Don’t Accept Food From E.T. - UFOs in Sweden
- Cristina Gomez
- Apr 18
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 25
In the quiet forests and rural landscapes of Sweden lies unexplained phenomena that bridges ancient folklore and modern UFO sightings. Fred Andersson, a dedicated researcher and ufologist from Sweden, has spent year investigating these mysterious encounters. What makes the Swedish paranormal landscape unique is how seamlessly traditional folklore about gnomes, trolls, and forest spirits intertwines with contemporary accounts of unidentified flying objects and enigmatic beings. Andersson’s work reveals a fascinating cultural continuity where witnesses often interpret their experiences through the lens of both ancient myths and modern conceptions of extraterrestrial visitors.
Andersson’s journey into paranormal research began in childhood when his mother gave him a book by Russian-Swedish author Eugene Semichov. However, his first profound personal experience occurred during a television production at a reportedly haunted cabin. He observed a solid black shadow figure peeking out from behind a very slim tree just a couple of meters away. The clarity of this sighting was unlike anything he had experienced before. This pivotal moment allowed him to directly relate to the experiences of the witnesses he interviews, adding personal insight to his professional research.
Gnomes or Aliens?
One compelling case Andersson highlights involves a farmhand named Helge who, centuries ago, encountered small bearded men speaking in an unknown language. These diminutive figures passed very close to him, about thirty centimeters away, before moving out to a field and entering a bright light hovering there. The light then flew upward into the sky. While Helge interpreted these as traditional Swedish gnomes, today such an account would likely be classified as an alien encounter.
Mushroom Shaped UFO
Another remarkable case was mentioned to Fred in a letter which involves a man searching for his lost cow who encountered what appeared to him as a giant mushroom standing on three legs. Tiny white creatures emerged from the mushroom and approached him. These beings telepathically helped the man find his cow. Andersson notes how fascinating it is that this encounter occurred long before the concept of flying saucers or mechanical crafts existed. Instead, the witness interpreted the object through familiar natural imagery — a mushroom — demonstrating how people throughout history have interpreted strange encounters using the vocabulary and concepts available to them at the time.
Man in a Bubble
Some of the most peculiar Swedish cases involve unusual modes of extraterrestrial travel. Andersson describes a young boy’s encounter with a transparent bubble containing a tiny man with a quite grumpy, almost mean face. This small entity held what looked like a staff, using it to push forward or steer the bubble. Intriguingly, Andersson later found a very similar case from the UK in the late 1970s, suggesting patterns that transcend national boundaries.
The recurring theme of grumpy, bearded small men in Swedish paranormal accounts likely has roots in traditional folklore. The cases Andersson discusses from the 1930s and 1940s emerged from a culture steeped in mythology revolving around gnomes, particularly the tomte — the small grumpy man who traditionally takes care of the farm. Andersson believes that when people encountered small men during this period, they saw what they expected to see based on cultural conditioning. Yet remarkably, such sightings continue to the present day, especially outside major urban areas. People throughout Sweden still have personal stories or family accounts of encounters with these beings.
Don’t Accept Food From E.T.
The similarities between folklore accounts and alien encounters extend to warnings about accepting food from these entities. In a case from 1979, a young girl encountered what she described as a shabby UFO with two tall, slim beings with pointy ears who emerged from it. One of these beings extended its hand, offering what appeared to be a piece of chocolate. The woman, following folklore tradition, did not accept the offering. Andersson connects this to fairy mythology, where accepting food from otherworldly beings risked being kidnapped or abducted into the fairy realm or otherworld.
The Swedish Men in Black
Sweden also has its own version of the “Men in Black” phenomenon, though with distinct cultural differences. Andersson believes these cases are less common in Sweden due to cultural factors. Swedish society doesn’t have the same level of paranoia or secrecy found in the United States or the UK. The country has a more open approach to information, resulting in fewer reported Men in Black encounters. One particularly striking case involves Åke Johansson, a contactee who claimed interactions with alien beings for many years. When Johansson died in an elderly care home, two men in black suits claimed to be his family and took all his UFO and alien-related materials before disappearing.
Andersson himself experienced an unsettling encounter while researching Men in Black cases. For an entire month, a strange man would stand outside his apartment asking for “Luam” — a word that Andersson later connected to Aleister Crowley’s channeled entity “Lam.” Every day, this man stood outside Andersson’s door, sometimes in the stairwell looking down at the door. Andersson and his partner became so accustomed to this presence that they would simply greet the man when returning home from work. This strange experience culminated in a series of synchronicities involving trolls. Months after the man disappeared, Andersson found a small wooden troll carving at the exact spot in the park where he had first encountered the mysterious stranger, following a day of peculiar troll-related coincidences.
Many cases are reported thirty or forty years after the actual experience. Many witnesses feared ridicule or being labeled mentally ill. Andersson estimates that among Sweden’s 10 million citizens, at least one million have experienced something unexplainable or out of the ordinary. In his role as both researcher and confidant, he provides a sympathetic ear for those finally ready to share their encounters.
From mysterious shadow figures to grumpy gnomes in floating bubbles, Sweden’s paranormal landscape offers a unique window into how cultural context shapes our interpretation of the unexplained. Fred Andersson’s dedicated research bridges ancient folklore traditions with modern UFO phenomena, revealing patterns that span centuries. Whether these encounters represent genuine contact with non-human intelligences, psychological phenomena, or something in between remains uncertain. What’s clear, however, is that Sweden’s forests and fields continue to harbor mysteries that defy easy explanation, connecting the modern world to ancient traditions through experiences that transcend time.
Sources
Northern Lights: High Strangeness in Sweden by Fred Andersson
https://fred-andersson.medium.com/hoaxers-and-experiencers-men-in-black-in-sweden-aa690f6ec6e0
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