Photo: L.G.foto / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

The woodcut (colourised AI version) shows Öland, with the southern part of the island on the left and the northern part on the right. The island’s layers of limestone are clearly depicted. The castle on Öland is Borgholm Castle. The mainland represents part of Småland. The two crossbows refer to Småland’s coat of arms, which features a lion holding a crossbow. The castles on the mainland are Kalmar on the left and Stäkeholm on the right. The crowned rock represents Blå Jungfrun, where witches were believed to meet the Devil.

From Olaus Magnus’s A Description of the Northern Peoples, 1555.

BLÅ JUNGFRUN – AN ISLAND OF LEGENDS

Rising from the waters of the Kalmar Strait, between northern Öland and the coast of Småland, Blå Jungfrun has inspired curiosity and imagination for centuries. Here, legends of witches meet traces of granite quarrying and a landscape protected as a national park since 1926.

Shaped by the Ice Age

The great ice sheet smoothed the island’s granite, giving Blå Jungfrun its rounded shape. Elsewhere, the ice tore away huge blocks of rock, leaving deep cracks and ravines. The cliffs and rugged terrain add to the island’s dramatic appearance.

Blåkulla and the sailors’ fears

Blå Jungfrun has long been associated with Blåkulla – the place where, according to Swedish folklore, witches flew to meet the Devil. As early as 1555, Olaus Magnus described how sailors avoided saying the name Blåkulla when near the island. They believed it could summon a violent storm, so they called the island “Jungfrun” – “the Maiden” – instead.

Another enduring legend says that anyone who takes a stone from the island will suffer bad luck until it is returned.

Linnaeus and the mysterious labyrinth

The Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus visited Blå Jungfrun in 1741 and described its natural surroundings and rugged terrain. He was also the first to mention the stone labyrinth Trojeborg in writing. It can still be seen on the southern side of the island. No one knows for certain who built the labyrinth, when it was created or why. Similar labyrinths can be found elsewhere along the coast and have been associated with rituals to bring good fishing and a safe journey home.

The granite that threatened the island

In 1904, permission was granted to quarry granite on Blå Jungfrun. Its beautiful pale red stone was sold under the name “Virgo” and exported mainly to Germany. Quarrying changed the island’s landscape and sparked protests. A donation from businessman Torsten Kreuger in 1925 made it possible to purchase the island and hand it over to the Swedish state. The following year, Blå Jungfrun became a national park. Traces of the quarries can still be seen today.

A boat trip from Byxelkrok

During summer, boat trips run from Byxelkrok to Blå Jungfrun. Visitors can walk among cliffs and deciduous woodland, discover the labyrinth and experience this legendary island for themselves. You can find information about boat trips and current departures on our page about the boat service to Blå Jungfrun.

Blå Jungfrubåten >