HAILL

Learn the Northern Norwegians' secret trick for good luck

It has a sexy twist...

... according to the local fishermen!

Believe it or not! According to an old local myth, sex might actually give you good fishing luck. And who knows, it might help with other activities in the north you need a bit of luck to experience, too!

Torunn Christiansen

Portrait of Doctor Torunn Christiansen

The best time to go sea fishing in Northern Norway

High season runs from May to September. During the summer months, you can fish around the clock thanks to the midnight sun.

Hard-core anglers will also be interested in winter fishing, especially the famous skrei (migrating cod) fishing that takes place from January to March. It will be dark and cold, but you might spot the northern lights dancing across the sky.

If you talk to a local before going fishing in Northern Norway, you will often hear the following mystical question:

"Have you made sure to secure yourself some good haill?", followed by a giggle.

The term haill means that if you have sex before going fishing, you'll catch more, and bigger, fish!

Haill is a traditional belief, particularly among the people in Northern Norway. Although it sounds funny at first, there might just be something to it.

Dr Torunn Christiansen, a specialist in general practice at Nordlandssykehuset hospital, has long wondered why people in the north still believe in it, even now in modern times.

A little extra boost

She also found a way to approach the myth through a theoretical hypothesis that may make sense:

"Dopamine is a part of our body's reward system, and is released by actions, such as when we hunt or are sexually satisfied. I think it's interesting how haill combines livelihood and sex," says Christiansen.

"After sex, your cognitive system works better – you are easier to cooperate with, and are more likely to make better decisions, hence it's not unlikely that sex will lead you to catch more fish," says Christiansen.

Not to mention, it might also improve your relationship with your partner.

If you want to get to know the northerners, just ask anyone what kind of haill they believe works the best: A new haill, an old haill, or a stranger's haill or some kind of other haill.

Types of haill:

Fresh haill / Ferskt haill – the best haill there is, less than 0 to 48 hours old

Middle haill / Mellomhaill – from 48 to 72 hours since intercourse

Old haill / Gammalhaill – more than 72 hours, OR with someone who's twenty years older than you

Dream haill / Drømmehaill – erotic dreams that lead to the same satisfaction as normal haill

Phone haill / Telefonhaill – when you get an erotic text or call before fishing

Stranger haill / Fremmedhaill – when you get your haill from a one-night stand

Self haill / Sjølhaill – can’t get lucky with someone else? Do it yourself

Folklorist Marit Anne Hauan

Portrait of Folklorist Marit Anne Hauan

The importance of good haill

Haill used to have a more serious side to it. Up to the 1930s, haill was used specifically for fishing halibut, an exclusive fish that could weigh more than two hundred kilos. Called "the queen of the sea", halibut could earn you a living and feed your family like no other type of fish.

However, halibut fishing was dangerous and required you to endure bad weather and rough working conditions.

"Haill reflects the relation between the fisherman and his woman. The term was used intimately, not in public, and the saying was that you got your luck, or your haill from your beloved. You had to choose the right partner who gave you enough luck to save your household, because it was the woman who kept the haill," explains Folklorist Marit Anne Hauan.

Today, we are not dependent on catching halibut in order to live a good life, and the term haill has a more humorous meaning to it. But the people in Northern Norway still say "godt haill", meaning good haill, as a means of wishing you good luck when you are going fishing.

As halibut is a rare catch, cod is the livelihood of most fishermen in Northern Norway. Every year, the cod migrates from the Barents Sea to the northern coast to spawn. This delicacy is called skrei ... and has become the fish that is most commonly associated with haill. A skrei adventure is a must when visiting the north!

And maybe haill can bring you good luck for other activities besides fishing?

Get lucky with haill

In stunning and weather-beaten Northern Norway, you might just need some haill – a touch of luck that just might bring you more than a great catch, like ...

... experiencing the Northern Lights ...

... or making the killer whales appear and sea eagles fly by ...

... or maybe the thrill of haill will help you to catch the perfect wave.

The myth of Haill

See what happened when Ole and Sergio went to Northern Norway to test if there's any truth to the myth.

Northern Norway in Winter

See the magical northern lights, go on a whale safari and catch some famous Norwegian skrei! Northern Norway is a paradise in winter.

More reasons to visit

Great places to have
sex in Norway

Oh, yes, YES! Whether it's for the sake of fishing luck or not, you don't really need an excuse to have a great time ... without any clothes.

Check out our hottest spots

Hooked on haill?

Now that you’re hooked, you should get some haill for your next adventure!

12 reasons to visit Northern Norway this winter

Northern lights

Vesterålen

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