Are there any myths associated with the Northern Lights?

  • Norse mythology believed the lights were the reflections of the shields of the Valkyries.
  • In Finnish folklore, they are called “Revontulet,” which means “fox fires,” a result of a fox sweeping its tail across the snow.
  • Some Canadian Inuit tribes believed the lights were the spirits of the dead playing ball with a walrus skull.
  • Scottish folklore sometimes associated the lights with battles of dragons.
  • In some cultures, the lights were believed to be omens of war or famine.