Skeljaskrímsli (shell monster) is a bear-like creature native to Iceland.
Description[]
It is a bear-like hippo sized animal with blue scales similar to those of a pangolin. It is often described as being black and having seaweed and shell on it, although that may be people confusing with the shore laddie. It has long claws which it uses to hold onto rocks at the bottom of the sea when it gets stormy.
Sightings[]
In the 18th,19th and first half of the 20th century, many stories of this creature where told. Now almost none are told.
Gísli konráðsson 1787-1877
In Icelandic[]
It was a few years ago in stormy that a man named Gísli Brandsson and his brother Jon Brandsson the Yztabæ were walking by the sea, intending to use pipes conversion fishing he had seen on the monster high. Preparation from sea to shore up, so big as a horse, but much value, especially the legs. Gisli that it summoned, already thought ahead and VOD under the hands of two tidal trails. Sókti it for him and he pulled it either. He heard the trap or ring to it. He ran as he could most, but it was placed on the field he had closed the town. Gisli lay on, so he searched hard before and was almost entirely shorn when he came to bed. He told himself from this, right speech man, but no mention was observed that since "
In English[]
It was a few years ago in Grímsey that a man named Gísli Brandsson and his brother Jón Brandsson the Yztabæ, were walking by the sea, intending to use pipes conversion fishing that he had seen on the monster high. Preparation from sea to shore up, so large that horse but great value, especially the legs. Gisli that it summoned, already thought ahead and VOD under the hands of two tidal trails. Sókti it for him and he pulled it either. He heard the trap or ring to it. He ran as he could most, but it was placed on the field he had closed the town. Gisli lay on, so he searched hard before and was almost entirely shorn when he came to bed. He told himself from this, right speech man, but no mention was observed that since "
Símon jóh 1904-1976
Ég er alinn upp í afskektu héraði, Reykjarfirði syðra á Ströndum, þar sem mikil forneskja ríkti … Ýmis kynjadýr, furðulegrar náttúru, höfðust þar við í vötnum og sjó. Allt fram á uppvaxtarár mín sáust skeljaskrímsli í firðinum á haustin. Hefur skrímslatrú verið mögnuð þarna frá fornu fari, sem sést af því, Jón lærði kallar fjörðinn Skrímslafjörð”
In english: ,, I was raised in a remote province, Reykjarfjörður on the southern coast, where heavy ancient lore reigned ... Various cryptids, freak-of-nature creations, remained in the lakes and the sea. All throughout my lifetime, the shell monster could've been spotted in the fjords in autumn. The belief in such creatures has been big there, even Jón calls the fjord "the monster fjord".
english trawler crew 20th century
An english trawler stole it's way into one of the Icelandic fjords and caught the creature, the crew was terrified and wanted to get rid of the unwanted catch.
Some claim that the creature caught in the net spit poison on the men, which burned them.
Sources[]
meeting with monsters (Jón Baldur,Sigurður Ægisson)
Símon Jóh. Ágústsson (1904-1976): Mannþekking, bls. 346.
Gísli Konráðsson (1787-1877): Syrpa. 1. bindi. Þjóðsögur, bls 236-237.