Icelandic Mythology

Selkolla

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Tradition: Icelandic Mythology
Alternative Names: Seal-Head
Category: Nymph

The Myth

Selkolla is a supernatural being in Icelandic folklore, described as a beautiful woman who sometimes appears with the head of a seal. She is particularly associated with the Westfjords of Iceland and is best known as an adversary of Bishop Guðmundur Arason, who lived from 1161 to 1237. Her legend combines Christian beliefs about the Devil and evil spirits with supernatural traditions inherited from pre-Christian Scandinavian culture.

The story of Selkolla begins with a man and a woman travelling through the Westfjords with a baby girl who is to be baptised. Along the way, the couple stop beside a large stone known as Miklisteinn and engage in sexual intercourse, leaving the infant unattended. When they return, they find the child black, dead, and hideous. They initially abandon her, but after hearing a cry, they return and discover that she is alive, although her appearance has become so terrifying that they dare not approach her. They go to a nearby farm to seek help, but when they return to the stone, the child has disappeared.

Soon afterwards, a strange woman appears in the district. Sometimes she has an ordinary human face, but at other times she bears the head of a seal. She moves about boldly both day and night, earning the name Selkolla, meaning “Seal-Head.” She is also called a midday devil because she does not restrict her appearances to the darkness.

Selkolla begins terrorising a local farm. Disguised as the farmer’s wife, she attempts to seduce the farmer. When he recognises the deception and tries to return home, she blocks his path, leaving him exhausted and gravely afflicted. He loses his sexual potency and remains tormented by the spirit, who continues to pursue him day and night. His condition becomes so disturbing that few people are willing to approach him, except for a devoted relative who stays beside him. Eventually, Selkolla attacks this relative during the night and bursts out his eyes.

Unable to endure the spirit’s assaults, the people call upon Bishop Guðmundur Arason for help. He stays at the afflicted farm, where Selkolla appears during the night and attempts to remove his shoes, which his servants have neglected to take off. Recognising her immediately, the bishop commands her to depart and forbids her from returning. The following day, they encounter one another again, and Guðmundur drives her away by erecting seven crosses.

Selkolla later appears aboard a ship travelling across the bay that separates Iceland’s dioceses. However, the crew have received Guðmundur’s blessing for their voyage, and this protection prevents her from harming them. Her story thus presents the bishop’s faith and religious authority as powerful defences against supernatural evil.

Selkolla’s legend also survives in other medieval Icelandic accounts. One version claims that she gave her name to the cliff Selkollu-Kleifar, while another briefly mentions the bishop’s encounters with the terrifying spirit among the miracles associated with his life. Her story remains a striking example of how Icelandic folklore blended Christian ideas of demonic temptation with older traditions of strange, shape-changing beings.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Selkolla. In Wikipedia, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selkolla

Múshveli

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Tradition: Icelandic Mythology
Alternative Names: Múshveli, Mousewhale
Category: Rat

The Myth

The Múshveli, meaning “mousewhale,” is a monstrous sea creature in Icelandic folklore. It belongs to the illhveli, or “evil whales,” a group of dangerous marine beasts believed to cause death and destruction. Despite sharing its name with the real chimaera fish (Chimaera monstrosa), also known as the ratfish or rabbitfish, the legendary Múshveli is an enormous and highly aggressive monster. It is inedible and feared by sailors for its destructive behaviour.

Múshvelis are said to exceed ten metres in length and have an unusual appearance dominated by an enormous, deeply split mouth, prominent ears resembling sails, and a long, whip-like tail without a fin. Their bodies are light grey or brownish-black, and instead of ordinary fins they possess two short, hoofed legs. Their mouths are large enough to swallow a small rowboat whole, while their powerful tails propel them through the water at terrifying speed, churning the sea ahead of them.

These monsters attack vessels by ramming them or rising from the water and pressing their feet against the gunwales until the boats capsize. Sailors who encounter a Múshveli are advised to flee towards shore and seek higher ground, as the creatures can crawl onto beaches with their stubby legs, although they soon struggle outside the water. One account describes a Múshveli pursuing sailors onto land and shrugging off three bullets before retreating with the next high tide.

Large ships are generally better able to withstand their attacks. In one tale, two Icelandic fishermen were saved when a French fishing schooner deliberately intercepted a Múshveli charging towards their small boat. The monster struck the schooner with such force that the vessel listed heavily, but it remained afloat. While the sea monster continued attacking the larger ship, the Icelandic fishermen were rescued. Eventually, the Múshveli abandoned its assault and disappeared beneath the waves.

