Slattenpatten and Her Daughters

From mountain trolls to sea shapeshifters, Scandinavian folklore teems with strange beings. But only Denmark's southern Zealand region can claim Slattenpatten, a long-breasted, motherly creature of moors and rivers, whose name — no polite way around it — means “Floppy Tit.”

Once a beautiful elf-maiden, she’s now a giant troll-like crone, her breasts hanging to her knees. She swings them over her shoulders — whether fleeing from kings and Norse gods or feeding the children she carries on her back. Some stories say she lingers by streams, letting her breasts dip into the water to nurse amphibious newborns — an odd yet potent symbol of fertility.

Slattenpatten is especially drawn to young men, often seeking them out as they sleep outdoors. Though most would recoil from her hideous appearance, legends say that those who willingly lie with her are rewarded with magical powers drawn from her potent breast milk.

In 2010, her legend took modern physical form when sculptor Bjørn Nørgaard unveiled a 10-foot (3-meter) bronze fountain in the southern Zealand town of Næstved, titled Slattenpatten & Hendes Døtre (“Floppy Tit & Her Daughters”). The fountain, with its sagging breasts and mythic flair, stirred debate — some called it grotesque, others hailed it as a bold tribute to local folklore.

Nørgaard took inspiration from a 1660s woodcarving by Abel Schrøder the Younger, which depicts Slattenpatten as a support pillar in Vejlø Church near Næstved.