Hamr (folklore)

In Nordic mythology and folklore, Old Norse: hamr (Danish: ham; Faroese: hamur; Icelandic: hamur; Norwegian: ham; Swedish: hamn), in later periods, mainly rural folk belief, is a shroud, shape, form, figure, in which the hug (Old Norse: hugr), the 'mind, spirit', could manifest itself outside the body during a dream or an ecstasy. It is further a form of magical transformation that occurs with shapeshifting. Such could be used for disguise or as a tool.

The word also exists in English as hame and heam, from Old English: hama, meaning "shroud, casing, covering, skin, membrane".

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