Key to Midsommar’s 16 Affekt Rune Symbols explained (never before seen!)

In Midsommar, the Hårga have their own special language, 16 runic symbols they use as “emotional sheet music.” In Hårga, these Affekts are used in art, clothing, architecture, food, the table layouts, wood and stone carvings, on the maypole, and many more places.

The Affekts were carefully crafted for the movie, and are a melange of folklore, historical fact, tradition, and invention.

Through our research into the film, Novum https://www.reddit.com/user/Mirilliux/ and I were independently entrusted with a key to the Affekt symbols, and we would like to share it with all of you.

We received this from Henrik Svensson, producer of the film, and Martin Karlqvist who is the originator of the idea of Hårga and who played Ulrik in the movie. https://www.reddit.com/r/Midsommar/s/ZE3ZEThhxt

I'm releasing this in conjunction with Novum and if you'd like to hear more about the Affekt language and how it applies within the film you can check out his complete guide video here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZQv1_oosZg

⚘ BEHIND THE SCENES: THE ROLLING PIN ⚘

The attention to detail in Midsommar is astounding. Just look at this rolling pin!

The "Affekt Language" of the Hårga was created, a mysterious combination of emotional signals, spoken words, and runes. Then, the Affekt runes were designed and given meaning. Then, the symbols were combined in a beautiful pattern with an idea of placing them onto the top of a tart. And a craftsperson actually created a real rolling pin with the beautiful Affekt pattern and placed it within the cooking house on set. 

Nille Svensson said:

In the beginning I started thinking about how you could develop a runic system for the Hårgas that wasn't ”viking runes”. We had a meeting with the choreographer on the film Anna Vnuk, and she sent me some YouTube clips from her Midsommar workshops, where she developed [the Hårgas’] movement and dances. I thought there were some interesting arm movements that looked a bit like calligraphy, so we used that to develop the alphabet system. It made sense that the characters would allude to both wording and movement, since the affect language sort of exists on both symbolic and performative levels. 

Nille Svensson

Nille Svensson

Zoe Hegedus

This rolling pin is barely seen in the final cut of the movie, but it's an example of the depth of meaning that has been created and built, to make the Hårga feel real. A humble rolling pin! It's so beautiful. 

I'm going to specifically name some people who were involved in the creation of this, and I'm sure there are many more who were involved whose names I do not know. 

Martin Karlqvist, consultant, co-creator of Hårga

Henrik Svensson, production designer

Nille Svensson, art director 

Zoe Hegedus, food designer

Ari Aster, writer and director

⚘ BEHIND THE SCENES: HAIR PIE DINNER ⚘

 

Jarl, Valentin, Irma, Ulrik, Dagny

posted by Anders Back (Valentin) @andersback.actor

⚘ BEHIND THE SCENES: THE FIRE ⚘

 

Posted by @brigiszakal

⚘ MEET THE HÅRGANS: INGEMAR ⚘

 Here is Ingemar.

Ingemar is introduced to us as Pelle’s “brother” and best friend since they were babies. I believe the Hårgas use the word brother for people who are raised together but may not literally have the same exact parents. Ingemar starts right off with some gaslighting… when he is introduced to Pelle’s visitors he subtly pretends he isn’t sure of all their names, as if he isn’t well prepped as to exactly who they are, especially Dani. He continues this when Dani is mockingly laughed at by a group of Hårgans during her bad trip, and he insists both that they weren’t laughing and they were already laughing.

Ingemar is a valued member of the Hårga - and notice, when he enters the village he makes a beeline to embrace Ulf. Yet Ingemar seems to be less of a golden child than Pelle. Ingemar’s pilgrimage was on a farm, rather than a cushy graduate academic program. And the two visitors Ingemar brought might be considered of lesser value to the Hårga who greatly treasure their Nordic bloodlines - visitors good enough for sacrifice but not contributing their genetic material. It turns out that Ingemar was interested in Connie, but was unnoticed by her. Perhaps it was partly for revenge that he brought Connie and Simon to be sacrificed. His expression is chilling when Connie and Simon kiss each other.

