

Other characters like the Dwimmerlaik and possibly the Great Goblin may be based on draugr too.


Although Glámr is an arguably marginal character to begin with, it is only after his fight with the first malignant spirit that the first spirit leaves the valley, and Glámr takes its place wreaking havoc. When Glámr arrives in the haunted valley in Grettis saga, "the previous evil spirits are relegated to the sidelines and, when Glámr is found dead, they disappear, whereas he takes over their role as ghost of the valley. However, unlike ghosts, draugr can also come about through infection by another draugr such as in the story of Glámr. This is easily understandable because, "selfishness is an important attribute of every ghost, and therefore it is no wonder that ghosts tend to be people who were troublesome during their lifetime". Ghosts and draugr refuse to follow the prescribed path of death, selfishly staying on Earth when they are supposed to move on. In many Western mythologies, ghosts are generally people with unfinished business or those who are so evil their spirit makes an impact on the place they lived. This is the prime way that draugr share characteristics with ghosts, since any person can become a ghost. If not dissatisfied or evil, they are unpopular".

As noted by Ármann, "most medieval Icelandic ghosts are evil or marginal people. Any mean, nasty, or greedy person can become a draugr. In most cases, the corpse is found in an upright or sitting position, and this is an indication that the dead might return. Just before Grettir kills him, Glámr curses Grettir because "Glámr was endowed with more evil force than most other ghosts", and thus he was able to speak and leave Grettir with his curse after his death.Īfter a person's death, the main indication that the person will become a draugr is that the corpse is not in a horizontal position. After a mundane battle, Grettir eventually gets Glámr on his back. He wrought such havoc that some people fainted at the sight of him, while others went out of their minds". After Glámr dies on Jól, "people became aware that Glámr was not resting in peace. One of the best-known draugr is Glámr, who is defeated by the hero in Grettis saga.
