If the earth shook and the sea swept over the
fields, it was the Stoor Worm yawning. He
was so long that there was no place for his
body until he coiled it around the earth. His
breath was so venomous that when he was
angry, every living thing within his reach was
destroyed. People grew pale and crossed
themselves when they heard his name, for he
was the worst of the nine fearful curses that
plague mankind.
From Asipattle and the Stoor Worm, an Orkney folk tale