Kittelsen continues to inspire young artists today, and we have invited an illustrator and animator in the fantasy genre to show Nøkken in a new way.

Did you know that Nøkken doesn’t just live in the pond? He shape-shifts and lures you in.

Nøkken is cunning. He hunts for human souls. When the sun sets, beware. He may lie in the large, shining water lily as you reach out for it. The moment you touch it, the swamp sinks beneath you – and then he grabs you with his wet, slimy hands.

– Theodor Kittelsen (1857-1914) about Nøkken

The Shape-Shifting Nøkken

Did you know that Nøkken can shape-shift? He doesn’t just live in the pond, according to Norway’s most famous fairytale illustrator, Theodor Kittelsen. Nøkken can lie on the beach as a strange, sparkling piece of jewellery, an abandoned fishing rod, or as an old barge, pulled halfway onto the shore. If you touch these objects, you become Nøkken’s prisoner.

Kittelsen and fairytales

This summer you can get to know the fairytale illustrator, who grew up in Kragerø. Visit his childhood home and experience Kittelsen’s artwork of Nøkken, brought to life through the eyes of animator and illustrator Ellen Marie Pettersen.