LET’S TALK: MYS – WHAT IT IS AND WHY IT MATTERS

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Right, let’s settle in with our favourite brew and talk about mys. In the wild and woolly world of pirate lore and Scandi culture, mys is a haven. Picture a small, snug cabin on the ship where the warmth of flickering lanterns plays on timeworn wood and stacks of well-thumbed books. It’s where the salty sea air mingles with the comforting aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls, where the sea shanties are hummed rather than roared, and where our worries can be stashed away like hidden treasure for a while.

Mys isn’t just a physical space, though. It’s a state of being – a mental hideaway you can slide into when the storms grow turbulent. This is perhaps even more important for our beloved Bears, who bear (pun wholly intended) the weight of their responsibilities like an anchor across their shoulders. They need mys not just as a place but as a practice – a momentary respite where they can indulge in life’s simple pleasures. You know, like a sip of rum, a good read, a cuppa tea and your favourite snuggler.

While I admit to being a bit of a solitary mys-pet who wants to start and end each day with a good long mys in Sir Bear’s arms or lap, we (Scandi people) don’t tend to be stingy with it. Creating mys-moments to share with family and friends is akin to divvying up the spoils of plunder on the ship. Caring is sharing, innit.

So, the next time the winds howl and the currents are pulling you down, remember that our mys-haven is always there, like the North Star, guiding us back to a place of comfort, peace, and – if you’re a pirate at heart, like me – perhaps even a touch of maritime magic.

I have a few articles about mys in practice coming up, so watch this space if the concept of mys resonates with you and you want to be inspired to mys more. It’s not just for special moments – it’s a lifestyle.

Linnea Lucifer is the Captain of the imaginary, yet very real, pirate ship Resilience and her merry crew of indie authors and omnivorous readers. But that is not all – amateur liar, weaver of stories, peddler of merch, lifelong spoonie, ancient dragon lady and Maddox Rhinehart’s irreverent pet are a few more words often used to describe the bearer of many names.

The Captain was named after a delicate little flower that grows in mossy, Swedish pine forests, and a certain fiery fallen angel. She spends most of her days daydreaming and writing fantasy, smut and painfully crappy poems. A diva of delight, she takes great pleasure in everything that tickles the senses and adds a sprinkle of magic and spice to our world.

Linnea writes fantasy rooted in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore under the pen name Saga Linnea Söderberg. She also writes Sweet’n’Spicy Spoonie romance together with Leto Armitage under their joint pen name Linn Rhinehart.