The Letesgubbe

“Letesgubbar” were mythical beings, who lived in the archipelago, often in Kökar, and who warned people of oncoming storms or other occurrences by banging walls, jangling and throwing objects.

Letesgubbar lived around fishing villages and were dressed in sealskin shoes, leather trousers, leather sweater and leather or knitted cap. They were short old men, who looked a lot like the ordinary elderly Kökar man. Letesgubbar were named after place where they were seen, for example the “Örgubben” or the “Skarvskärsgubben”.

“Leten” are a kind of fl oats used for herring nets. The word “lete” has been generally used in Åland and even in the archipelago east and west of Åland. The word seems to derive from the old Swedish word “lätte”, which means to lighten or to lift up. Some sort of explanation is offered by the siblings from Storanna in Överboda in Ulla-Lena Lundberg’s book “Kökar”: "We believe in letesgubbar, we have seen as well as heard them", they comment and continue: "When our mother was a girl in Skarvskär, there was always a lot of commotion in the salt-house when we expected much herring. Barrels were rolled about and pots were creaking. We could hear the “leten” being thrown about."