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Oysters are mollusks mentioned in the How to Train Your Dragon Book series.
Description[]
The term 'oyster' may actually refer to members of several families of bivalves (Class Bivalva) rather than a specific grouping. Examples are the Family Ostreidae or True Oysters, and Family Pteriidae or Feathered Oysters. Though all oysters and other bivalves have the potential to produce pearls, members of the feathered oyster family are most known commercially as 'pearl oysters'.
Generally, oysters consist of two asymmetrical shells, or valves. Oysters are filter feeders, pulling in water across their gills, where debris and creatures such as Plankton become trapped and digested. Adult oysters are sessile, adhering to a substrate and remaining immobile.
Function[]
Oysters are valuable as a food source, as well as pearl production. In the Book series, oysters are also mentioned as an item of barter. Particularly the in-universe book How to Train Your Dragon costs 1 smallish chicken and 20 oysters. In the Book series, oysters may also be referenced as an insult.
Appearances[]
How to Train Your Dragon[]
Oysters are mentioned as part of the price for the book How to Train Your Dragon, by Professor Yobbish.
Hiccup is also seen harvesting oysters while waiting for Toothless to catch fish.
| “ | Hiccup had gotten bored and was looking for oysters when Toothless came bursting triumphantly out of the sea carrying a small mackerel. | ” |
| — Book 1 |
How to Be a Pirate[]
Toothless' toothless mouth is described as having "hard little gums could slice through the shell of an oyster and crush the claws of a crab". This implies that Dragons also enjoy eating oysters, along with Vikings.
Also seen in How to Be a Pirate, Hiccup tries to get Toothless out of the house to practice sniffing for treasure. He uses food to tempt him, including a mackerel "as well a small haddock pie and three or four oysters."
Gobber gives an example of good Rudery during an 'Advanced Rudery' lesson in the Pirate Training Program.
| “ | Snotlout's granny is a yellow-bellied decrepit old oyster, Snotlout's granny is a barking mad old walrus-head ... | ” |
| — Gobber in Book 2 |
Baggybum the Beerbelly uses the word oyster in an exclamation.
| “ | Now hang on an oyster-catching minute | ” |
| — Baggybum |
Oysters are mentioned yet again in Book 2, this time describing the treasure of Grimbeard the Ghastly's full treasure hidden within the Caliban Caves.
| “ | Gorgeous silver cups with seahorses galloping delicately around them and golden necklaces as plump as oysters and swords as sharp as a conger's tooth with octopus tentacles winding themselves around the hilt. | ” |
| — Book 2 |
How to Speak Dragonese[]
The map at the front of this book introduces the island of Bashem. Its Northeast coast is called the 'Oyster Beds', presumably because there are plentiful oysters here.
Oysters are also mentioned when Hiccup and Toothless argue about Toothless' disobedience and selfish desires.
| “ |
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” |
| — Hiccup and Toothless speaking in Dragonese |
Oysters are seen on the breakfast table in the Haddock household when Hiccup tells Stoick about the Roman's 'Fiendishly Clever Plan' to start conflict between the Hooligans and the Bog-Burglars.
While is the custody of the Romans, Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Camicazi are served a variety of fare, including "pig stuffed with dormice stuffed with baby frogs carbonara and oysters fried in cream".
How to Twist a Dragon's Tale[]
Hiccup and Stoick were enjoying an oyster meal when Humongously Hotshot stopped Stoick from eating a particularly large oyster. The chief protested and Humongous had to eat the oyster to prevent Stoick from doing so. It turned out the oyster was bad and Humongous started feeling sick. He left the room, while Stoick felt annoyed and didn't finish the rest of the oysters.
How to Train Your Hogfly[]
An oyster sandwich is mentioned during the chaos following the announcement of a blood feud.
| “ | A Bashem-Oik lobbed his oyster sandwich at a Meathead's ear. | ” |
| — How to Train Your Hogfly |
