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Kraken
The kraken () is a legendary sea monster of enormous size said to appear off the coasts of Norway. Kraken, the subject of sailors' superstitions and mythos, was first described in the modern age at the turn of the 18th century, in a travelogue by Francesco Negri in 1700. This description was followed in 1734 by an account from Dano-Norwegian missionary and explorer Hans Egede, who described the kraken in detail and equated it with the ''hafgufa'' of medieval lore. However, the first description of the creature is usually credited to the Norwegian bishop, Pontoppidan (1753). Pontoppidan was the first to describe the kraken as an octopus (polypus) of tremendous size, and wrote that it had a reputation for pulling down ships. The French malacologist, Denys-Montfort, of the 19th century is also known for his pioneering inquiries into the existence of gigantic octopuses. The great man-killing octopus entered French fiction when novelist Victor Hugo (1866) introduced the ' octop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hafgufa
( non, haf "sea" + non, gufa "steam"; "sea-reek"; "sea-steamer") is a legendary massive sea monster (or whale), purported to inhabit Iceland's waters (Greenland Sea) and southward towards Helluland. When the creature remains stationary it is mistaken for an island. The hafgufa is mentioned in the mid-13th century Norwegian tract called the ''Konungs skuggsjá'' ("King's Mirror"). Later recensions of ''Örvar-Oddr, Örvar-Odds'' saga feature ''hafgufa'' and ''lyngbakr'' as similar but distinct creatures. According to the Norwegian didactic work, this creature uses its own vomit like chumming bait to gather prey fish. In the ''Fornaldarsaga'', the hafgufa is reputed to consume even whales or ships and men, though Oddr's ship merely sailed through its jaws above water, which appeared to be nothing more than rocks. Nomenclature This creature's name appears as in Old Norse in the 13th century Norwegian work. In the ''Snorra Edda'', the ''hafgufa'' ("sea-steamer") appears in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
