The Gloson, the Glowing Sow
In Swedish folklore, a huge sow with glowing eyes and a back as sharp as a razor runs through the night. If it runs between your legs, it splits you in two.
What was reported
The gloson, the 'glowing sow', is a creature of Swedish folklore: an enormous, ghostly pig with fiery eyes and a sharp, saw-like ridge along its back. It was said to appear at night on roads and in churchyards, especially near crossroads.
It tried to run between people's legs to cut them in half. Some stories say it was the ghost of a sow buried alive under the church as a guardian, like the church grim of England.
Explanations offered
The gloson belongs to the same family as the church grims and spectral animals of other northern European traditions. Folklorists see it as a warning against being out alone at night, and as an echo of old customs of burying animals at church sites.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Skåne, Sweden
- Witnesses
- Swedish folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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