Hafgufa

Hafgufa is the name of a massive sea monster reported in the Örvar-Odds saga to have existed in the Greenland Sea. According to legend Hafgufa is described as a massive fish that looked more like an island than like a living thing.

It was noted that Hafgufa was rarely seen, but always seen in the same two places. A sailor stated there must be only two of them and that they must be infertile, otherwise the seas would be full of them. Another sailor 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. There is also a legend where it states that 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.