Vættir .....

Carvings of wights, by Michael Eli
with magickal input from savanna.

The Old Norse term vættir and its english cognate wights
literally mean 'beings' and relate etymologically to other forms
of the verb to be, like was and were.
Vættir and wights normally refer to supernatural 'beings',
especially landvættir (land spirits)
Landvættir (land spirits) are chthonic guardians of specific grounds,
such as wild places or farms. When Norse seafarers approached land,
they reportedly removed their carved dragon heads from the bows of
their longships, so as not to frighten and thus provoke the landvættir to
attack, thereby incur bad luck from them.