HAFGERDINGAR

Also known ashafgerdingareffect.Hafgerdingaris Norse for 'sea hedges' or 'sea fences'. The term denotes a circular *physical illusion depicting a giant wave similar to those occasionally reported in Polar sea regions. The termhafgerdingarstems from a 13th-century manuscript called theKing's Mirror, which contains descriptions of Iceland, Ireland, and Greenland. For a long time it was believedthatinthismedievaltextthetermhafgerdingarrefers to a circular tidal wave or a single rogue wave occurring at open sea, caused by a submarine earthquake or a capsizing iceberg, and actually capable of putting a ship in grave peril. However, a re-examination of the hafgerdingar's original description indicates that the phenomenon in question may well have been a * superior mirage or *fata morgana. In the Polar region such physical illusions can appear to the observer as a huge wall of waves surrounding one's ship, with an apparent height of 30 m or more.

Lehn, W.H., Schroeder, I.I. (2003).Hafgerdingar: A mystery from theKing's Mirrorexplained.Polar Record, 39,211-217.