the mountain with a hole right through it
Long ago a troll saw some troll girls bathing, and fell in love with one of them. The troll tried to catch the girl, but she fled, jumping from island to island. The troll had to give up, and in rage he picked up his bow and shot an arrow towards the girl. But another troll threw his hat to divert the arrow, and the hat – with a hole through it – fell down on the island Torget and became the mountain Torghatten.
My version of the story is very simplified, but never mind, after all it's just old bullshit. The "hole" or cave was washed out by the waves when the land was weighted down by a thick sheet of ice. Probably. The name "Torget" means "the marketplace", which the island once was. On the bottom of the page is a map showing essentially the peninsula Sømna with the town Brønnøysund near the south end of the Nordland coast.
The 160 meter long hole through Torghatten, the northeast entrance seen from about midway through the cave.
(2008-06-06)
The hole through Torghatten, the southwest entrance seen from about midway through the cave.
(2008-06-06)
The hole in Torghatten, the southwest entrance.
(2008-06-06)
The hole through Torghatten, closer to the southwest entrance.
(2008-06-06)
Oscar II, king of Sweden and Norway 1872–1905 was here 14 July 1873 as shown.
(2008-06-06)
At a point on this road, shown on the map below, it is possible to see right through the hole in Torghatten. The distance to the mountain is about 17 km.
(2008-06-06)
Torghatten photographed with a telephoto lens, making visible the hole with the light of the sky shining through. (This can also be seen from the other side and from a shorter distance when sailing past, like from Hurtigruten – the Norwegian Coastal Express, which always passes close by.) Twice a year, for a few minutes, in autumn and in spring, the sun shines through the hole, as seen from this viewpoint or close by (we didn't leave the road). Search the web, and you'll find at least two impressive picture of this phenomenon.
(2008-06-06)
The north part of the peninsula Sømna. Torghatten, the mountain with the hole, is marked by the left red circle. The right red circle marks the viewpoint of the two last pictures.
