Selma (lake monster)

Selma depicted in the coat of arms of Seljord in Telemark

In Norwegian folklore, Selma is a legendary sea serpent said to live in the 13-kilometre-long (8-mile) Lake Seljord (Seljordsvatnet) in Seljord, Telemark, Norway.[1][2]

Seljord lake in Telemark

The sea serpent Selma has been depicted in the coat of arms of Seljord since 1989. Designed by sculpturer, Trygve Magnus Barstad, the arms show Selma in a gold-color on a red background.[3][4]

The sea serpent has been discussed for a long time and there have been witness descriptions of encounters, especially on hot, quiet summers. The oldest written account of the creature dates from 1750, when it was said to have rounded a rowboat belonging to a man from Bø rowing across from Ulvenes to Nes.[5][6]

  1. ^ "Secret life of the Norwegian Nessie". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. 1 September 1999. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  2. ^ Mæhlum, Lars. "Seljordsvatnet" (in Norwegian). Store norske leksikon. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Kommunevåpenet". Seljord kommune (in Norwegian).
  4. ^ "Trygve Magnus Barstad" (in Norwegian). OceanWP. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  5. ^ Dubroff, M. Dee (15 September 2016). "Is Selma the sea serpent alive and well in the lakes of Norway?". Blasting News. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  6. ^ Fjågesund, Peter. "Seljord og sjøormen" (in Norwegian). seljord.kommune.no. Archived from the original on 19 March 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2019.