Kraken

The kraken is a famous legendary sea monster said to live in the deep waters of the Norwegian Sea near Norway. Stories about the kraken describe it as an enormous creature, similar to a giant cephalopod, capable of being as big as several ships. Many people believe the legend of the kraken might have started from real sightings of very large giant squid, which can grow up to about 34 feet long.

The idea of the kraken has been part of sea stories and myths for many years. Sailors used to worry about this giant beast, thinking it could pull entire ships under the water. Writers like Victor Hugo and Jules Verne included the kraken in their exciting stories, helping to make it a well-known part of folklore. Even scientists and explorers from long ago wrote about this amazing creature, trying to understand if it really existed.

Etymology

The word "kraken" comes from the Norwegian language. In Norwegian, it is related to words meaning "crooked tree" or "hook". This idea connects to the shape of a sea monster, as crooked tree trunks or hooks can look like a cephalopod.

Early names for the kraken included words like horven, meaning "the harrow", which describes how the sea monster seemed to plow the ocean. Other old names were inspired by tools and objects, showing how people imagined the kraken looked and acted. Over time, words related to "krake" have also been used for types of octopuses and other sea creatures.

General description

The kraken is a legendary sea monster said to live in the Norwegian Sea. Sailors and writers have described it as a giant creature with many arms and heads. Early stories compared it to a huge whale or a giant octopus.

Some writers thought the kraken might actually be a very large type of squid or octopus. Over time, the kraken became famous in stories and myths, capturing the imagination of people around the world.

Historical descriptions

One of the earliest mentions of a sea monster similar to the kraken appears in a map called the Carta marina made by Swedish writer Olaus Magnus in 1539. The map shows sea monsters in the Norwegian Sea, including one shaped like a fish with tentacles and another with horns. Magnus described these creatures as very large, with huge eyes and sharp features.

The first time the word “kraken” was used was in a Norwegian glossary by Christen Jensøn in 1646. He described the kraken as a sea monster with many arms that could pull boats deep into the ocean. Other writers, like Francesco Negri and Hans Egede, also wrote about similar sea monsters, calling them names like “sciu-crak” or describing them as huge creatures with many heads and claws. These stories show how sailors and people long ago imagined huge sea creatures.

Mythical identifications

Main article: Hafgufa

The legend of the kraken is sometimes linked to another mythical sea creature called the hafgufa. Early writers like Hans Egede and David Crantz suggested that the kraken and hafgufa might be the same. Stories describe the hafgufa as a giant sea monster living in the Greenland Sea, and some even say it could be found near Baffin Island, in Canada.

Some scholars think the hafgufa might actually have been a whale, based on old descriptions. Others, like Finnur Jónsson, believe the kraken was more likely a giant inkfish, such as a squid or octopus. The old tales mix real animals like whales and seals with imaginary creatures, making it tricky to know what the legends really mean.

Taxonomic identifications

Erik Pontoppidan suggested the kraken might be a giant crab or a type of octopus. He compared it to ancient sea monsters described by Pliny. Some scientists think the kraken legend comes from sightings of giant squid.

In 1802, Pierre Denys de Montfort described two giant octopus types. One was called the "colossal giant," and the other, the "kraken octopus," which he thought was the largest animal ever. He even blamed giant octopuses for sinking ships, though others think storms were the real cause.

Today, many believe the kraken legend comes from sightings of giant squid. In 1861, a French ship found a giant squid, and in 1873, fishermen in Conception Bay discovered a huge squid with tentacles taller than two men. These discoveries show that giant squid really exist and might have inspired the kraken myth.

Main article: Giant squid

Iconography

The image of the kraken often comes from an old drawing by Denys-Montfort, showing a huge octopus attacking ships. After this, many artists drew similar pictures of the kraken attacking boats. Sometimes, the kraken is shown with many heads, claws, spikes, or horns. One old map by Olaus Magnus from Sweden shows strange sea creatures, and some people think one of them might be the kraken. These drawings include lobster-like monsters and big fish, which some believe are early ideas of the kraken.

Taxonomical influences

The famous Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus described a strange creature called Microcosmus in his book Systema Naturae. He mentioned several unusual sea creatures in his description.

Later writers sometimes confused this with the legendary kraken. One writer even mistakenly said Linnaeus had classified the kraken as a type of cuttlefish, but this was an error. The idea that an ancient giant cephalopod might have inspired the kraken comes from paleontologist Mark McMenamin, though this idea is debated by other scientists.

Literary influences

The French writer Victor Hugo wrote about a large sea creature called the kraken in his book Toilers of the Sea. This idea influenced another famous writer, Jules Verne, who also described the kraken in his novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas.

In English literature, the poet Alfred Tennyson wrote a poem called The Kraken and Herman Melville mentioned the kraken in his book Moby-Dick. These stories show how the legend of the kraken inspired many writers.

Modern use

The legend of the Kraken continues today in many stories, movies, and games. It has appeared in books like John Wyndham's The Kraken Wakes, comics such as the Kraken from Marvel Comics, and films like Clash of the Titans and its 2010 version. It is also a team name in hockey, the Seattle Kraken.

The Kraken appears in video games, the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and the books and TV shows of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, where it is the symbol of House Greyjoy. Two places in space are named after it: Kraken Mare on Saturn's moon Titan, and Kraken Catena on Neptune's moon Triton.