Old Scratch

A name for the Devil, similar to Old Nick. The names comes from skratta, an old Scandinavian word for a goblin or monster (in modern Icelandic, skratti, "devil").

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References

Sources

  • Cooper, J.C., ed. (1997). Brewer's Book of Myth and Legend. Oxford: Helicon Publishing Ltd.
  • Wright, J. (1904). The English dialect dictionary. Vol. 5. London: H. Frowde.