Wardbeasts are closely related to fylgjer and shaperunners. A wardbeast is a kind of protective spirit, in the shape of an animal, which wards a person against dangers and ill fortune. The animal is often, in one way or another, representative of its human's personality and nature.


Etymology
In Danish, wardbeasts are called "varedyr" or "vardyr" (variant spellings with identical meanings), which is a contraction of vare (verb meaning protect, guard, or watch over) and dyr (noun meaning animal). The name "varedyr" is occasionally used for church grims too.¹

I have not been able to find previous mentions of this creature in English sources. I decided to translate the name as "wardbeast" or "warding beast" because it carries a similar enough meaning, and retains the cadence of "varedyr."

Wardbeasts and fylgjer have more in common than not, but have played slightly different roles throughout time.² So while "fylgje" and "wardbeast" can be used as synonyms, I have decided to exclusively use "fylgje" when referring to pre-renaissance descriptions of this creature and its role in society, and vice versa. I have no particular reason for choosing the renaissance as the cut-off point, it just feels right.


Description
It is said that all people have a wardbeast, with which they are alike in mind, and which warns them of danger.³ It can take take the form of any animal, from bears and horses to mice and fleas.² It is only possible to have one wardbeast, and the shape of this beast reflects the kind of person you are.

At least two people are needed to find a person's wardbeast: A seeker, who wishes to find their wardbeast, and an overseer, who makes sure that the ritual is followed and that no cheating occurs.

The ritual is as follows:²

1. The overseer unfolds a scarf on a table.
2. The overseer folds the scarf once, diagonally, so it forms a triangle.
3. The overseer turns the fold of the triangle inwards, with the point pointing away from themself.
4. The overseer places a small carving knife or folding knife in the middle of the fold of the scarf.
5. All attendees confirm that the knife is within the scarf.
5. The overseer grabs the left and right corners and rolls up the scarf, around the knife.
6. The overseer asks the seeker for their full name and asks the seeker to name one animal - any animal that comes to mind.
7. The overseer grabs the knife (still within the scarf) with their right hand and moves it behind their back, at the same time saying: "Does [seeker's full name] have a [seeker's aforementioned animal] as their wardbeast?"
8. The overseer moves their left hand behind their back, grabs the knife (still within the scarf), and moves it back in front of them.
9. Step 7 and 8 are repeated three times. Then the knife (still within the scarf) is placed on the table and all attendees confirm that the ritual has been followed correctly and without no mistakes or cheating.
10. The overseer grabs the left and right ends of the scarf and unrolls it on the table.
11. If the seeker's wardbeast has been found, the knife will now be outside the fold.
12. If the seeker has not found their wardbeast, the knife will be in the same place as it was placed in step 4. Steps 5 through 10 are repeated as many times as it takes to find the seeker's wardbeast.

Many attempts can be necessary before a person's wardbeast is found. One story tells of a wife who went through so many animals that all attendees got bored and wanted to end the ritual. In the ned her husband suggested, as a joke, that they should ask if her wardbeast was a flea. This turned out to be the correct animal, and their was an uproar of laughter from the attendees. The wife got furious with her husband and scolded him. The husband told her that it was a fitting animal, since fleas always seemed to follow her around, even into bed, and that he was sad to see he would probably never be rid of them now. At this, the wife slapped her husband.²

Some omens are related to beliefs in wardbeasts, for example the idea that an inexplicable knocking on the door means a guest is on the way. It was thought to be the guest's wardbeast running ahead of them.²