After the ättestupa ceremony, Ingemar innocently pretends to be surprised his friends are horrified. He acts like they are committing a transgression with their normal reaction. In the end, after his visitors are murdered, Ingemar, along with Ulf, volunteers to be sacrificed in the fire temple ceremony. What an honor! While his bestie Pelle is given a victor’s crown of laurel leaves and presumably ends up living happily ever after with the May Queen. It seems that, to the end, Ingemar was a faithful Hårgan who carried his beliefs with him even as he was burned alive.

Ingemar is performed by Hampus Hallberg

I encourage you to add your own comments here about this character (including any corrections to mistakes I may have made) or any parts of Midsommar you would like to discuss

⚘ MEET THE HÅRGANS: IRMA ⚘ RIP ANKI LARSSON

 Sad news today, Anki Larsson, who performed the role of Irma in Midsommar, has passed away at the age of 67. https://www.tellerreport.com/life/2021-08-30-%22saltön%22-actor-anki-larsson-dead.ByUimqZ5Zt.html

Here is Irma

Irma is best known in the movie for her direction and narration of the May Queen dance. She is also a leader of the Hårgas and seems like a bit of a busybody, pretending to dry a dish in order to eavesdrop, and peeking at Christian through the slats of the chicken coop.

Irma is performed by Anki Larsson (Rest In Peace)

I encourage you to add your own comments here about this character (including any corrections to mistakes I may have made) or any parts of Midsommar you would like to discuss

⚘ MEET THE HÅRGANS: FELICIA ⚘

Felicia is a beautiful Hårga woman who is an expectant mother. Felicia is performed by Alexandra Lancz 

From the script:

SIV You must understand it as a great joy for them. And when it is my turn, it will be great joy for me.

We view life like a circle. Yes? A re- cycle. One thing falls and another raises. The first lady who jumped: her name was Ylva. Yes?

Siv points to a PREGNANT WOMAN:

That baby, who is not yet born, will inherit this name and also be Ylva. And if it’s a boy, he will take the name of Dan.

⚘ BEHIND THE SCENES: MARK'S SKIN ⚘

Midsommar behind the scenes: In case you weren’t sure who that was wearing Mark’s skin… it’s Ulf! Performed by Henrik Norlén. Photo found on Instagram of Ezster Takácz who was an art director on the film.

⚘ Behind the Scenes: Hårga Family Photo ⚘

Jarl - Tomas Engström

Inga - Julia Ragnarsson

Mats - Lennart R. Svensson

Hanna - Louise Peterhoff

Arne - Anders Beckman

Dagny - Agnes Rase

Siv - Gunnel Fred

Maja - Isabelle Grill

Ulrik - Martin Karlqvist

Ulrika - Rebecka Johnston

Ulf - Henrik Norlén

Karin - Anna Åström

Irma - Anki Larsson

Ingemar - Hampus Hallberg

Evert - Maximilian Slash Tiger Marton

Sten - Lars Väringer

Majvor - Tove Skeidsvoll

Patrik Andersson - Producer and concept co-creator

Photo Credit: Gabor Kotschy

Many thanks to Maximilian Slash Tiger Marton for helping me fill in the rest of the names on this photo. 

⚘ Artwork in the Movie: Girls Picking Flowers ⚘

This is one of those details in the movie that is truly delightful.

In a scene in Dani's apartment, you can barely see a painting peeking out behind Christian when he enters the room. But the painting name is in the movie credits, so I managed to track it down...

It's by the artist František Kupka and it's called "Femme cueillant des fleurs" which translates into English as "Woman picking flowers"

When you see it, you SEE IT!!!

The same artist also did the moon painting on Dani's wall which I will cover in another post. 

⚘ Meet the Hårgans: Ulrik ⚘

Here is Ulrik! He is a distinguished gentleman. Ulrik is portrayed by Martin Karlqvist, who not only acted as this member of the Hårga, but he is a psychologist who is one of the original creators of the idea of Midsommar! From an interview with Midsommar producer Patrik Andersson:

Can you tell us more about how the idea of Midsommar came to be and the development, production, etc?

