Northern lights in Björkliden.

Long before science could explain the cosmic forces behind light, people around the Arctic world wove fascinating stories to understand the fiery spectacle of the sky.

In the Sami culture and many other Arctic peoples, the Northern Lights carried a deeper and more serious message. It was often believed that the light was the appearance of the souls of the dead, and therefore the utmost respect was required. Whistling, laughing or shouting at the Northern Lights was considered to be life-threatening; you risked attracting the attention of spirits and, in the worst case, being carried away by the blazing light. The phenomenon also left its mark on Norse mythology, where the flickering lights were thought to be the reflections of the Valkyries' shining armor as they rode out across the night sky to bring fallen warriors home to Valhalla.

Further south in Europe, where the Northern Lights were only sighted during extreme solar storms, interpretations were often darker. When the sky turned a rare deep red, it was seen as an ominous harbinger of war, plague or great fires. Whether seen as a hopeful sign, a greeting from the ancestors or a warning omen, the Northern Lights have always reminded humans of our smallness in the face of the unimaginable forces of the universe. Even today, knowing the electrical discharges in the atmosphere, it's hard not to feel a whiff of the old magic as the glow begins its dance across the dark mountainsides of Björkliden.