The Finnman’s Wager

A young fisherman from Fetlar called Ertie had no fear of the strong sea around Shetland. He delighted in going out in all weathers, claiming he was the best fisherman who had ever lived. Then one stormy day, a tall, dark stranger approached Ertie with a mischievous smile on his face.

Even before he spoke, Ertie knew this was a Finnman, a shape-shifting creature who lived amongst the waves. The Finnman had a wager for Ertie. Since he wasn't afraid of a little storm, the Finnman bet him that he wouldn't catch a single fish before Yule.

Foolishly, Ertie accepted.

The wind blowed and the sea raged and even brave Ertie thought it best to wait. Time started to run out but with just a few days to go, the storm eased. Quickly getting his boat ready to sail, the fisherman realised he didn’t have time to collect bait.

Instead, Ertie took with him strips of linen and a flask of oil. Once he had sailed out to his favourite spot, he cut his finger and put some bloody linen on the end of his hook. Before long, Ertie had reeled in a tiny fish. It wouldn’t be a big meal, but it was all he needed to win his wager.

Any joy he felt quickly evaporated when Ertie turned his tiny fishing boat for home. Three enormous waves were coming straight for him. The first wave wasn’t too bad but the crash of the second nearly tipped him over. Ertie knew he wouldn’t be so lucky when he reached the third wave.

Praying quietly, he poured some oil onto the troubled water, an old ritual for calming the sea. When that had no effect, in desperation he launched the entire flask right into the centre of the wave. Almost immediately, it died down to nothing and Ertie could make his way home as fast as possible.

As few days later, Ertie saw the Finnman again, but he barely recognised him. He had a broken nose, a black eye and missing a few teeth. Tentatively, the fisherman brought up the wager. The Finnman shouted back, "You'll be getting nothing after you doused me in oil and threw a jar in my face!"

Ertie knew he had been lucky to escape the wrath of the Finnman and was very happy to never see him again.