Stallo

For the indigenous group of British Columbia, see Stó:lō.
For other uses, see Stallo (disambiguation).
An illustration from John Bauer's folktale Stalo and Kauras

In the folklore of the Sámi, a Stállo (also Staaloe, Stalo or Northern Sami Stállu)[1] is a large, human-like creature who likes to eat people and who therefore is usually in some form of hostilities with a human. Stallos are clumsy and stupid, and thus humans often gain the upper hand over them.[2]

The Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve contains the remains of ancient, large building foundations, considered by the Sami to be the remains of Stallo dwellings. There is also a huge stone placed on some small pebbles on top near Lake Giengeljaure named stalostenen, which literally means "the Stallo stone." Legend dictates that a Stallo would have placed a stone here to prove his strength.

  1. ^ HATT, EMILIE DEMANT, and Barbara Sjoholm. "Field Notes and Commentary". In: By the Fire: Sami Folktales and Legends. Minneapolis; London: University of Minnesota Press, 2019. p. 102. Accessed September 12, 2021. doi:10.5749/j.ctvfjcx2d.11.
  2. ^ Lars Levi Laestadius; Juha Pentikäinen & K. Börje Vähämäki (2002). Juha Pentikäinen (ed.). Fragments of Lappish mythology. K. Börje Vähämäki. Aspasia Books. p. 237. ISBN 9780968588192.