I had the ambition of making a very ambitious Swedish folk horror. Much on par with "The Wicker Man", yet from the Swedish perspective as we have such an iconic Swedish pagan remnant in our Midsummer traditions. Me and my childhood friend Martin Karlqvist started to develop the idea and set out some frames for it. We wanted it to be clearly psychedelic as the genre of folk horror in itself has an even bigger luster when you go towards the world of "Valerie and her week of Wonders" for instance, and we clearly needed a myth, a philosophy and a community that took this into something completely new, yet with a rich and true background into Swedish and Scandinavian history. So we started to construct the world of the Hårga's. Deep into it we knew we needed and wanted an American writer (given that the lead characters coming to Sweden where from the US) who clearly knew how to challenge the genre and make it into something richer and new. Through LA liaisons, we managed to get in touch with writers and I got my hands on the "Hereditary" script. Ari's talent was immensely obvious. Ari was eager to make something in Europe and specifically in Sweden, being a huge fan of Ingmar Bergman and Roy Andersson. So he came. A number of times. For research together with our production designer Henrik Svensson, celebrating Swedish midsummer and of course road-tripping to Hälsingland. Ari's take on the story and world was of course connected to the huge break-up-story that is the main arch and heart of the film and he brought Dani as the guiding light into the story. And we just loved it. This made it into something new, even though being in the world of a folk horror film we had a new way into the genre.It took us years and years to make the film happen after the script was completed. Mainly due to the ambitions of the film and that we really wanted to this on an unprecedented scale from a Swedish perspective. Ari managed to step into production of "Hereditary" and the success of his first film gave us the possibility to make our film as A24 who had been tracking the project for a long time as they were the distributor of "Hereditary", gave us the means needed to greenlight. We shot the film in Hungary due to many reasons, yet mainly ability of building the complete village of the Hårga's within our time-frame and also having less unstable weather for continuity reasons. Since the film is taking place almost completely in daylight and outdoors, this was a big thing. 

⚘ Meet the Hårgans: Mats ⚘

The truly evil Mats. He is the hammer boss, the roofie giver, the bear butcher, and the fake comfort pusher. In the director's cut, it's said that he did his pilgrimage as doctor. Mats is performed by Lennart R. Svensson  who kindly pointed out: "And he is making the drugs! Can you spot the scene were he has the mortlar and testing herbs?" Yes! 

⚘ Behind the Scenes: Florence Pugh describes the group crying scene ⚘

Today on Instagram, Florence wrote:

Swipe right for deep info on a simple but beautiful pic.

Truly, these women made this scene possible. It was TERRIFYING. As terrifying as it was to watch, it was to read and know we had to do it.

I love these girls so much. I’m not a big crier, so going through that with them was true safely and love and respect. It only happened because I had them.

Funny fact- I lost my shoe every time I crawled off the bed and worried that the camera could see a dirty muddy espadrille sweaty foot in the background.

Thank goodness that wasn’t the case...

Fun fact no.2, everytime we cut there were at least two hands around all of our rib cages, holding each other as we sobbed. #midsommar

Dani’s sisters in Hårga:

Hanna - Louise Peterhoff @louisepeterhoff

Dagny - Agnes Rase @agnesrase

Karin - Anna Åström @annaastrom2

Majvor - Tove Skeidsvoll @toveskeidsvoll

Kajsa - Kati Dombi @kattidombi

Ulla - Liv Mjönes @mjonesliv

Inga - Julia Ragnarsson @juliaragnarok

⚘ Meet the Hårgans: Jarl ⚘

We first spot Jarl in the field outside of the village. Pelle explains that he, along with Ulrika and Majvor, are "younger people from my village. Everyone’s returning from their trips outside." Jarl is the one who lies to the group that he drove Connie to the train station to meet Simon. He also places Mark's skinned corpse into the fire temple. Jarl is performed by Tomas Engström.

⚘ Meet the Hårgans: Sten ⚘

Meet Sten, who likes to stand up and give a speech. He seems to place great importance on traditions and rituals of the community. (He also sings a song in the Director’s Cut!) Sten is performed by Lars Väringer.

⚘ Meet the Hargans: Odd ⚘

Father Odd welcomes the visitors to the village and receives a compliment from Dani about the dress he's wearing. Later, he upsets Connie by telling her Simon left without her. In the chicken coop, Odd blows some powder into Christian's face leaving him paralyzed. Odd is performed by Mats Blomgren.