Sources

“Múshveli.” A Book of Creatures. https://abookofcreatures.com/2015/07/03/mushveli/

Tilberi

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Tradition: Icelandic Mythology
Alternative Names: Snakkur, Tilberi (Carrier)
Category: Insect

The Myth

The Tilberi is a strange creature created by witches to steal milk from other people’s livestock. It is known by different names across Iceland: Tilberi is used in the north, while Snakkur is common in the south and west, and both names occur in eastern Iceland. Only women are said to be able to create and own one. The creature is exceptionally fast and can take on unusual forms, including a living bundle of wool that rolls across the ground.

Creating a Tilberi requires a series of sinister rituals. A woman must steal a rib from a recently buried corpse early on Whitsunday and wrap it in stolen grey wool. In some accounts, the wool must be taken from between the shoulders of a widow’s sheep shortly after shearing. She keeps the bundle between her breasts and, over the following three Sundays, spits consecrated communion wine onto it. Each time, the creature becomes more alive. Finally, she allows it to suckle on the inside of her thigh, leaving behind a distinctive wart-like growth.

Once created, the Tilberi can be sent to steal milk from other people’s cows and ewes. To reach an animal’s udder, it leaps onto the animal’s back and stretches its body downwards. Some versions claim it can reach down on both sides to suck milk from two teats simultaneously. After filling itself, it returns to its owner’s dairy window and calls out, “Full belly, Mummy!” or “Churn lid off, Mummy!” It then vomits the stolen milk into her butter churn.

The stolen milk and butter carry signs of the creature’s interference. Butter made from the milk may clump together as though curdled, or dissolve into foam if someone makes the sign of the cross over it or draws the magical butter-knot symbol, known as the smjörhnútur, into it. The Tilberi was also blamed for inflammatory hardening of livestock udders. Traditional protective measures included making the sign of the cross beneath the udder and over the animal’s rump, as well as placing a Psalter along its spine.

Milk is not the creature’s only target. A Tilberi sometimes steals wool left outside to dry after shearing and washing, rolling it around its body until it becomes a gigantic moving ball. It can also threaten its creator. If a woman has a child and the creature manages to reach her milk-filled breast, it may suckle so greedily that it drains her life away.

There are several traditional methods of destroying a Tilberi. One is to send it into the mountain pastures and command it to collect every lamb dropping, either from three separate pastures or into three piles. The creature must continue its impossible task until it dies of exhaustion, or it perishes because, as an evil being, it cannot endure the number three. When it dies, only the human rib used to create it remains in the pasture.

Another method exploits its attachment to its creator. When pursued, the Tilberi is believed to flee home and hide beneath its mother’s skirts. If her petticoat is tied or sewn shut around it, both the woman and the creature can be burned or drowned together.

The Tilberi reflects Icelandic fears surrounding theft, witchcraft, livestock, and the dangers of forbidden supernatural practices. Although it brings its owner stolen milk and wool, its existence is dangerous to animals and humans alike. Its creation requires the misuse of sacred substances and a human bone, while its eventual destruction depends on ritual commands and the supernatural power attributed to the number three.

Sources

“Tilberi.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilberi

Taumafiskur

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Tradition: Icelandic Mythology
Alternative Names: Bridle Fish, Big Shorthorn
Category: Whale

The Myth

The Taumafiskur is a monstrous whale from Icelandic folklore, slightly larger than the Stökkull. Its body is raven-black, with white or pink stripes extending from its eyes to its mouth and outward, resembling a bridle. In the East Fjords, it is known as the “big shorthorn,” distinguishing it from the smaller minke whale, called the “little shorthorn.”

One of the most feared illhveli, or evil whales, the Taumafiskur has inedible flesh, and speaking its name at sea is believed to attract it. It is cruel, destructive, and spiteful, with an exceptional memory that allows it to pursue those who escape its attacks. It overturns boats, tears them apart with its teeth, strikes them with its tail, and can swim beneath a vessel crosswise to fold it in half.

A minister from Fáskrúðsfjörður once survived an attack by clinging to his wrecked boat, but the Taumafiskur continued pursuing him whenever he returned to sea. In another tale, the crew of a Danish fishing boat encountered one near Snæfellsnes. Their captain, skilled in the dark arts, jumped overboard carrying a small bag. When he returned, he assured the crew that the whale would leave them alone, and it was not seen again that day.

Various substances were believed to repel the Taumafiskur, including chewed angelica, rotting baitfish, bilge-water, cod-liver oil, juniper, manure, sulfur, and yarrow. Burning these substances before throwing them overboard was thought to increase their effectiveness. The whale could also be distracted by loud noises or barrels thrown into the water, while sailing towards the sun could dazzle it and end the pursuit.

