Have you ever wondered what lurks out there in the deep, dark woods of the North? This book presents a choice selection of monstrous beings and fabulous creatures from Greenland, across the North Atlantic to Scandinavia, and the Baltic States. Meet the Giant Gull of Greenland, the terrifying Skrimsl of the Icelandic wilderness, the trolls that stomp through the impenetrable Nordic woods, and the puk-dragons guarding the houses on the Baltic Coast. This is the book where zoologist Lars Thomas tries to make sense of all the very strange beings that live in these Curious Countries.
Introduction – Folklore, cryptozoology and zoology 7
Greenland – Monsters of the very far north 11
Iceland – Fire, ice and fairies 37
The Faroe Islands – Eighteen small green islands 69
Denmark – Small country – big stories 85
Norway - Mountains, mountains and yet more mountains 131
Sweden - So near and yet so strange 159
Finland – The land of the little people 191
The Baltic Countries – Three problematic neighbours 223