Ship ghosts widespread in cutters

Stories of "ship ghosts," also known as "niss," were once common among sailors, according to folklore researchers. These spectral beings were believed to inhabit ships, particularly in older times. Rósa Þorsteinsdóttir, who manages the folklore collection at the Árnastofnun Institute, explained that these tales are preserved on magnetic tapes recorded from sailors.

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There have been stories accompanying cutters in the old days about beings that are sometimes called ship ghosts and sometimes niss.

Þorsteinsdóttir noted that while the term "ship ghost" is used, many sources refer to these entities as "niss," emphasizing a specific pronunciation. These accounts suggest that "niss" are often the spirits of individuals who met their end at sea, most commonly through drowning, though some stories also recount deaths aboard ships.

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Most people say that the name is niss, not nissi, and they emphasize that quite specifically.

The Árnastofnun Institute houses numerous recordings of sailors recounting their experiences and beliefs about these maritime apparitions. These narratives offer a glimpse into the superstitions and folklore that were part of seafaring life in previous generations, reflecting a rich tradition of oral history and supernatural beliefs associated with the ocean.

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Most of the informants say that nissa are some kind of likenesses or apparitions of men who have perished at sea. Usually, they have drowned, but there are also stories of them being killed on board.