The Kraken, The World’s Largest Legendary Sea Monster
17th December 2022
Categorized Under: Myths and Legends from Around the World
Comments (0)
THE KRAKEN, THE WORLD’S LARGEST LEGENDARY SEA MONSTER
Among the many creatures found in the ocean hidden from our sight is The Kraken, the world’s largest legendary sea monster. In Nordic Folklore, the Kraken inhabits the seas from Norway through Iceland and as far as Greenland. It is a shadowy and mysterious creature of enormous size that occasionally emerges from the ocean abysses to attack ships with its long and powerful tentacles, swimming in circles until it creates a whirlpool and then sinks them into the depths of the ocean, devouring their crews.
The first stories about the existence of the Kraken originate in the early 12th century and were inscribed in an ancient manuscript dating from the year 1180, attributed to King Sverre of Norway. Since people depended on the ocean for trade, travel, and fishing, he told sailors to beware of The Kraken, a gigantic squid-like monster that swam near the shores. Many of the sailors who went fishing did not return, and those who did, claimed in terror that they had seen it, and it looked like a terrible octopus with long tentacles with which it gathered its food. They also observed that it sometimes gave off a strong odor to attract fish to eat and that they often ventured above the creature to fish, despite the risk to their boat and their own lives. They also said that when they saw bubbles or many fish on the surface of the water, they knew that something was at the bottom of the sea, while when the fish were moving away quickly, it was because the Kraken was approaching. When this happened, they ran away scared. Unfortunately, some did not have enough time to escape since the large size of the monster and its many tentacles made it a dangerous predator to evade. At the same time, most people agreed that the Kraken was so gigantic that they had come to confuse it with an enormous island one kilometer long.
Like many legends, Kraken began due to sightings of a real animal, the giant squid, which can measure from 13 to 15 meters in length and weigh up to 700 kilos. Although it is unlikely that this immense creature would rise to the surface, ancient sailors likely mistook the Kraken for something else because the dangerous water bubbles and currents were also signs of underwater volcanic activity, something quite common in Iceland.
The Kraken is not like other mythological creatures that have supernatural powers and abilities, and what makes it unique is its great size and enormous strength. When you go sailing, remember that he is very, very low at the bottom of the sea, so try not to disturb his sleep because if he wakes up, his tentacles will surround your boat, and you will be the one who will satisfy his hunger.
AUTHOR: NORDIC FOLKLORE