Tradition / Region: Icelandic folklore
Alternate Names: Reverse-Fin Trout
Category: Fish, Trout
The Myth
The Öfuguggi, known as the Reverse-Fin Trout, is one of the most feared fish in Icelandic lore. Its name alone carries dread, for the creature is said to be lethally poisonous, more dangerous than any ordinary fish of lake or river.
At first glance, the öfuguggi resembles a normal brown trout. Only on closer inspection does its true nature reveal itself. Its fins are reversed, and it swims backward, moving tail-first with its head following behind. Some say only a single fin is reversed, but this is enough to mark it as unnatural. Its body is jet-black, dark as coal, while its flesh is deep red, a sign that it feeds on the bodies of the drowned.
The öfuguggi lives in the cold depths of freshwater lakes, far from light. Though rarely seen, it is sometimes caught by unsuspecting fishermen. When cooked and eaten, it brings terrible death. Those who consume its flesh are said to swell violently, their bodies bloating until the stomach bursts, leaving a cross-shaped wound behind.
One of the most dreadful stories tells of a farm where nearly everyone who shared a meal of trout fell ill and died. Only one girl survived—the lone person who had eaten nothing.
Stories of the reverse-fin trout are known throughout Iceland, and certain lakes and pools bear names that warn of its presence. These places are remembered as cursed waters, where the öfuguggi once swam—or may still swim—waiting in the dark below.
The öfuguggi remains a symbol of hidden danger, a fish that looks ordinary yet carries death within, reminding people that not all that comes from clear water is safe to eat.
Gallery
Sources
A Book of Creatures contributors. (n.d.). Ofuguggi. In A Book of Creatures, from https://abookofcreatures.com/2019/05/13/ofuguggi/
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive
Other
- How to Invite The Öfuguggi