgja, “to accompany”) is a spirit that follows a person throughout their life. It can appear in dreams, visions, or moments of heightened awareness.
The fylgja is often seen as:
An animal form reflecting your nature (wolf, bear, fox, deer, etc).
A feminine spirit tied to luck, fate, or ancestral power.
A being that embodies both your hamingja (personal fortune) and your inner self.
A fylgja is not just a “spirit guide” in modern terms - it is deeply linked to your soul and destiny. To see your fylgja was considered a powerful omen.
How to Connect with Your Fylgja
There’s no one fixed method, but these practices are common:
Dreamwork: Keep a journal; many people first meet their fylgja in dreams.
Meditation / Journeying: Visualize yourself entering a liminal space (a forest, crossroads, cave). Invite the spirit that follows you to show itself.
Offerings & Respect: Treat your fylgja as you would an honoured guest - through offerings of food, incense, or time spent in nature.
Patterns in Life: Notice recurring animals, symbols, or encounters that feel significant - these may be your fylgja trying to make itself known.
A note of caution: traditional sources also mention that seeing your fylgja outside of dreams (in waking life) could foreshadow death. In modern practice, many people approach this with a more symbolic interpretation - as a sign of deep transformation or change.
Sources & Further Reading
The Saga of Erik the Red (mentions fylgjur in dream visions).
Eyrbyggja Saga and Laxdæla Saga (contain accounts of fylgjur).
Turville-Petre, Myth and Religion of the North.
Jenny Blain, Nine Worlds of Seid-Magic (modern Heathen perspective).
Blessed be, Wren 🌙
