THE KRAKEN. 3^9 



causes such a swell, and such an eddy and whirl- 

 pool, that he carries every thing down with it."* 



It is a favourite notion of Pontoppidon, that 

 from the appearance of the Kraken originate those 

 traditions of floating islands being so frequently 

 observed in the North Sea. Thus Debes, in his 

 Feroa Reserata, alludes to certain islands which 

 suddenly appeared, and as suddenly vanished. 

 Similar accounts may be found in Harpelius and 

 Torfaaus. These islands are looked upon by the 

 common people as the habitation of evil spirits, but 

 are more probably occasioned by the appearance of 

 this great sea animal. " We ought not," says Pon- 

 toppidon, " to charge the evil spirit without a cause. 

 I think the making and unmaking of these floating 

 islands is nothing else but the Kraken, which some 

 sea-faring people call Soe-trolden, i. e. sea mischief. 

 What confirms me in this opinion is the following 

 occurrence, quoted by the worthy Swedish physician, 

 Urban Hierne, from Baron Grippenheim. * Among 

 the rocks about Stockholm there is sometimes seen 

 a certain tract of land, which at other times dis- 

 appears; and is again seen in another place. Buraeus 

 has placed this as an island in his map. The pea- 

 sants say it is not always seen, and that it lies in 

 the open sea, but I could not find it. On Sunday I 

 saw something like three points of land in the sea, 

 which surprised me. Upon this I went to enquire 

 of a peasant, but on our return we could see nothing 



* Pontoppidon's Nat. Hist, of Norway, vot, ii. p. 211. 



