6 
SEA MONSTERS UNMASKED. 
concerned that nobody embraced that opportunity which, according 
to the following account once did, and perhaps never more may 
offer, of seeing it entire when dead." 
The lost opportunity which the worthy prelate thus 
lamented, with the true feeling of a naturalist, was made 
known to him by the Rev. Mr. Friis, Consistorial As- 
sessor, Minister of Bodoen in Nordland, and Vicar of the 
college for promoting Christian knowledge, and was to the 
following effect : 
" In the year 1680, a Krake (perhaps a young and foolish one) 
came into the water that runs between the rocks and cliffs in the 
parish of Alstaboug, though the general custom of that creature is 
to keep always several leagues from land, and therefore of course 
they must die there. It happened that its extended long arms or 
antennae, which this creature seems to use like the snail in turning 
about, caught hold of some trees standing near the water, 
which might easily have been torn up by the roots ; but beside 
this, as it was found afterwards, he entangled himself in some 
openings or clefts in the rock, and therein stuck so fast, and hung 
so unfortunately, that he could not work himself out, but perished 
and putrefied on the spot. The carcass, which was a long while 
decaying, and filled great part of that narrow channel, made it 
almost impassable by its intolerable stench. 
" The Kraken has never been known to do any great harm, 
except," the Author quaintly says, they have taken away the lives 
of those who consequently could not bring the tidings. I have 
heard but one instance mentioned, which happened a few years 
ago, near Fridrichstad, in the diocess of Aggerhuus. They say that 
two fishermen accidentally, and to their great surprise, feil into 
such a spot on the water as has been before described, full of a thick 
slime almost like a morass. They immediately strove to get out of 
this place, but they had not time to turn quick enough to save 
themselves from one of the Kraken's horns, which crushed the 
head of the boat, so that it was with great difficulty they saved 
their lives on the wreck, though the weather was as calm as 