Sources

“Taumafiskur.” A Book of Creatures, November 16, 2015. https://abookofcreatures.com/2015/11/16/taumafiskur/

Skötumóðir

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Tradition: Icelandic Mythology
Alternative Names: Skate Mother
Category: Whale

The Myth

The Skötumóðir is an enormous, poisonous creature resembling a skate or ray. Like other Icelandic fish mothers, it is not always described as a skate itself; some accounts portray it as an evil whale resembling one. It has a back like a mud-covered island and nine tails. Unlike ordinary skates, it can appear inland, in freshwater, and even on dry land.

A swarm of skates always swims around a Skötumóðir. When fishermen catch these smaller fish, the sea appears to grow shallower as the Skate Mother rises towards the surface. It eventually hooks its wings over the sides of the fishing boat and drags it beneath the waves. To escape, the fishermen must immediately cut off the creature’s wings with a sharp implement.

An enormous skate believed to be a Skötumóðir was one of three monsters that terrorised travellers around Lagarfljót, where it waited near ferry crossings. A powerful sorcerer pinned it to the bottom of the river, where it was said to remain unless it had escaped.

Sources

“Skötumóðir.” A Book of Creatures, September 18, 2016. https://abookofcreatures.com/2016/09/18/skotumodir/

Sverðhvalur

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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/

Hrosshvalur

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Tradition: Icelandic Mythology
Alternative Names: Horse-Whale, Monoculus
Category: Whale

The Myth

The Hrosshvalur is a monstrous whale from Icelandic mythology, growing between 15 and 40 metres long. It has a horse-like head, enormous eyes, a flowing red mane, and a horse’s tail. Its body is covered in fine fur, its back may be dappled, and it makes a sound resembling a horse neighing. It also has a foul smell and internal organs resembling those of a horse. Its enormous eyes distinguish it from other evil whales and have earned it the nickname Monoculus, meaning “One-Eyed.”

One of the most feared illhveli, or evil whales, the Hrosshvalur is notorious for destroying ships. It charges through the waves at high speed, holding its head above the water with its mane trailing behind. It sinks vessels by leaping onto them or pressing its weight against them until they capsize. It can also whip its tail to create enormous waves and is considered a portent of bad weather. Its flesh is inedible and disappears when cooked, and its consumption was forbidden by law. Sailors sometimes use euphemistic names to avoid attracting its attention.

The Hrosshvalur has several weaknesses. Although it is not as easily distracted as some other evil whales, its enormous eyes are particularly vulnerable. In one thirteenth-century tale, a Hrosshvalur that surfaced beside a ship was driven away by a barrage of heavy objects. In another story, it attacked the heroes Hjalmper and Olvir but was defeated with the help of a Skeljungur, a Vagnhvalur, and two vultures. A cutlass thrown into one of its eyes weakened it, allowing the other creatures to tear it apart.

The Hrosshvalur is also associated with sorcery and witchcraft. Its size and ferocity made it a suitable form for sorcerers and witches seeking to cause destruction. In the Kormaks saga, the witch Dorveig transforms herself into a Hrosshvalur to attack the brothers Kormakr and Dorgils. They recognise her by her enormous eyes and drive her away by throwing a javelin into her back.

The Hrosshvalur is generally believed to have originated from descriptions of the walrus, whose name is thought to derive from hval-hross, meaning “whale-horse.” However, Icelandic accounts distinguish the two animals, describing the Hrosshvalur and the walrus as separate creatures.

Sources

“Hrosshvalur.” A Book of Creatures, September 4, 2015. https://abookofcreatures.com/2015/09/04/hrosshvalur/

Skeljúngur

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Tradition: Icelandic Mythology
Alternative Names: Shell Whale, Svarfhvalur, Iron Whale, Hnúfubakur
Category: Whale

The Myth

The Skeljúngur is an Icelandic whale measuring between 20 and 45 metres long. It has a fat body, short flippers, no dorsal fin, and is covered entirely in shells that rattle as it swims. The shells make it itchy, causing it to rub its head against rocks in deep coastal waters. Despite its portly appearance, it swims quickly and is known as the “tiger whale.” It dives and sleeps vertically, with its head sticking out of the sea. Whether it has teeth or baleen is unclear.

One of the illhveli, or evil whales, the Skeljúngur is unusual because its flesh is edible and safe to eat. However, it is dangerous to ships, positioning itself in their path and continuing to obstruct them when captains attempt to avoid it. Ships that sail directly onto the whale are thrown into the air, killing everyone aboard. It attacks vessels with its fins and tail, and its shell-covered body protects it against most attacks. It may also pretend to be dead to lure prey within reach. The whaling ship Minerva, off Grímsey, once believed it had killed a Skeljúngur, only for the whale to recover and destroy the boat sent to finish it off.

