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huldra-thale
New horror movie Thale is a tale dredged from the dark depths of Nordic folklore — or should we say, a tail. Norwegian director Aleksander Nordaas' first full-length feature revolves around a mythical seductress called a Huldra who prances around with a swishing posterior appendage like that of a cow.
It's a girl. With a tail. What's not to like? Besides spawning all manner of bovine puns since the trailer appeared in 2011, Thale, which premiered Feb. 17 in Norway and makes its U.S. debut at South by Southwest this Friday, has been hailed as the next The Troll Hunter, another Norwegian film that drew on the region's penchant for mythical creatures.
Yes, Thale's title (pronounced "tal-uh") sounds like the words "tale" and "tail," but it's also a common Norwegian surname with German roots, says the 30-year-old Nordaas. "It has the meaning of 'noble air' — so it's something ancient, something that's been around a long time," he told Wired by Skype.
In the world of sci-fi and fantasy, tails and the creatures that wield them go waaay back. (Mermaids date back to Assyria around 1000 B.C.) Why are humans so fascinated by creatures with tails? On the one hand, fusing animal traits with people is weird. On the other, tails usually get you shunned from society, which is pretty relatable.
"If we attach a tail to someone who kind of looks like us, it kind of defines that character as something not human," Nordaas said. "And people are going to be interested in that."
Check out the gallery above to see a rather risque image of Thale's Huldra, plus some other pop-culture creatures best known for their notorious tails.
Blowback: What's Your Favorite Sci-Fi or Fantasy Tail?
We showed you ours, now you show us yours. What's your favorite tailed character from the sci-fi, fantasy or other pop-culture realms? Tell us in the comments section below.
