 According to folklorist Jennifer Westwood , the stoor worm 's head was " like a great mountain " ; its breath was putrid , contaminating plants and destroying any humans or animals with its blast . Traill Dennison reported the serpent 's length was " beyond telling , and reached thousands and thousands of miles in the sea " . Giant sea swells and earthquakes were attributed to the beast yawning , a sign it wanted to be fed rather than of fatigue . Islanders were terrified of the serpent ; it was described by Traill Dennison , who transcribed its story , as " the worst of the nine fearful curses that plague mankind " . A further tale recorded by Traill Dennison gives a brief mention of another stoor worm , described as the progeny of the Orcadian monster , which is killed when it is severed in two by an oversized mythical ship . 
