Lake Seljord and the serpent Selma

Telemark · Norway · Natural site

As early as 1750 the serpent is said to have reared up mid-lake and set upon Gunleik Andersson Verpe in his rowing boat. Over five hundred have seen it since.

Seljordsvatnet is a thirteen-kilometre-long, deep and dark lake in the heart of Telemark, and for more than 250 years people have insisted that something large lives in it. The oldest written account is from 1750 and concerns Gunleik Andersson Verpe of Bø, who was rowing across the water when the serpent reportedly rose in the middle of the lake and attacked him. More than five hundred sightings have been recorded since; most describe a snake-like creature of ten to fifteen metres gliding with its back in the chop. Selma, as the serpent is called, has appeared in Seljord's coat of arms since 1989, and in 2011 a seventeen-metre observation tower was raised on the shore. The strange part is not that nobody has proved anything – it is that so many still climb the tower and wait.

FAQ

Where is Lake Seljord and the serpent Selma located?

Lake Seljord and the serpent Selma is in Telemark, Norway.

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Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.