by Kristin Marie Skaar

"Let's start with Norway and trolls. Many Norwegian mountain formations have been given names and significance through legends and fairy tales," says geologist Tor Sigvald Johansen.

We walk through the stone collection at UiA's natural museum and botanical garden, which houses a diversity of rock types and minerals.

As Halloween and All Saints' Day approach, it's time to prepare: Beautiful formations have held value for humans throughout the ages – but have also been central to magic and superstition.

Perhaps you've heard of the legend from the Helgeland coast? The legend tells of Hestmannen (The Horseman) who chases Lekamøya and the Seven Sisters along the Helgeland coast. But when the sun rose, they were all turned to stone.

"The legend has probably come about because some of these formations are strikingly similar to trolls or simply humans in various postures," says Johansen.

The fascination doesn't stop at mountain formations. What is hidden inside the mountain – gemstones and precious metals – have for thousands of years been attributed both spiritual power and great value by doctors, priests, philosophers and astrologers.

"The Bible also mentions gold, silver and gemstones in several places. The Garden of Eden is adorned with ruby, jasper and other gemstones, and these were set in gold," Johansen relates.

The alchemists and the philosopher's stone

In the stone collection at the natural museum, we pass the metals copper and lead – which the alchemists tried to make gold from, along with mercury.

The alchemists represent a philosophical movement that emerged in antiquity and had its heyday in the Middle Ages. They held gold particularly high.

"They believed the sun controlled gold and that the moon controlled silver. Mars, who was also the god of war, controlled iron, and so on. The planets were given a sort of divine status," says the geologist.

According to the alchemists, there existed a substance they called "the philosopher's stone," which they constantly strived to create. It was a miracle substance that could grant eternal life and transform base metals into precious metals.

"It contained all four basic elements: earth, air, fire and water. Today we think it's all nonsense, but we shouldn't underestimate the significance the alchemists had for the foundation of modern chemistry with their experiments," says Johansen.

Silver against werewolves and vampires – and all evil

Johansen points to a piece of silver from Kongsberg Silver Mines, a historically important mining area in Norway.

"Silver is one of the first metals humans used, and has for millennia been a symbol of purity."

Silver occurs in nature both as silver sulphide and as pure metal, and has been a symbol of wealth and prosperity. In Western superstition, silver has long been regarded as a powerful weapon against evil spirits and supernatural beings. It's probably not without reason:

"Already in antiquity, they discovered that silver could kill bacteria. Perhaps these properties have fed stories about silver bullets being one of very few effective weapons against werewolves, vampires, witches and other evil beings."

Silver bullets as weapons against vampires recur in popular culture – such as the film Blade from 1998. Also in gaming, silver bullets and other silver weapons are effective against evil creatures.

"It's said that vampires don't have reflections, does that have something to do with silver?"

"This is partly explained by mirrors reflecting the soul, and the undead vampires lack souls. But in the past, mirrors often contained pure silver, which could then repel or harm evil beings," says Johansen.

Silver bullets are also found in Sámi culture, where the use of silver has been widespread: Komsekule, a jewellery piece with a silver ball, was hung on the komse (cradle) to protect the child from being switched by the underground beings. Today it is often given as a baptism gift.

Crystal healing and modern superstition

Magical stones are still popular. Wasn't there something about shaman Durek Verrett's magical medallion, which consists of crystal and supposedly can heal COVID illness?

In the stone collection at the museum, we've come to the crystal quartz:

"In today's crystal healing, they say that quartz and obsidian can heal illnesses, remove bad energy, release blocked energy or change a person's aura," says Johansen.

Crystal healing is an alternative treatment where crystals and gemstones are used to heal or provide energy. Johansen has himself encountered dedicated sections for crystal healing at geological fairs.

"People can believe what they want. I certainly can't vouch for the scientific basis in supernatural belief," he says.

But as a geologist, he can well understand why various interpretations have arisen, considering both shape and colour. Many crystals can also glow if exposed to the right light.

"It can help create mystique and a theory that there's special energy in the stone. If you shine UV light on certain minerals, they get a different aura and more vibrant colour. But this too can be explained by physical causes," Johansen assures.

Minerals and rocks – what's the difference?

Minerals are natural, solid substances with a specific chemical composition and crystal structure. Examples: Quartz, feldspar, calcite.

Rocks are the solid materials that make up the Earth's crust. They consist of one or more minerals. Granite, for example, is a rock containing the minerals quartz, feldspar and mica.

Metals are a type of element that conducts electricity and heat well. In nature, metals are often found in minerals – for example, silver is found in the mineral silver sulphide. Examples of metals: Gold, silver, copper, iron.

Gemstones are rare and beautiful minerals used for jewellery. They are hard, durable and often transparent. Examples: Diamond, quartz, ruby, sapphire, emerald.

Source: Store norske leksikon

Useful sources:

• On alchemy and symbols: Maurice Crosland (2004): Historical Studies in the Language of Chemistry. Dover Publications. Eric John Holmyard (1990): Alchemy. Dover Publications.
• On silver's magical properties: Rosemary Guiley, ed. (2011): "Silver", The Encyclopedia of Vampires & Werewolves. Checkmark Books, p. 313.
• On Norwegian legends: Finn Lyng (2005). Trollfjell i Nordland. Lyng Fabel og Fakta. ISBN 82-997187-0-8, Helge Ness (1978). Jutulhogget. Noregs Boklag. ISBN 82-522-0401-5.
• On minerals that can glow: Nature facts on the Natural Museum's website, with Tor Sigvald Johansen.
• On Sámi culture and silver: Silver use in Sápmi, Samiskeveivisere.no