This time round, it’s exactly two events that motivated me to come up with the following blog entry. First: I finished watching Netflix’ gothic horror series „The Haunting of Hill House“. Second: calendar date, suggesting that many people around the globe are currently preparing for next week’s Halloween. Fog of anxiety, supernatural powers and the relinquishment of logic. That’s all very well, but when it comes to getting the creeps, I also prefer the old-fashioned way. Like: stepping outside and stepping right into a creepy gothic gray scenery. Premise: being in the Faroe Islands, and fitting weather conditions. For the rest: All you have to do is use your imagination.
The shot above features our village and boat houses in pale October light. Legend has it that Marmennilin, a mischievous merman with long fingers, human shape but smaller, lived right here in Elduvík, on the bottom of the sea, they say. Now, that’s an odd thing. Didn’t I just catch sight of wet footprints leading towards the triangle-shaped shed at center? The haunting of boat house! Strange, though, no trace of wet footprints as I check my pictures afterwards.
Puzzling. Another nasty deed of the marmennilin, as far as I’m concerned. An unpleasant fellow who used to bully all the fishermen by stealing bait and messing around with hand-lines and fishhooks. Anfinn the farmer managed to get hold of the marmennilin in legend, until such time as the merman escaped again. Where to? My guess: bottom of the bay and boat house. The merman’s vacation rental: most probably located on the curvy road Oyndarfjarðarvegur, a place I named „The dark lake“, correct name Á Klettum, a remote spot enveloped in weird, ghostlike light.
Just for the record: While Halloween in the Faroes is far from being as big as it is, for example, in the US, it’s slowly becoming more popular. Therefore, My Faroe Islands, Anja’s blog, decided to present an appropriate bonus picture. A Halloween classic. Fog. In this particular case: The village of Bøur on the island Vágar in misty conditions.
If everything goes according to plan, a marmennilin statue will be set up in our village Elduvík next year. Further information on the legend, the mischievous merman and the project: Marmennilin