Skeljúngurs hate the sound of iron being ground or filed. Hearing it drives them into a frenzy, causing them to beach themselves to escape the noise. This aversion gives rise to the alternative name Svarfhvalur, meaning “iron whale.” Despite their hostility towards humans, Skeljúngurs have occasionally helped them. A young one once aided Hjalmper and Olvir in battle against a vicious Hrosshvalur. Skeljúngur is also used as another name for the humpback whale, or Hnúfubakur.

Sources

“Skeljúngur.” A Book of Creatures, December 14, 2015. https://abookofcreatures.com/2015/12/14/skeljungur/

Raudkembingur

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Tradition: Icelandic Mythology
Alternative Names: Red Comb, Red Crest
Category: Whale

The Myth

The Raudkembingur is a monstrous whale from Icelandic mythology. It has an elongated, streamlined body measuring 10–20 metres long, with a coffee-brown back, a pink belly, and a bright red crest resembling bristly hair, a horse’s mane, or a row of small fins. Its head has a reptilian appearance, with sharp teeth in both jaws. It swims extremely fast, producing enormous amounts of foam and an ominous neighing sound.

One of the most savage of the illhveli, or evil whales, the Raudkembingur is notorious for attacking and destroying boats. It sometimes pretends to be dead, floating on the surface until a boat approaches, then leaping onto the vessel and drowning everyone aboard. Beluga whales and narwhals follow behind it, feeding on the remains.

The Raudkembingur is so consumed by destruction that it may die of frustration if it fails to destroy a boat during the day. In one tale, a boat escaped by throwing a piece of wood dressed in clothes into the sea. The whale mistook it for a person and repeatedly tried to drown it.

The creature can also pursue its prey until it dies of exhaustion. In one story, a Raudkembingur chased a boat commanded by Eyvindur Jónsson off Fljót. The crew escaped to Saudanesvik, and the whale died, turning the sea red. The boat was subsequently named Hafrenningur, meaning Ocean Runner.

Another tale tells of a cruel young man from Hvalsnes who was cursed by elves and transformed into a red-headed whale. He terrorised Faxafjörður and Hvalfjörður before dying of exhaustion in Hvalvatn Lake while pursuing a priest. Its bones are said to remain there.

Sources

“Rauðkembingur.” A Book of Creatures, July 31, 2015. https://abookofcreatures.com/2015/07/31/raudkembingur/

Lagarfljót Serpent

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Tradition: Icelandic Mythology
Alternative Names: Lagarfljótsormur, Lagarfljót Worm, Vatnaormur
Category: Mollusc

The Myth

Iceland is said to be home to numerous vatnaormar, or water serpents, monstrous creatures that inhabit lakes and rivers. Among the most famous is the Lagarfljót Serpent, a gigantic beast that dwells in Lagarfljót Lake near the Herad region of eastern Iceland. Its origins began when a woman gave her daughter a golden ring and suggested that she place it beneath a lyngorm, a small slug-like creature whose name literally means “heath snake.” Within days, the creature had grown so enormous that it burst through the linen box in which it was kept. Terrified, the girl threw the box, serpent, and ring into Lagarfljót.

The serpent continued to grow until it became large enough to prey on people and livestock. It could also spew venom across the surrounding land, making it a danger to anyone living nearby. Eventually, a powerful figure was summoned to subdue it. Accounts differ on whether this was Bishop Guðmundur Arason, two Sámi sorcerers, or a poet empowered by magic. Whoever confronted the monster discovered that it was too powerful to kill. Instead, they bound it with ropes tied around its neck and tail, trapping it at the bottom of the lake. The serpent remains there, although it occasionally arches its back above the water. Such appearances are regarded as ill omens, and the creature has reportedly been sighted in several different years, including 1479, 1555, 1594, 1749–1750, and 1819.

Descriptions of the Lagarfljót Serpent vary. It has appeared as an enormous snake with humps or spikes along its back, as a monstrous horse, or as a creature that stretches onto the riverbanks while releasing great quantities of poison. A geographical map of Iceland from 1590 reportedly warned that a huge monster inhabited the lake, threatening the surrounding inhabitants and appearing before significant events. The serpent also belongs to a wider tradition in which a snake grows alongside the treasure it guards, a motif found in the saga of Ragnar Lodbrok.

Other Icelandic waters are said to harbor similar monsters. The serpent of Skorradalsvatn has a story almost identical to that of the Lagarfljót creature and may represent an older version of the same legend. Other reported water serpents include the striped, cat-headed creature of Hvalvatn; the enormous, brightly colored or striped serpents of the Hvítá River; the black serpent of Kleifarvatn, said to measure 30–40 meters; and the multicolored serpent of the Skaftá River. Even the dry land around Surtshellir is associated with a mysterious serpent.

Sources

“Vatnaormur.” A Book of Creatures, December 21, 2020. https://abookofcreatures.com/2020/12/21/vatnaormur/