"The spider (lokken), the frog ('klossu') and the lady bug (Marie nyckelpiga) are sacred. To intentionally kill any of these animals is a great sin, for which you will be punished. Either by your cows giving blood [instead of milk], or in some other way.
Many people consider the frog to be a förhamning* of a person. You will find many similarities between human hands and the feet of a frog.
- When a ladybug lands on you, you would usually say 'Liten, liten piga, hvart vill du flyga, norrut eller sorrut, österut eller västerut?' (Teeny tiny maid, where will you fly, to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west?) Then you let it fly.
The dor-beetle (tordyvel) also belongs to the sacred or protected animals, and [it is believed that] people who harass them will be punished."
- Johannes Klockars, Skrock och vidskepelse bland Malaks allmoge
*Hamn = shape (in this context only). Förhamning means something like "the state of being in a hamn" Compare with Freja's cloak of feathers (fjäderhamn or fågelhamn in Swedish).
