Kraken
A kraken is a huge mythical sea creature. In Scandinavian and Norwegian mythology,[1] kraken lived off the coasts of Norway, Greenland, and Iceland.
Literary works discussed this mysterious sea monster as far back as 1180, according to paleontologist Rodrigo Brincalepe Salvador.[2] The first known sighting was in 1769.
The legend may actually have originated from sightings of real giant squid.[3][4] They are estimated to grow to 13 meters (40 feet) or more, including the tentacles.[5]
Kraken Media
- Le Poulpe Colossal.jpg
A "colossal octopus" attacking ship, pen and wash
- Krake (trädragg).jpg
Old style Scandinavian drag (grapnel anchor) made from the top of a tree, historically known as krake or krabbe in the Scandinavian languages, probably the root for the naming of the mythological monster.
Wooden whisk, known in Swedish as kräkla
Contemporary art, by Norwegian artist Kim Diaz Holm, interpretating kraken according to the 18th century descriptions.
Two monsters, the ferocious toothed "swine whale", and the horned, flashy-eyed "bearded whale" on Olaus' map, given specific names by Gessner (1516–1565). Olaus Magnus, Carta marina (1539)
- Kraken Olaus Magnus 1555.png
The horned, flashy-eyed "bearded whale" and toothed "swine whale" (right corner) in Olaus' book (1555)
- St. Nicholas (serial) (1920) (14773623885).jpg
19th century depiction of a squid clingering to the head of a sperm whale
- Kraken size (Olaus Magnus).png
Image depicting the thought experiment of upscaling a giant squid to the eye-dimensions given by Olaus Magnus, here 73 meters long, shown next to a 32 meter long blue whale and a near 2 meter tall human.
The Aspidochelone, a fabled sea creature, from a 1400–1425 bestiary in the Danish Royal Library. The hafgufa is often compared to the Aspidochelone myth.
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Related pages
Other websites
- 16x16px The dictionary definition of Kraken at Wiktionary
- 16x16px Works related to Kraken at Wikisource
- The King's Mirror (See Chapter XII)
References
- ↑ "Kraken | legendary sea monster | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2025-08-11. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ Fox, Alex. "The Legend, the History and the Science Behind Seattle's New Hockey Team Name". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ Staff, N. P. R. (2013-01-13). "The Kraken Is Real: Scientist Films First Footage Of A Giant Squid" (in en). NPR. https://www.npr.org/2013/01/13/169274472/the-kraken-is-real-scientist-films-first-footage-of-a-giant-squid. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ "Sea monsters and their inspiration: serpents, mermaids, the kraken and more | Natural History Museum". www.nhm.ac.uk. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ↑ "Giant squid | Description, Size, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2025-09-03. Retrieved 2025-09-14.