Legend of the Helgeland mountains

The legend of the Helgeland mountains, also known as the Legend of the Seven Sisters, tells the story of how the fairytale mountains of Helgeland came to be.

The troll kings Vågakallen and Suliskongen would often sit and gaze at each other. Vågakallen on Aust-Vågøy in Lofoten and Suliskongen up in Sulitjelma. They would often argue about who was the king over the larger territory. The only times they agreed were when they complained about the youth of their time, who, just like today, were impossible to control. They only cared about play and fun and wouldn’t listen to their fathers.

Suliskongen had felt compelled to send his seven daughters to Landegode, so that Lekamøya, known for her wisdom and beauty, could turn them into responsible and proper young ladies.

Hestmannen on the “hunt”
Vågakallen had given up on his son, Hestmannen. He was full of mischief and not pleasant to be around. He had moved away on his own and could wreak havoc as he pleased without being disturbed by his father.

On a beautiful late spring evening, Lekamøya took her seven sisters out for an evening swim and play in the water. Hestmannen was up north, feeling bored, when he suddenly spotted them from afar. The sisters played and joked in the water, but it was the beautiful Lekamøya that caught his eye. He had to have her. He threw his cloak over his shoulders, mounted his horse, and chased southward into the night. Suliskongen woke up from the commotion and moved closer to the sea to see what was happening.

Ladies in flight
Lekamøya heard the noise and realized they had to get away. She and the seven sisters set off southward along the Helgeland coast. Lekamøya knew he was after her, so she ran faster than her sisters, who found the whole thing amusing and exciting, unable to resist playing a bit along the way.

The arrow through the hat
When Hestmannen realized he couldn’t catch up to her, he drew his bow and shot an arrow after her. But the troll king in the Sømna mountains, who had been nearby in Brønnøysund observing the scene, threw his hat as he saw the arrow coming. The arrow pierced through the hat, causing it to lose both speed and direction. This way, the Sømna king saved Lekamøya, who slipped across the border to Nord-Trøndelag, while the hat fell down near Torgar. The spring night is short in Nordland, and amidst the wildness and spring excitement, everyone forgot about this, and suddenly the sun rose, turning them all into stone.

And so it was
The sisters’ cloaks, discarded during their escape, hang over Dønnes Island. The seven sisters stand tall and elegant between Sandnes and Alstahaug. The hat with the hole lies outside Brønnøysund, the arrow rests on a rock far out at sea, and Lekamøya just managed to hurl herself down onto Leka. Hestmannen lies a bit farther north, and Suliskongen’s crown can be glimpsed between the Børvasstindene peaks. The only one remaining in the same spot is Vågakallen; he still sits high up in Lofoten, gazing out over his realm.

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