The Haunting of Akershus Fortress

Akershus Fortress dominates the harbor of Oslo, Norway, its medieval walls containing seven centuries of history. Built as a royal residence in 1299, it has served as a military fortification, a prison, and an execution site. During World War II, it was used by Nazi occupiers. This accumulated trauma has left it with a reputation as one of Norway’s most haunted locations.

History

Construction of Akershus began in 1299 under King Haakon V. The fortress has withstood multiple sieges, never falling to direct assault. Over the centuries, it has been renovated, expanded, and repurposed numerous times.

As a prison, Akershus held criminals, political prisoners, and enemy combatants. Executions were carried out within its walls. During the Nazi occupation of Norway, resistance members were imprisoned and executed there.

Today, Akershus is a museum and tourist attraction, but its ghosts reportedly remain.

The Malcanisen

The most famous ghost of Akershus is Malcanisen, a demon dog said to guard the entrance to the fortress. According to legend, anyone who sees Malcanisen will die within three months.

The demon dog is described as a mastiff-like creature with glowing eyes that appears near the main gate at night. Its origins are unclear—some stories suggest it is the spirit of a dog that guarded the fortress in life, while others claim it is a genuine demon bound to the location.

The White Lady

A faceless woman in white is said to walk the grounds of Akershus, particularly near the old prison cells. According to some versions of the legend, she was a woman who died in the fortress, possibly a prisoner or victim of violence.

Witnesses describe seeing her emerge from the walls, walk a set path, and disappear. Her lack of facial features is her most disturbing attribute—a blank expanse where a face should be.

Mannen

A male ghost, known simply as Mannen (The Man), is reported from the area around the castle church. He wears dark medieval clothing and is sometimes accompanied by the smell of decay.

Unlike the White Lady, Mannen appears to be aware of witnesses. He has reportedly turned to face observers before vanishing into walls or fading from view.

WWII Ghosts

More recent ghostly traditions involve the Nazi occupation. Resistance fighters executed at Akershus have been reported walking the grounds in modern clothing, sometimes accompanied by the sounds of gunfire.

Guards and visitors have reported hearing screams, German commands, and weeping from areas where prisoners were held and executed.

Assessment

Akershus Fortress combines the classic elements of a haunted location: great age, violent history, and continued use that brings people into contact with its past. The ghosts reflect different periods—medieval, early modern, and twentieth century—creating a layered haunting.

Whether these apparitions represent genuine spirits, psychological responses to a historically charged location, or stories that have grown around a famously old building, they have become part of Akershus’s identity. The fortress stands over Oslo’s harbor as it has for seven centuries, and something walks its grounds after dark.