mythical creatures

When I came across this souvenir sheet while idly looking through a binder of Icelandic stamps at a stamp fair last Sunday I just had to have it (even though I did not know what it was about and it cost way more money than I usually spend) It was just so intriguing.

So when I got home, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was a series of Mythical Creatures. I immediately put aside my previously prepared dragon post for another day. You can look up more info the creatures in the links below. The stamps were issued in 2009, the same year that the Monster Museum was opened in Bildulalur on the Westfjords. According to folklore, Arnarfjordur is home to more sea monsters than any other fjord in Iceland.

Only one has a fairly good story for us as humans.

hrosshvalur - horse whale  - as with the other evil whales, this one delights in destroying ships, sometimes just by pressing its weight against them until they capsize. it is also a portent of bad weather as it uses its tail to create huge waves.

skoffin - foxcat - possibly the "unholy abomination spawn" of an arctic fox and a female cat. it can kill you merely by looking at you. the only way to get rid of one is to make it look into a mirror at itself (without looking at you first)

mushveli - mouse whale - unlike other evil whales, these ones have stubby legs and can climb on to land, but they do give up quickly so it's possible to outrun one.

raudkembingur - red crest  - the worst of the worst of the whales, a fast swimmer with a single minded love of destruction. but its determination can also be its undoing and it may overexert itself and die of frustration.

selamodir -  seal mother - is the protector of Iceland's harbour seals and grey seals and will attack anyone who gets in the way.

ofuguggi - a reverse fin trout - these swim backwards with their tails first and their head following. they are extremely toxic and you will die if you are foolish enough to fish for them and eat it as if it were a normal trout.

saeneyti - sea cow - this one seems to have a few different names - and stories. but basically, a herd of shore cows were seen by a farmer who chased them back into the sea but managed to catch one. somehow the farmer decided that unless he burst that thing on its nose they would be lost forever. he did, and now there are cows in Iceland (and we all now benefit from the skyr from these sea cows).

skeljaskrimsli - shell monster - this may refer to a number of quadruped shore monsters which live in the sea and haul themselves onto shore at night, usually in winter. they are attracted by light and will head for the nearest and brightest farmhouse with no good intentions.

urdarkottur - ghoul cat - will bury itself in a cemetery for years, but when it emerges it will live on rocky slopes and attack sheep, birds and humans. again, the eyes are especially evil.

fjorulalli - sea laddie - another shore creature, a woolly seal looking thing that has a penchant for sheep. and pregnant women. I have no comment.

for Sunday Stamps - dragons, dinosaurs, mythical creatures