In Literature and Popular Culture
Three of the most notable literary references to the Lofoten Maelstrom date from the nineteenth century. The first is the Edgar Allan Poe story "A Descent into the Maelström" (1841). The second is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1869), the famous novel by Jules Verne. At the end of this novel, Captain Nemo seems to commit suicide, sending his Nautilus submarine into the Maelstrom (although in Verne's sequel Nemo and Nautilus survived). The "Norway maelstrom" is also mentioned in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick.
In Spanish and other languages, Maelstrom is used as a synonym for whirlpool. Hence, the word "Maelstrom" appears in diverse contexts metaphorically to make reference to different subjects or objects that suggest great chaotic or sinister forces. The word maelstrom is used to denote powerful, inescapable destructive forces.
Greek Poet Homer describes a maelstrom in his "Odyssey" as Odysseus must choose to sail near the six-headed monster Scylla, or near the whirlpool Charybdis in order to reach Ithaca.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End features a extremely large maelstrom during the epic battle near the movie's end.
World of Warcraft's Azeroth features a maelstrom which connects two worlds and around which navigation between the two major continents is based.
Lego Universe's enemies are called Maelstrom. They are a huge variety of different creatures created from the corrupted Imagination Nexus.
In the Act 5 of Gears of War 3, the main objective is to deactivate a Maelstrom device, which had been generating a large hurricane over the island it is located on.
In Warhammer 40,000 'the Maelstrom' refers to an unstable region of the Milky-Way galaxy, known as a 'Warp Storm', where real-space and the Warp bleed into one another.
In Dungeons & Dragons by Wizards of the Coast 'Maelstroms' are powerful vortexes. Dragonborn are commonly found in their location and are immune to their powerful suction.
For other popular culture uses of maelstrom, see Maelstrom (disambiguation).
Read more about this topic: Maelstrom
Famous quotes containing the words popular culture, literature, popular and/or culture:
“Popular culture entered my life as Shirley Temple, who was exactly my age and wrote a letter in the newspapers telling how her mother fixed spinach for her, with lots of butter.... I was impressed by Shirley Temple as a little girl my age who had power: she could write a piece for the newspapers and have it printed in her own handwriting.”
—Adrienne Rich (b. 1929)
“In other countries, art and literature are left to a lot of shabby bums living in attics and feeding on booze and spaghetti, but in America the successful writer or picture-painter is indistinguishable from any other decent businessman.”
—Sinclair Lewis (1885–1951)
“The best of us would rather be popular than right.”
—Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)
“It is not part of a true culture to tame tigers, any more than it is to make sheep ferocious.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)