10 ms·

Greenland Sharks

131 points by longdefeat 6y ago

xyproto 6y ago
"Greenland Shark" is Håkjerring in Norwegian. Hå is an old word for shark, while kjerring now means bitch.
- giantg2 6y ago
  Interesting
- mc32 6y ago
  And hå sounds like /ho/. But they are fascinating. Living from 200 to 500 years, it’s speculated.
- unhammer 6y ago
  It doesn't mean 'bitch' (that would be "tispe"), though in many dialects it's only used about women in the same way that word is. The literal meaning is just '(grown-up) woman'. In some dialects, it's still just used to mean 'wife' or '(old) woman' without anything negative, though in modern times the negative connotations have spread so it's used less and less like that. But it shows up in fairy tales and kids stories ( https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kjerringa_som_ble_s%C3%A5_lita_som_ei_teskje https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kjerringa_som_ble_s%C3%A5_lita... ) and songs; you'd never see the word "bitch" used about women in English in material meant for children …
  - reitanqild 6y ago
    On behalf of Norwegian language users, thanks for the clarification. You explanation seems to be extremely precise. (My qualifications: I've lived permanently in Norway since before 2000, I speak a Norwegian dialect and pass as a Norwegian all the time. I'm also married to a Norwegian woman so I kind of know the nuances. For Norwegians here: in my family it stops at "kone" even though by the dialect I speak it should rather be pronounced as "kåne" : ).
  - xyproto 6y ago
    Yes, it depends on where in Norway you are, and the context, but if someone yelled "kjerring" somewhere around Oslo, the best translation would be "bitch". If you disagree, we'll have to duke it out with Holmgang. ;)
danaliv 6y ago
> their flesh, unless processed through a lengthy and complicated ritual, is highly toxic ...and even once processed, is disgusting. For a few seconds it's just bland seafood. Then the ammonia punches you in the face from inside your sinuses.
- thsowers 6y ago
  If I may ask, where did you get the chance to try this, and how was it prepared? I just read this on wikipedia: > If the meat is eaten without pretreatment, the ingested TMAO is metabolized into trimethylamine, which can produce effects similar to extreme drunkenness Might be crazy to think, but the thought crossed my mind if the meat was ever ingested, untreated, for recreational purposes.
  - danaliv 6y ago
    Iceland, where it's called hákarl (/'howkartl/, sort of). I don't know how it's prepared now, but the traditional method is to dig a shallow pit, put the shark in there, and then cover it with rocks. The rocks press out the toxic stuff. Then the meat is hung up to dry in an open-air shack. Each step takes 2-3 months. I imagine there's a more industrial process now but I don't know for sure.
    - teruakohatu 6y ago
      Do the chemicals prevent the meat from rotting? Or is the ground acting like a freezer?
      - danaliv 6y ago
        It ferments.
      - MrDresden 6y ago
        Hung for fermentation for a few months. Can see some of the process here[0]. It tastes a bit like strong cheese, with the same texture. Usually eaten with cold snaps. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnjtnzyTNoQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnjtnzyTNoQ
janfry 6y ago
If you want to learn a little more about Greenland Sharks, I recommend the book "Shark Drunk": https://www.goodreads.com/cs/book/show/31348250-shark-drunk https://www.goodreads.com/cs/book/show/31348250-shark-drunk Really enjoyable easy read.
- mindracer 6y ago
  One of the best books I read last year. Can highly recommend it
chrisbennet 6y ago
The sensors in their snout are called Ampullae of Lorenzini. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampullae_of_Lorenzini#:~:text=The%20ampullae%20of%20Lorenzini%20are,network%20of%20jelly%2Dfilled%20pores.&text=Teleosts%20have%20re%2Devolved%20a,electric%20fields%20in%20the%20water https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampullae_of_Lorenzini#:~:text=....

Greenland Sharks

131 points by longdefeat 6y ago

xyproto 6y ago

"Greenland Shark" is Håkjerring in Norwegian. Hå is an old word for shark, while kjerring now means bitch.

giantg2 6y ago
Interesting
mc32 6y ago
And hå sounds like /ho/. But they are fascinating. Living from 200 to 500 years, it’s speculated.
unhammer 6y ago
It doesn't mean 'bitch' (that would be "tispe"), though in many dialects it's only used about women in the same way that word is. The literal meaning is just '(grown-up) woman'. In some dialects, it's still just used to mean 'wife' or '(old) woman' without anything negative, though in modern times the negative connotations have spread so it's used less and less like that. But it shows up in fairy tales and kids stories ( https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kjerringa_som_ble_s%C3%A5_lita_som_ei_teskje https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kjerringa_som_ble_s%C3%A5_lita... ) and songs; you'd never see the word "bitch" used about women in English in material meant for children …
- reitanqild 6y ago
  On behalf of Norwegian language users, thanks for the clarification. You explanation seems to be extremely precise. (My qualifications: I've lived permanently in Norway since before 2000, I speak a Norwegian dialect and pass as a Norwegian all the time. I'm also married to a Norwegian woman so I kind of know the nuances. For Norwegians here: in my family it stops at "kone" even though by the dialect I speak it should rather be pronounced as "kåne" : ).
- xyproto 6y ago
  Yes, it depends on where in Norway you are, and the context, but if someone yelled "kjerring" somewhere around Oslo, the best translation would be "bitch". If you disagree, we'll have to duke it out with Holmgang. ;)

danaliv 6y ago

> their flesh, unless processed through a lengthy and complicated ritual, is highly toxic ...and even once processed, is disgusting. For a few seconds it's just bland seafood. Then the ammonia punches you in the face from inside your sinuses.

thsowers 6y ago
If I may ask, where did you get the chance to try this, and how was it prepared? I just read this on wikipedia: > If the meat is eaten without pretreatment, the ingested TMAO is metabolized into trimethylamine, which can produce effects similar to extreme drunkenness Might be crazy to think, but the thought crossed my mind if the meat was ever ingested, untreated, for recreational purposes.
- danaliv 6y ago
  Iceland, where it's called hákarl (/'howkartl/, sort of). I don't know how it's prepared now, but the traditional method is to dig a shallow pit, put the shark in there, and then cover it with rocks. The rocks press out the toxic stuff. Then the meat is hung up to dry in an open-air shack. Each step takes 2-3 months. I imagine there's a more industrial process now but I don't know for sure.
  - teruakohatu 6y ago
    Do the chemicals prevent the meat from rotting? Or is the ground acting like a freezer?
    - danaliv 6y ago
      It ferments.
    - MrDresden 6y ago
      Hung for fermentation for a few months. Can see some of the process here[0]. It tastes a bit like strong cheese, with the same texture. Usually eaten with cold snaps. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnjtnzyTNoQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnjtnzyTNoQ

janfry 6y ago

If you want to learn a little more about Greenland Sharks, I recommend the book "Shark Drunk": https://www.goodreads.com/cs/book/show/31348250-shark-drunk https://www.goodreads.com/cs/book/show/31348250-shark-drunk Really enjoyable easy read.

mindracer 6y ago
One of the best books I read last year. Can highly recommend it

chrisbennet 6y ago

The sensors in their snout are called Ampullae of Lorenzini. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampullae_of_Lorenzini#:~:text=The%20ampullae%20of%20Lorenzini%20are,network%20of%20jelly%2Dfilled%20pores.&text=Teleosts%20have%20re%2Devolved%20a,electric%20fields%20in%20the%20water https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampullae_of_Lorenzini#:~:text=....