Classification: Mythical Beasts & Cryptids

Temporal Range: 11th Century to present

Geographic Range: Lake Storsjön, Sweden

Diet: Anything foolish enough to go swimming in the lake

Horde: Nordic

Meaning quite literally "the great lake monster," the Storsjöodjuret (STOR-sher-OH-dyoo-ret) is a great lake monster found in Storsjön, Sweden. Believe it or not, this creature was first described in the 17th century, and sightings have continued, including one incident involving video evidence in 2008. However, a large runic stone from the 11th century seems to depict the beast, suggesting it is even older than we previously thought.

It has a long serpentine body, a cat’s head, and a fish’s tail. Some stories claim that it was created by two meddling dwarves. Another tale claims that it was bound to the lake by the stone carving after nobody could cross the lake without the monster attacking. However it came to be there, locals claim that it still lurks in the depths.

There were several sightings of the Storsjöodjuret in the 19th century, including a campaign to capture the beast. Thankfully, this venture was a failure since we are still writing about it today. In the 1980s, the Storsjöodjuret was declared an endangered species, ensuring its protection and furthering speculation that it still haunts the waters.