Beyond its connection to a legitimate holiday celebration, Midsommar was also inspired by a real Swedish myth about the "dark one." At the end of the film, Dani is told by an elder member of the community that the dancing ceremony is performed to protect them from a “dark one” with malevolent intentions.

Is Midsommar based on a real village?

Although there is a town called Hårga in central Sweden, the village shown in the film is fictional. Hälsingland is a region with a rich history, featuring museums that display violent depictions of ancient rituals from centuries ago.

What mythology is Midsommar based on?

A lot of what you're pulling from you've said, are from pagan influences and folk stories from Swedish history. MARTIN: We pulled from Sweden, northern Europe, some Viking stuff and some of our own fantasies. I'd say about four years or something like that.

Is there a message behind Midsommar?

Midsommar is essentially a two-and-a-half-hour study of one woman's emotional journey towards emancipation from a toxic relationship. The film has a happy ending, more or less.

Are the hårga real?

Seriously, plug it into Google and you'll find satellite images of the locale, seemingly rural, but not overtly occupied by a cheerily sinister community with a penchant for psychedelics. Hårga is indeed real, but the Hårga people, insofar as Aster conceived of them for his movie, are not.

MIDSOMMAR - 9 MIND-BLOWING Details You Missed | Netflix

Why does Dani smile at the end of Midsommar?

The Power of Manipulation Throughout Midsommar

In the end, Dani smiles at the memory of her past being set aflame, and we can't help but relate to the cathartic moment. Why? We shouldn't feel pressured to feel as if the perspectives presented are entirely right or wrong.

What does Sweden think of Midsommar?

Dagens Nyheter, one of Sweden's biggest dailies, described Midsommar as an "entertaining horror in a fantasy version of Sweden". "There is an exhilarating exoticism in Aster's film that has a specific entertainment value for Swedish spectators," it went on.

What does the bear symbolize in Midsommar?

Bears in Swedish culture represent evil and dishonesty. Christian's evil and dishonesty throughout the film is punished by him literally taking on the skin of a bear, and being sent to Hell. This is a horror movie, but the way it looks is very non-traditional to the genre.

Why was the girl crying at the end of Midsommar?

He's subsequently drugged, and in his altered state, Christian does indeed go through with the sex ritual, solidifying his severed ties with Dani. When Dani returns, she hears the ritual happening and witnesses Christian's infidelity. She runs out, horrified and sobbing — but this time, she's not alone.

Is Pelle in Midsommar evil?

Type of Villain

Pelle is the main antagonist of the 2019 psychological horror film Midsommar. He is from Halsingland, Sweden and a member of The Hårga.

What parts of Midsommar are real?

Some of the midsummer traditions in Midsommar are rooted in reality— dancing around a giant maypole, and wearing flowers in one's hair. But some of the more sinister activities are downright alarming, and it's hard not to wonder if they're concocted for the film.

What demon is in Midsommar?

Type of Villains

The Hårga are a Swedish pagan cult and the main antagonists of the 2019 film Midsommar.

What do the runes on Dani's dress mean?

The meaning behind the runes that we see sewn into Dani's Swedish clothes represent her move away from Christian and towards self discovery. According to an article published in The Week, the Radio (ᚱ) rune sewn into Dani's Swedish clothing means “journey” in the Nordic tradition.

How was Mark killed on Midsommar?

Midsommar Didn't Show Mark Being Flayed Alive

Mark finds the need to relieve himself by urinating on a sacred tree, causing a cultist to lead him away. It is not until later in Midsommar that his death by having his skin removed is revealed when an elder turns up wearing his face.

What is the scariest part of Midsommar?

The Big Picture

Midsommar's most terrifying scene doesn't involve gore — it's the haunting murder-suicide scene at the beginning of the movie.

Are the runes in Midsommar real?

Ancient Runes

These play an important role in the film, but, as Tidholm says, to his knowledge there have never been any runes associated with Sweden's Midsummer festivities. However, I did find some evidence of similar Norse runes in Sweden.

What mental illness does Dani have in Midsommar?

A potentially traumatic event death of Dani's parents and sister drastically transforms Dani, leaving her psychologically traumatized. Later on, Dani develops posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder caused by this distressing event.

Why was Connie killed on Midsommar?

Connie Was Drowned As A Tribute To The Element Of Water

While audiences see the physical bodies of every other character before the final scene, she does not reappear until the very end — in a wheelbarrow. Though her moment of death isn't shown on screen, it lends itself to the Midsommar four elements death theory.

Was Dani always meant to be May Queen?

Ultimately, Dani becomes the May Queen she was always destined to become and sacrifices Christian to complete the mid-summer ritual. The most unexpected element in the film is not his death nor is it her being crowned the May Queen, it is actually how many times Aster overtly foreshadowed these events.

Who was hanging in the chicken coop in Midsommar?

Simon and Connie decide to leave, however several cultists find Simon and torture him. They then take out his lungs and use them to turn Simon into a blood eagle. They stuff flowers into Simon's eyes as well and leave him in the chicken shack.

What are they eating and drinking in Midsommar?

In Midsommar, Dani Ardor (Florence Pugh) ingests hallucinogenic teas and is offered a full fish to swallow, while her boyfriend Christian (Josh Radnor) eats a pie with a pubic hair in it and drinks juice spiked with menstrual blood.

Why do they breathe weird in Midsommar?

The Hårga use breath to reinforce their insular group, to synchronize individuals, and to connect to outsiders like Dani. (Kenney also developed the sound of the "punctuation" breaths, Aster says.)

What is the bad scene in Midsommar?

In one scene, two elderly people willingly sacrifice themselves by jumping off a cliff in front of a crowd standing by. We a see the graphic impact of the woman's face hitting the ground and getting completely torn apart and then another graphic closeup of her extremely disfigured and torn apart face.

What was so traumatizing about Midsommar?

The depiction of the cult's rituals, such as the Maypole Dance and the Copulation Ritual, are disturbing and filled with sinister undertones, highlighting the unsettling nature of the story.

What does the ending of Midsommar mean?

The point of the sadistic fiery sacrifice at the end of Midsommar, as the commune leaders explain, is to purge the Hårga of its evil. This is somewhat ironic because, from the outsiders' perspective, time-tested traditions like taking a sledgehammer to the skulls of the elderly are what make the Hårga evil.