Paper short abstract:

In this paper, I aim to analyze how contemporary notions about a utopian past, the forest as an animated space and dreams of the future are expressed in the context of the tourist attraction The Enchanted Forest (Trolska skogen) in Sweden.

Paper long abstract:

The Enchanted Forest (Trolska skogen) is a tourist attraction in Hälsingland, Sweden. Families come there to experience an interactive fairy tale adventure and to meet creatures inspired by Swedish folklore. As they enter The Enchanted Forest the visitors, especially the children, are asked for help to save the forest for some sort of danger and are sent out on an adventure by one of the forest beings. On their way they meet different characters, played by actors or created by artists, for example: a wizard, the little people, a dragon, a witch, trolls, the elf queen and so on. The Enchanted Forest is presented as a place, at the same time physical and imaginary, where the forest itself has a soul, feelings and a consciousness.

In this paper, I aim to analyze how contemporary notions about a utopian past, the forest as an animated space and dreams of the future are expressed in the context of a tourist attraction. This will be discussed from an interdisciplinary point of view with theoretical set out from folkloristics, religious studies and literary studies but with special focus on a theoretical approach inspired by Christopher Partridge´s ideas of the correlation between re-enchantment and popular culture and Graham Harvey´s perspective on new animism.