Among the legions of evil and gloomy creatures living in the world of German-Scandinavian mythology, it is rare, but there are characters whose activities and behavior do not pose threats to ordinary people. There are relatively few such entities, some of them are seligens, which can most likely be attributed to light alves. Apparently, the seligens (or "forest spirits") appeared much later than the alves and, over time, formed their own community, obeying their own laws and living apart from their fellows. It is worth noting that these creatures are mentioned, for the most part, in Germanic folklore, in Scandinavian culture they are more often found, nevertheless, under the name of alves and are not distinguished as a separate species.
One of the spellings of the Seligen name is saligen, the word has no literal translation, but means something like "forest maiden" or "living in the forest." In the legends of the Germanic peoples, this is the name given to the spirits living in the forest thickets, whose main task is to protect the forests and the creatures living in it. Despite the fact that the zeligens more belong to the magical world, they may well be seen by a mere mortal. Before people, the "forest spirit" appears in the form of a barefooted long-haired blonde girl dressed in white clothes. According to legends, all Zeligens are exclusively female creatures.
"Forest maidens" are kind to people, have a cheerful, light, but at the same time, somewhat wayward character, characteristic of most magical creatures. They help forest dwellers to avoid meeting with hunters, eliminate traps, treat injured or sick animals. If the "forest maiden" likes the person she meets, she can teach him to distinguish healing herbs, she teaches women the art of knitting and sewing. In some sagas, cases are described when seligen helped peasants living near the forest to take care of the herd, harvest and manage the household. In addition, the "forest spirit" can lead a lost person out of the forest.
At the same time, seligens can be very touchy when it comes to their personal freedom. So, for example, they do not tolerate human touch, even accidental, especially if someone tries to touch their hair as a sign of friendship or gratitude. Also, Zeligens do not like swearing, shouting or quarrels that occur in their presence. Another interesting detail concerning only these creatures is that they consider it offensive to themselves if they are trying to transfer any clothes from hand to hand as a gift. A person who wants to thank the seligen for his help should leave a gift in some dark place - the "forest maiden" will take it herself.
With the onset of winter, seligen goes to their underground palaces, located somewhere in a deep forest thicket, as a rule, deep under the roots of mighty old trees. In the cold season, it appears on the surface much less often, because the forest falls asleep at this time.
They say that lately the Zeligens have begun to avoid meeting people and are seen much less frequently than in ancient times. Perhaps this is due to the gradual disappearance of this species of creatures of Germanic-Scandinavian mythology.
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