Huldrefjord
Sea Serpent
NorskSjøormen
- Names
- sea serpent, sea snake
- Habitat
- in waters off the coast of Norway, especially in the far south and the far north of the country
- Danger level
- Moderate
Listen · 1:59
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!
Norway is home to only one poisonous snake: the common viper. Yet, fear of snakes is widespread. It makes more sense when you take into account that the sea serpent also lives in Norwegian waters.
Appearance
The sea serpent is a giant snake with thick black scales and fiery red eyes. On its head and along its spine, it grows a long black mane. It can grow to be 60 meters long and 6 meters thick.
Behavior
The main prey of the sea serpent are marine mammals like whales and seals. However, it has also been known to feed on sheep and cows who dare to graze close to the water’s edge, and has eaten the occasional sailor who ended up overboard. Its appearance is always a bad omen, though, for the sea serpent predicts famine, disease, war, and violence.
Fairy tale
The Battle between the Sea Serpent and the Sea-Horse
Once, a sea serpent settled off the coast of Karmøy and blocked the entire shoreline, leaving the local fishermen unable to put out to sea. For nine full weeks, it lay there, and no one knew what to do. The people grew desperate, for without fishing, famine would soon follow. They prayed to God to deliver them from the monster, and many vowed to donate a silver coin to the church if they were spared from its menace.
No sooner had they made this vow than a sea-horse came charging in from the open ocean and attacked the serpent. The battle raged for a long time. The sea ran red with blood and churned so violently that the people on shore could not tell which creature was gaining the upper hand. At last, however, a horse’s hoof washed ashore, as large as a barrel, and the people realized that the sea-horse had lost a foot in the struggle.
But of the sea serpent, they saw nothing more. From that day on, it never troubled the people of Karmøy again.