Storsjö Monster

The Storsjö Monster is a legendary creature said to live in Storsjön, a lake about 90 metres deep in Jämtland, in the middle of Sweden. The legend is unconfirmed, and no proof of a real animal has been found.

Stories describe a black, snake-like body with a head like a cat's or a dog's. The earliest written mention is in a manuscript from 1635, and since the 1800s people have reported hundreds of sightings. It is sometimes nicknamed Storsie, like Scotland's Nessie. In 1986 a Swedish county even declared it a protected species, a rule that ended in 2005. Nobody has shown clear proof that it exists.

The legend

In the 1635 manuscript, a rune master called Kettil Runske is said to have bound a lake serpent to the bottom of the lake with a magic spell carved into the Frösö Runestone, on an island in the lake. A story from 1685 says the serpent's head lies under the stone and its tail stretches across the lake. Local folk tales also say two trolls made the monster. But the runestone's real text does not mention a serpent, though a large snake is carved on it.

The sightings and the facts

Since the 19th century, people have given different descriptions, and some claim a dog-like head. In 1894 locals planned a hunt for the monster with the support of King Oscar II. No clear proof has been presented. Sightings remain unconfirmed, and the legend is best treated as folklore, a story people enjoy telling about their lake. The county's protection from 1986 was lifted in 2005.

On the globe

The model shows a legendary lake monster in the water of Storsjön. This is a legend, not a proven animal.