Huldrefjord
Marmel
NorskMarmæl
- Names
- marmel, marmæl
- Habitat
- on the sea floor, often hiding in underwater caves or in crevices of large rocks
- Danger level
- Low
Listen · 2:47
AI voice
Our audio guide is being renewed. While we update the exhibition, the new recordings are read by an AI voice in English and Norwegian. They will later be recorded by real voices in more languages. Thank you for your patience!
Norwegian seas are full of wonders, big and small. Among the smallest you may encounter are the merfolk children marmels, which may be more than they appear.
Appearance
Marmels are small underwater creatures reminiscent of childlike merfolk; they can be as small as a thumbnail and grow as big as a one-year-old child. Their upper body often resembles that of a human child, sometimes with blue skin, fish scales, or other characteristics of marine life. Below the waist, however, they have a fishtail.
Behavior
In spite of their size and apparent age, marmels are exceptionally wise. They know everything about the sea, can foresee bad weather, and are clairvoyant. Curious and daring by nature, they will sometimes get tangled up in fishing nets and caught on fishing lines while exploring the sea floor.
Fairy tale
The Marmel Foretells a Storm
One day, a fisherman was out at sea. When he felt a tug on his line, he hauled it in and found a little marmel caught on the hook. The creature quickly leapt aboard and settled itself on a thwart. The fisherman was pleased, for he knew this was a good omen. After a while, he noticed that the little being seemed cold. He took off his woollen jacket and wrapped it snugly around the marmel.
The marmel sat contentedly in the boat, watching as the fisherman pulled in one fish after another. But suddenly, it sprang back into the sea, taking the jacket with it. By then, the fisherman’s boat was full of fish, and he began rowing home. He was not troubled by the loss of his jacket, for he knew that sooner or later, he would be rewarded for his kindness.
The next day, the fisherman took off to sea again. It was a bright, sunny day, but all at once, the same marmel rose from the water and called out:
“Row ashore, row ashore, you man who gave your coat.
The sea is rumbling, the waves are swelling.”
Then it vanished beneath the surface once more.
The fisherman understood that the marmæl had come to warn him. Without hesitation, he turned his boat and rowed for land. He had scarcely reached shore before the sun disappeared and a fierce storm broke loose. Dark clouds towered overhead, rain poured from the sky, and great waves rolled across the sea in the gale.
Then the fisherman knew that the marmæl had saved his life in return for the jacket he had given it.