00:09The ultimate dream of a Viking warrior was to enter Valhalla, the majestic realm of heroes, warriors and mighty chiefs,
00:18who died heroic deaths in battle.
00:21But not everyone could enter the great Valhalla. Warriors who would deny dentry, or perhaps, those who simply refused to
00:31die, restlessly roamed their burial mounds, solely driven by the intense desire, to live again.
00:38You see, the will of the Norse is very strong, strong enough for any Viking, who intensely willed, to draw
00:47their life force back to their own dead body, reanimating it, so they can walk amongst the living again.
00:54They become the walking dead, the draug, appearing from the graves, as wisps of smoke, with the strong stench of
01:04decaying flesh, wreaking havoc, wherever they go.
01:11The draug, is an undead, and horrifying creature, that dwells near graves, in Norse mythology, the restless ghosts, or phantoms
01:21of dead Vikings.
01:22These horrid creatures, are known by other names, such as, the revenant, the undead man, draugr, driga, or draugr.
01:33They are reanimated corpses, that live in their graves, often guarding treasure, buried with them, in their burial hound, or
01:41looking for a victim, to torture to death.
01:44The draug, possesses ethereal abilities, such as superhuman strength, and can increase their size at will.
01:52They slay their victims, in many crude ways, which includes, crushing them, while in their gigantic forms, devouring their flesh,
02:01and drinking the blood.
02:03It is thought, that this is how the draug sustains its decaying body.
02:09The more victims the draug kills, and covers their life force, by consuming their flesh, and blood, the longer it
02:16lives, in the land of the living.
02:19Without doing this, the draug's body, would eventually rot away, and it would die a second, and permanent death.
02:27Draug, are also able to shapeshift, into various creatures, like a seal, a great flayed bull, or a grey horse
02:35with a broken back, but no ears or tail.
02:39They would shapeshift, into the form of a cat, that would sit upon a sleeper's chest, and grow steadily heavier,
02:46until the victim suffocated.
02:49Animals, that ventured, near any graves, inhabited by the draug, were said to be driven mad, by the control, and
02:57power of these evil mythical beings.
03:00They were known to destroy livestock, by running the animals to death, while either riding them, or pursuing them, in
03:07some hideous form, to frighten them.
03:10Like many other ancient civilizations, the vikings, did not consider death, to be the end to a person's existence.
03:18They believed in an afterlife, which sometimes, seemed as real, as the reality, people lived in.
03:26Of course, the draug, did not only apply to Norse warriors, the non-warriors, and villagers, could also become draug,
03:35after death.
03:36After a person's death, the major indication, that the person will become a draug, is that the corpse, is not
03:44in a horizontal position, or the corpse, is found in an upright, or sitting position.
03:50That is to say, that if the corpse, is found, in either of these awkward positions, it indicates, that the
03:58dead might return.
04:00Another way to check, if a corpse, is on the verge, of becoming a draug, or is still human, is
04:06by checking, if blood came out of a wound.
04:10Any commoner, who was mean, nasty, selfish, or greedy, could become a draug, when he dies.
04:18The draug, shares a few characteristics, with ghosts.
04:23Like ghosts, the draug, can be people, with unfinished business, or those who are so evil, their spirit makes an
04:30impact, on the place they lived.
04:33Like ghosts, the draug, can be people, who refuse to follow, the prescribed path of death, selfishly staying on earth,
04:42instead of moving on.
04:44However, unlike ghosts, a draug, can create another draug, by infecting another corpse.
04:53And unlike ghosts, draug, have bodies, although rotten, and emaciated.
04:59In addition, a draug, can be created, by a curse.
05:04You will always know, when you are near a draug, or its grave.
05:09The air, will be foul, with the unmistakable stench, of decay.
05:14So strong is their stench, that they say, it can bring even the strongest person, to their knees, retching.
05:24Draug, were also said, to rise from their graves, in the sea.
05:29These, were the undead versions, of sailors, and people, who drowned at sea.
05:36To prevent the return, of dead vikings, scissors, or iron, were placed on their chests, along with bits of twigs,
05:44hidden in their clothing.
05:46Their big toes, were tied together, and needles, were driven through their feet, to keep them from walking again, once
05:54dead.
05:56Another method, was the corpse door, where a special door, would be built, for which the corpse would be carried,
06:02feet first, with people surrounding it, so the corpse couldn't see, where it was going.
06:08The door, was then bricked up, to prevent a return.
06:15The door, was then bricked up, to prevent a return.
06:20The door, was then bricked up, to prevent a return.
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