Tradition: Icelandic Mythology
Alternative Names: Sverðfiskur, Swordwhale, Swordfish, Brúnfiskur
Category: Whale
The Myth
The Sverðhvalur is a monstrous whale from Icelandic folklore, roughly the size of a sperm whale. Its most distinctive feature is a sharp, bony dorsal fin measuring between 1.5 and 6 metres tall. It has an owl-like face, a pointed snout, a large mouth filled with vicious teeth, and short, heavy spouts. Its colour is described as either brown or grey. It swims rapidly and strikes the water with its fin when agitated.
One of the illhveli, or evil whales, the Sverðhvalur is a dangerous predator whose bladed fin can cut open the bellies of other whales. It swims beneath them, making crisscrossing slashes, and its attacks can drive whales to beach themselves to escape. It feeds only on the tongues of its cetacean prey, leaving the rest of their bodies to rot. It attacks boats in a similar manner, piercing hulls with its dorsal fin or slicing through smaller vessels and their crews. The blue whale, or steypireyður, is its mortal enemy.
The Sverðhvalur is sometimes accompanied by a smaller whale that swims beneath its pectoral fin and feeds on its leftovers. However, larger ships can also injure or frighten it. One trading vessel travelling from eastern Iceland to Copenhagen discovered a large fish’s tusk embedded in its hull after feeling a powerful tug beneath the water. In another encounter off Eyjafjörður, a Sverðfiskur pursued a boat until a gun was fired into its open mouth, causing it to abandon the chase.
The creature is believed to have originated from accounts of the killer whale, which, like the Sverðhvalur, has been associated with attacks on whales and ships using its fins. The names Sverðfiskur and Sverðfiskr have also been used for swordfish, sawfish, and killer whales.
Sources
“Sverðhvalur.” A Book of Creatures, February 12, 2016. https://abookofcreatures.com/2016/02/12/sverdhvalur/