Maelstrom, << MAYL struhm, >> is a swift and dangerous current in the Arctic Ocean. This current sweeps back and forth between two islands of the Lofoten group off the northwestern coast of Norway. It has been a menace to sailors for hundreds of years. The Maelstrom becomes more dangerous when the wind blows against it between high and low tide. The waters then form immense whirlpools that destroy small ships.
Writers, including the Norwegian poet Peter Dass and the American author Edgar Allan Poe, have greatly exaggerated the Maelstrom’s power. As a result, the meaning of the word maelstrom has come to include any kind of whirlpool or any turmoil of widespread influence.
