Trolls and myths of Helgeland
Not all is what it seems in Helgeland. This very land was shaped by giants and trolls. Some are still among us. This is their story.
There is more to this land than what we see with our eyes alone.
You will feel it, as you walk through the forests of old.
You will sense it, as you wander among the ancient stones.
It is as if there’s someone – or something – out there.
Hiding in plain sight.
The Legend of the Seven Sisters
A long, long time ago, there were two mighty troll kings in the mountains of Northern Norway. Vågakallen, the Troll King of Lofoten, and Suliskongen, the Troll King of the Sulitjelma Mountains.
They were rivals and quarreled over all things but one: Both agreed that the youth of the day were unruly and disrespectful of their elders, and neither knew what to do with their children.
Vågakallen of Lofoten had a son. A wild, unruly youth, who would ride like the wind up and down the rugged coastline, clad in his cloak and armour.
Suliskongen, for his part, had eight beautiful daughters, whom he guarded with all his heart and might.
But even a father’s love and worry can not contain the curiosity and bold spirit of adventurous daughters. And one late-summer night, under the full moon, the eight sisters snuck away from the mountain kingdom of their father. They were heading for the ocean, to dance and swim in the moonlight.
And the sisters danced and they swam and they played joyfully. But little did they know that the son of Vågakallen was out riding that very night, and he had heard their laughter and song. As he rode closer to see the cause of the commotion, he saw the eight sisters.
There and then, stricken dumb by her beauty, grace and laughter, his heart was seized by love for Lekamøya, the eldest of the sisters.
But as he rode closer in silence, the sisters saw him, and found him a fearful sight with his large horse, dark armor and mighty bow. So they ran!
The horseman, not willing to be refused, threw his cape over his shoulder and spurred his horse. In a wild chase he pursued them among the islands and mountains of the Helgeland coast.
Lekamøya was quick on her feet and faster than her sisters, so she ran away from them, luring the horseman with her. But the late-summer nights of Helgeland are short, and before they could see their peril, the red light of morning was starting to climb up behind the mountains.
When the horseman realised he would never catch the beautiful Lekamøya, whom he desired so strongly, he drew his bow and took aim as she ran past the islands of Vega and Brønnøy.
But in the distance, another Troll King was watching the spectacle. Skarsfjellgubben, the troll king of Sømna saw what was about to unfold, and with just as true aim as the horseman’s, he threw his broad-brimmed hat and caught the arrow mid-flight! The arrow pierced the hat and spun away, and Lekamøya was saved.
But at the very moment the hat and arrow landed in the sea, the unforgiving morning sun rose above the mountains. As its bright light shone upon them all — the rider on his horse, the fleeing Lekamøya, the seven sisters watching, and the hat and arrow alike — the spell of night was broken, and they were all turned to stone.
So it was that the legendary mountains of Helgeland were formed. Lekamøya still stands on the island of Leka, forever fleeing south. The troll’s hat, Torghatten, lies in the sea outside Brønnøysund. The Seven Sisters tower above the coastal town of Sandnessjøen, and the Horseman — Hestmannen — still rides along the coast of Rødøy and Lurøy, his long cloak trailing in the wind.
Visit the mountains
The legend of the Seven Sisters is old, and many versions of it exist. In some, even other mountains like Dønnamannen make an appearance. Perhaps it was once a story meant to help sailors find their way along the Helgeland coast — the mountains standing tall as familiar landmarks for those at sea.
You can still visit all these peaks today. Walk through the hole in Torghatten, hike to the top of the Seven Sisters, climb the Horseman, or simply watch him — frozen in his eternal chase — as he looms over the ocean.
