Also called Krake, Hafgufa, Lyngbakr.
The tale
Norwegian fishermen told of a creature so huge that when it rose it was mistaken for islands, with fish swarming around it; if it sank quickly, its whirlpool could drag down ships. Bishop Erik Pontoppidan described it at length in his Natural History of Norway in 1752–53. Earlier, the thirteenth-century Konungs skuggsjá describes the hafgufa, a vast sea beast that feeds by opening its mouth for fish.
When they are met
- at sea
- when facing the vast unknown
Staying on their good side
- respect for the sea and sea life
- support for ocean conservation
Honouring them, or keeping safe
- Learn about the real giant squid, which likely lies behind the old accounts.
- Reflect on how the tales named the fear of the deep.
What their tales teach
- wonder at the sea
- facing the unknown
Symbols
- a floating island
- many arms
- whirlpools
- shoals of fish
The kraken is a creature of early modern folklore and natural history rather than Norse myth.
Sources
- Erik Pontoppidan, The Natural History of Norway (1752–53)
- Konungs skuggsjá (The King's Mirror)
- Örvar-Odds saga
More Norse folklore
- Huldra The hidden woman of the forest
- Nisse The little old man of the farm
- Draugr The restless dead of the sagas
- Trolls The old dwellers in mountain and stone
- Valkyries The choosers of the slain
- Fossegrim The fiddler beneath the waterfall
- Nøkken The fiddler in the still water
- Mara The spirit who rides sleepers