Caption Above: Ortelius's 1658 map of Iceland showing various mythological sea creatures. Below, a detail of a sea creature labelled H, ‘the greatest of whales’ which could not chase fish but ...

In Norse mythology, dragons are seen as embodiments of chaos and greed. These creatures slither through ancient sagas and Eddas, guarding hoards of gold or bringing about doom. From the venomous ...

and other creatures. To Icelanders these are more than mere myths. Building projects in Iceland are sometimes altered to prevent damaging the rocks where they are believed to live. And throwing ...