Wood Wives

By Crusader1307

A myth in Germany and Sweden ( where they are called "Skoggra"), The Wood Wives are vampiric creatures. They live in the dense and sparsely populated deep woods. They are seen as petite and always dressed in high fashion (depending on the Era). They have pale white skin with long fingers - and even longer, sharper nails. They prefer to "dine" on wayward hunters (drinking their blood). One way of "appeasing" a Wood Wive, is to offer her half of one's kill from the hunt. In a related myth, some Wood Wives use wheelbarrows. If a hunter finds a Wive with a broken barrow (and fixes it), any leftover wood chips or wood dust will transform into gold or gold dust (as payment in kind). Wood Wives by and large avoid human contact in great numbers (getting plenty of "food" from lost or disrespectful hunters). They abhor church bells - the ringing of such will drive them insane. The same is said for baked goods. Baking breads and such will attract Wood Wives. Once one "knows where you live", they will prey on the inhabitants. The best way to discourage them is to bake caraway seed into the bread. Wood Wives find caraway seeds disgusting and will NOT return to that particular home.