The legend of the hole

Now you will finally hear the correct, fact-based version of the legend of the hole in Torghatten – the one officially told in this region. Long ago, there were two mighty troll kings in northern Nordland. One had seven unruly daughters, and the other was the father of the notorious son Hestmannen, a troll boy known for his fierce temper. One day, the seven sisters were baking troll flatbread together with their cousin Lekamøya. After a long day they went out for a midnight swim. They should not have done that, for Hestmannen was lying in wait. When he caught sight of the beautiful Lekamøya, he became instantly obsessed and gave chase. All eight maidens fled south along the Helgeland coast. The King of Sømna watched the drama unfold from his mountains. Near Sandnessjøen, the seven sisters had to give up, but Lekamøya continued alone, with Hestmannen right behind her. Finally, Hestmannen realized he could not catch her. In his rage, he decided that if he could not have her, no one else should either. He raised his bow, drew the arrow, and aimed at Lekamøya. At that moment, the Sømna king intervened. He hurled his enormous hat into the air to protect her. The arrow shot straight through the hat, creating a great hole—the very same hole you see in Torghatten today. Lekamøya ran on and managed to leap to safety on the island of Leka. At the same time, the sun rose. And as all trolls knew: the moment sunlight touched them, they turned to stone. Thus Hestmannen, the kings, the sisters, and the hat all became the mountains and islands scattered along the Helgeland coast. And that, according to the locals, is the unvarnished truth.