Encounter Atlas
Selma is a lake serpent said to live in Seljordsvatnet, a long, narrow lake in Telemark, southern Norway. Sightings tend to cluster in hot, calm summers, and witnesses describe a long, dark, humped animal, sometimes with a horse-like or crocodile-like head.
The oldest written account dates from 1750, when a man rowing across the lake said the creature circled his boat. Reports have continued since, and several sonar and camera searches were made from the 1970s onwards, with no conclusive result.
Selma has been on Seljord's municipal coat of arms since 1989, shown in gold on a red background.
What witnesses report
- A long dark body with humps
- A head like a horse or crocodile
- Boats bumped or circled
- Seen in hot, still summer weather
Famous cases
- 1750Oldest written account of the serpent
Seljord, Norway
Seen the Selma?
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