Karl Nag

Karl Nag is a character in Knut Hamsun's novel Mysteries (Norwegian: Mysterier), published in 1892. He is the enigmatic and eccentric protagonist whose sudden arrival in a small Norwegian coastal town disrupts the lives of its inhabitants.

Nag is portrayed as an intelligent and well-read individual with unconventional beliefs and a penchant for philosophical pronouncements. He often engages in paradoxical and contradictory behavior, making him difficult to understand and sparking both curiosity and suspicion among the townsfolk. He carries a strange object, initially described as a green coffin but later revealed to contain saltpetre.

Nag's relationships with other characters are complex and often volatile. He forms connections with both the upper and lower classes, offering unsolicited advice and intervening in their personal affairs. His presence provokes a range of reactions, from admiration and infatuation to hostility and resentment.

Throughout the novel, Nag's past remains shrouded in mystery, and his motivations for coming to the town are never fully explained. He is interpreted as a symbol of disruption, alienation, and the search for meaning in a seemingly absurd world. Ultimately, Nag's story explores themes of identity, societal norms, and the complexities of human psychology.