Icelander films alleged legendary creature

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EGILSSTAOIR, Iceland, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- An Icelandic man said he has captured video of a creature he believes is the legendary Lagarfljots Worm.

Hjortur Kjerulf said he shot the video last weekend on the river Jokulsa i Fljotsdal, which runs into Lagarfljot lake, and it appears to depict a giant snake-like creature swimming upstream, iceNews reported Wednesday.

However, some critics have said the video could be depicting some old netting that became frozen in the river, making it appear to be a swimming snake.

The legend behind the Lagarfljots Worm, which was first sighted in 1345, claims it began as a regular worm thrown into the lake by a woman who was angry when it failed to make her gold ring grow. The ring, which the legend says the woman also threw into the river, is said to have made the worm grow to a gigantic size.