Draugen

Draugen are a species of Ghosts, that first appear in Chapter 2: The Draugen of the Hilda series. They do not appear in the graphic novels.

Origin
Draugen are spirits of sailors that died at sea. According to Wood Man they are doomed to stay at sea, sailing a ghost ship and remaining forever seperated from their loved ones. However, when Hilda encounters them, it turns out they voluntarily stay at sea because they prefer being Draugen over being regular ghosts, and they can return to shore if they want to.

Appearance
In many ways, Draugen look just like ghosts; transparent, humanoid beings, with transparent, spectral bodies, glowing skulls and their bones visible inside their bodies. Their ghostly bodies however are of a greenish color, while regular ghosts are bluish.

Like ghosts, they can fly and phase through solid objects. They prefer stormy weather and are thus unlikely to be encountered on a sunny day.

Trivia

 * Any sailor captured by Draugen has the right to challenge the Draugen for a race back to safe harbor, and shall be freed at once if he/she wins.
 * It is possible for Draugen to become regular ghosts again once they return to land.
 * The prototype of the draugen is most likely the creatures of the Swedish and Danish folklore Strandvaskare - the ghosts of the sailors who died in the shipwreck (The name of the spirit translates as "washed ashore"). It is believed that during a storm, you can hear the howling of the strandvaskare souls.
 * What is remarkable, the word Draug itself is translated from Icelandic as "ghost", but it means a revived dead man (like a zombie), and not just a disembodied spirit.‌
 * The concept of a haunted ship emerging in the fog is reminiscent of the legend of the Flying Dutchman and any other ghost ship.‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