Hafgufa
Encyclopedia
Hafgufa is the name of a massive sea monster
reported to have existed in the Greenland Sea
which was said to disguise itself as an island or pair of rocks rising from the sea. Hafgufa's sinking habit is best explained scientifically as a vanishing island
, and the belching habit (after which it appears to be named) is explainable by the release of methane gases in undersea volcanic events.
, an Old Norwegian
philosophical didactic work written toward the end of the 12th century, the king told his son of several whales that inhabit the Icelandic seas, concluding with what a description of a large whale that he himself feared, but he doubted anyone would believe him about without seeing it. He described the Hafgufa (Hafgufu in Old Norwegian
language) as a massive fish that looked more like an island than like a living thing. The king noted that Hafgufa was rarely seen, but always seen in the same two places. He concluded there must be only two of them and that they must be infertile, otherwise the seas would be full of them.
The king described the feeding manner of Hafgufa: The fish would belch, which would expel so much food that it would attract all the nearby fish. Once a large number had crowded into its mouth and belly, it would close its mouth and devour them all at once.
As Örvar-Oddr and his crew were sailing southwesterly through the Greenland Sea, the deck officer Vignir knew this area would be dangerous, and made Oddr agree to sail the ship beginning the next day, to which Oddr requested Vignir advise him. As they sailed, they spotted two rocks which rose out of the water. The presence of these rocks puzzled Oddr. Later, they passed by a large island covered in heather. Curious, Oddr made up his mind to turn back and send five men to check out the island, but as they approached where the island had been before, they saw that it and the two rocks vanished.
Vignir explained to Oddr that, had they landed sooner, the crew would have surely drowned. The "rocks" and "island" must have been two sea monsters—the great whale Lyngbakr
, and Hafgufa. The rocks had surely been the nose of Hafgufa; the island, Lyngbakr; Ögmundar Eyþjófsbana had allegedly summoned the beasts to kill Oddr and his men.
The 17th century Danish
physician
Thomas Bartholin equated Hafgufa with a giant fish Jasconius (which he had recalled having being named Hafgufa), which St. Brendan was said to have had Mass
while unknowingly atop it. Later, William Blackwood
and Laurence Marcellus Larson presumed the beasts mentioned in the konungs skuggsjá, St. Brendan's saga, and several other sea monster sightings must have been what they knew as the kraken
.
Sea monster
Sea monsters are sea-dwelling mythical or legendary creatures, often believed to be of immense size.Marine monsters can take many forms, including sea dragons, sea serpents, or multi-armed beasts. They can be slimy or scaly and are often pictured threatening ships or spouting jets of water...
reported to have existed in the Greenland Sea
Greenland Sea
The Greenland Sea is a body of water that borders Greenland to the west, the Svalbard archipelago to the east, Fram Strait and the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Norwegian Sea and Iceland to the south. The Greenland Sea is often defined as part of the Arctic Ocean, sometimes as part of the...
which was said to disguise itself as an island or pair of rocks rising from the sea. Hafgufa's sinking habit is best explained scientifically as a vanishing island
Vanishing island
Vanishing island refers to any permanent island which is exposed at low tide but is submersed at high tide. Vanishing islands occur globally. There are seven vanishing islands in the Philippines and several in the San Juan Islands.-Cryptozoology:...
, and the belching habit (after which it appears to be named) is explainable by the release of methane gases in undersea volcanic events.
Norway
In Konungs skuggsjáKonungs skuggsjá
Konungs skuggsjá is a Norwegian educational text from around 1250, an example of speculum literature that deals with politics and morality...
, an Old Norwegian
Old Norwegian
Old Norwegian refers to a group of Old Norse dialects spoken and written in Norway in the Middle Ages. They bridged the dialect continuum from Old East Norse to Old West Norse.-Old Norwegian vs Common Norse:...
philosophical didactic work written toward the end of the 12th century, the king told his son of several whales that inhabit the Icelandic seas, concluding with what a description of a large whale that he himself feared, but he doubted anyone would believe him about without seeing it. He described the Hafgufa (Hafgufu in Old Norwegian
Old Norwegian
Old Norwegian refers to a group of Old Norse dialects spoken and written in Norway in the Middle Ages. They bridged the dialect continuum from Old East Norse to Old West Norse.-Old Norwegian vs Common Norse:...
language) as a massive fish that looked more like an island than like a living thing. The king noted that Hafgufa was rarely seen, but always seen in the same two places. He concluded there must be only two of them and that they must be infertile, otherwise the seas would be full of them.
The king described the feeding manner of Hafgufa: The fish would belch, which would expel so much food that it would attract all the nearby fish. Once a large number had crowded into its mouth and belly, it would close its mouth and devour them all at once.
Iceland
According to the Örvar-Odds saga, Hafgufa was the mother of all sea monsters and fed on whales, ships, men, and anything it could catch. Hafgufa was said to have lived underwater, and when the tide was low at night, her nose and head would rise out of the water. The only physical description provided in the saga is the nose sticking out of the water, which was mistaken for two massive rocks rising from the sea.As Örvar-Oddr and his crew were sailing southwesterly through the Greenland Sea, the deck officer Vignir knew this area would be dangerous, and made Oddr agree to sail the ship beginning the next day, to which Oddr requested Vignir advise him. As they sailed, they spotted two rocks which rose out of the water. The presence of these rocks puzzled Oddr. Later, they passed by a large island covered in heather. Curious, Oddr made up his mind to turn back and send five men to check out the island, but as they approached where the island had been before, they saw that it and the two rocks vanished.
Vignir explained to Oddr that, had they landed sooner, the crew would have surely drowned. The "rocks" and "island" must have been two sea monsters—the great whale Lyngbakr
Lyngbakr
Lyngbakr is the name of a massive whale-like sea monster reported in the Örvar-Odds saga to have existed in the Greenland Sea. According to the saga, Lyngbakr would bait seafarers by posing as a heather-covered island, and when a crew landed on his back, he sank into the sea, drowning the crew...
, and Hafgufa. The rocks had surely been the nose of Hafgufa; the island, Lyngbakr; Ögmundar Eyþjófsbana had allegedly summoned the beasts to kill Oddr and his men.
Likenings to other sea monsters
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
Thomas Bartholin equated Hafgufa with a giant fish Jasconius (which he had recalled having being named Hafgufa), which St. Brendan was said to have had Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
while unknowingly atop it. Later, William Blackwood
William Blackwood
William Blackwood was a Scottish publisher who founded the firm of William Blackwood & Sons.Blackwood was born of humble parents in Edinburgh. At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to a firm of booksellers in Edinburgh, and he followed his calling also in Glasgow and London for several years...
and Laurence Marcellus Larson presumed the beasts mentioned in the konungs skuggsjá, St. Brendan's saga, and several other sea monster sightings must have been what they knew as the kraken
Kraken
Kraken are legendary sea monsters of giant proportions said to have dwelt off the coasts of Norway and Iceland.In modern German, Krake means octopus but can also refer to the legendary Kraken...
.