Good Evening Everyone and Welcome to Between Monsters and Men, today we will be searching for the Nixie
There are many versions of this incredible water spirit across Europe, but since these are different regions, their versions of this creature is varied as well. So to keep from the confusion and any accidental mix up, I am solely focusing on the Neck, or Nixie of Germanic mythology.
They go by a couple of names; Nix for the male counterpart, Nixie for the female mermaid counterpart but they are also sometimes called Neck. Variations of the word translates to "water elf," and the roots are more described as, "imaginary being supposed to live in the water; a water demon, kelpie or river horse." Since the Nix origin first appears in oral folklore it is hard to determine the exact origin. We can pinpoint a time period as early as 1180 to 1210, due to the Nix being in connection with the Danube from the German Epic Nibelungenlied.
Appearance:
The males can assume many different shapes including humans, fish, and snakes. The females bear the tail of a fish. When in their human forms, they can be recognized by the wet hem of their clothes. They are active during Midsummers Night, Christmas Eve and on Thursdays. Female nixies are like mermaids who entice humans into the water. But unlike mermaids, they are seldom good looking, having a wizened appearance, with green hair and skin. Males are most known to take on the appearance of a brook horse, their color white or apple-grey and they are far more beautiful than average horses. They still bear signs of their true nature; their manes are always full of river weeds and they are constantly dripping water.
Temperament:
They are portrayed as both malicious or harmless, depending the stories. Nixies lore men to drown, much like their mermaid counterpart, and males also lure victims, particularly pregnant women and unbaptized children, but his loring is very talented. He attracts them with his songs he plays on his violin, often looking like a young man dressed elegantly, and as they are attracted they become hypnotized. The Scandinavian Nachek were also male water spirits who played enchanted songs on their violin.
When the males are in their horse form, victims are often enchanted from their beauty. Wanting a ride from the celestial beast, they get on its back and it leaps into the water, ultimately drowning its victim - much like the kelpie of Scottish mythology. So what came first? Many wonder.
Abilities:
Nix, the male counterpart, are known for shapeshifting. Making it difficult for story tellers to get a true grip on what this creature can look like. Other than being able to turn into animals, humans, floating chests, etc, they have very musically talented. They can lure and hypnotize their victims or even, be so kind, as to teach a lucky student their skills.
Weaknesses:
Being a water spirit, they obviously can't survive without being near a water source, and apparently, speaking their real name can kill them. Other methods include, dropping silver or iron into their watery home. When in horse form, they are prone to trickery, usually being lured by a beautiful maiden, that leads them into a plowers field where they are cpatured and used to plow with a harness made of silver or iron.
After Catholicism came to western Europe, these sort of creatures were said to be warded off by Holy water or by making the sign of the cross.
Stories:
There are a few stories that mention Nixies or similar to Nixies. One famous Nixie derives from the 19th-century literature, Lorelei. According to the legend, she sat on the rock at the Rhine, which bears her name. There, she would lure fishermen and boatmen to the dangers of the reefs with the sound of her voice.
While in Switzerland, there is a legend of a sea-maid, or possible Nixie, that lived in Lake Zug.
The legend of Heer Halewijn, who was a dangerous lord, was said to lure women to their deaths with a magical song - people speculate that this legend originates from the Nixie legend as well, especially due to him being said to drown as many woman and has hung.
Little Facts:
-In Scandinavia there is a water lilie called, "Nix Roses." They are named from the tale of a poor fisherman who had a beautiful daughter. Nearby, there was a small lake with little fish, it was here where the poor fisherman had difficulties providing for his little family. One day, the fisherman was fishing, out of the blue, a nokken appears, the scandivania version of a nix, and offers the fishermen great catches of fish in condition that the fisherman gives him his beautiful daughter the day she turns eighteen. The fisherman agreed. The day of the girls eighteenth birthday, she went down to the shore to meet the Nokken. The Nokken asked her to walk down to his watery home, but instead, the girl took a knife and said to him, he'll never have her alive. She stabbed herself in the heart and feel into the lake, dead. Her blood colored the water lilies red.
-The modern Scandinavian names are derived from an old norse nykr, means, "river horse." This means, it is likely the brook horse preceded the personificant of the nix as the "Man int he Rapids."
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