Scallops are invertebrate animals mentioned in the How to Train Your Dragon Book Series.
Description[]
Scallops (Family Pectinidae) are bivalve shellfish found in marine waters worldwide. They have two valves, or shells, hinged together and are often ruffled. The "upper" shell is typically flatter, while the bottom is more rounded.
Unlike most other bivalves, Scallops are very motile, and can change locations quickly in short bursts. They do not fix themselves to one location as some other mollusks do.
Function[]
In How to Train Your Dragon, scallops may be used as part of an exclamation, as well as for size comparison.
| “ | Ohhh Suffering Scallops!" | ” |
| — Hiccup |
They are most used for food, however, in many cultures. Typically the muscular 'foot' is eaten, as well as the orange roe sac, called 'coral'.
Appearances[]
How to Train Your Dragon[]
Scallops are used in an exclamatory phrase for something that isn't going correctly.
Scallops are also mentioned when describing the behavior of Sea Dragons.
| “ | A real Sea Dragon is a cruel, careless mystery like the mighty ocean itself, one moment as calm as a scallop, the next raging like an octopus. | ” |
| — Old Wrinkly |
A Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus also appears, waking up from a centuries-long slumber. While asleep, it had other oceanic creatures living on it, but as it awoke the wildlife scatters, including scallops.
| “ | And, a week later, the sea around the Dragon Mountain - which had previously been teeming with crabs and lobsters and shoals and shoals of fish - was a great, underwater desert. Not a mollusk stirred, not a scallop shimmied. | ” |
| — How to Train Your Dragon |
Scallops are also invoked as a derogatory comment for something messy.
| “ | You N-N-Nightmares think you're so cruel but you're s-s-sloppy as scallops. | ” |
| — Toothless to Fireworm in Book 1 |
Actual scallop shells are seen near the Highest Point on the Isle of Berk, after a huge storm washed them onto the island.
| “ | The trail up to the Highest Point was littered with scallop shells and dolphins' bones thrown up by the gigantic storm. | ” |
| — Book 1 |
How to Be a Pirate[]
Fishlegs continues the use of scallops in exclamation: "Oh suffering scallops", and later Hiccup utters the same phrase again.
Scallops are later mentioned again, this time describing the treasure of Grimbeard's full treasure hidden within the Caliban Caves.
| “ | Heap after heap of rubies fat and ripe as scallops and emeralds green as a mermaid's eye. | ” |
| — Book 2 |
How to Speak Dragonese[]
Scallops are mentioned when describing the small ship that Snotlout and Dogsbreath build during the Pirate Training Program, called the Sparrowhawk.
| “ | ... she came to a point so sharp at the prow that she sliced through the water as easily as an axe through a scallop. | ” |
| — Book 3 |
Scallops on the Isle of Berk are mentioned, having been washed ashore.
| “ | And Berk is the kind of place where the sea is always wandering up onto land. Even at the Highest Point you can find scallop shells and dolphins' bones, thrown up by some gigantic tide or storm. | ” |
| — Book 3 |
How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse[]
Toothless' eyes opening is compared to the opening of a scallop.
| “ | his greengage eyes opened up, SNAP, like a scallop opening its shell. | ” |
| — Book 4 |
In Book 4 it is Winter and Toothless is unable to get to hibernation sleep like most of the other dragons.
Additionally, Hiccup again uses the common phrase, "Oh, suffering scallops".
