Intriguing video of Iceland’s river monster

Tony Santaella reports for Columbia, SC’s wltx.com, Feb. 8, 2012:

Icelandic television is buzzing over some footage possibly showing Iceland’s Loch Ness monster – the Lagarfljot river worm.

The footage showing what looks like a creature swimming in Jokulsa river in Fljotsdal valley was taken February 2.

The video was put onto the Icelandic broadcaster RUV’s webpage later that day and quickly became an internet sensation. The page was inundated with visits from all over the world wanting to view this alleged monster.

The footage, taken by local resident Hjortur Kjerulf, shows what looks like a swimming creature. The “creature” is seen winding or twisting in the river below a farm and seems to be swimming into the stream.

The Lagarfljots river worm is the most well known monster in Icelandic folklore, first mentioned in 1345.

According to RUV, the legend has it that the worm had first been a small heather worm that was put onto a golden ring. This was done so the gold would grow and the ring would become bigger. When the owner of the ring came to collect it some time later he realized, to his great horror, that the worm had grown enormously but the ring had not. The owner threw the ring and the worm into Lagarfljot river where the worm continued to grow.

Those who do not believe this is the monster think the pictures show a bit of net. They say the net blew into the river and froze and when the ice cleared, the so called worm started to slither around in the river.

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My question:

If it’s an abandoned fishing net drifting in the river, how can it “swim” upstream?

~Eowyn