Näcken

See also: nacken and Nacken

Swedish
The Nix playing his violin in the rapids.

Etymology

From Old Norse nykr, from Proto-Germanic *nikwiz-, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *nigʷ-.

Proper noun

Näcken c (genitive Näckens)

  1. (folklore) Nix; a water creature in human form who, amongst other things, could lure people to drown in his river by his wonderful violin play
  2. (literary) A (Nordic) substitute for Neptunus, Poseidon, god of the sea.
    Synonyms: Neptunus, Poseidon
    Coordinate term: Astrild
    • c. 1635, Ericus Johannis Schroderus, Dictionarium quadrilingue‎, quoted in SAOL, published 1948:
      Siögudens Neckens kännemärcke; Tre-uddade gaffeln.
      The sea god Poseidon's hallmark; The three-pronged fork.
    • 1844, Arvid August Afzelius, edited by Per Erik Svedbom, Läsebok för Sverges ungdom I, page 130:
      Djupt i hafvet, på demantehällen,
      Necken hvilar i grönan sal.
      Deep in the sea, on the adamant slab,
      Neptune rests in the green hall.
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