The Legend of the Kraken

Pixabay

The Kraken is one of those mythical beasts that we all know and can see in our minds, yet rarely ever understand the origins of. Generally passed down nowadays through word of mouth or references in modern films and literature, the Kraken simply exists for most people. The Kraken has become an idea as fundamental as the ocean itself. Many will be shocked to find out that the origin of this great beast is from actual accounts that were meant to be taken as factual, stemming from Scandinavian history and folklore. The preponderance of the Kraken as a myth stems from the actual terror of going out at sea and finding a monster the size of which your mind cannot even comprehend. This idea has a primal attraction to us, as we are all scared of the unknown. We are often terrified of the thought of what great mysteries may lie beneath the ocean.


The myth and legend of the Kraken were passed down by both written and spoken words through Scandinavian historians and fishermen. It is said to be so big that it can be mistaken for a body of land. It was said to have massive tentacles, reminiscent of a mostly oversized octopus, and would cause massive chaos in the sea with its use of those tentacles, especially near the surface. It would eat anything and everything, merely opening its mouth to allow for its meal to gather, over the span of weeks or months, into its stomach. It was said there were very few, some even saying as few as one or two. Once widely regarded to be of factual existence, nowadays the Kraken is passed off as folklore. Nary a passenger of a cruise ship is frightened by the idea of a Kraken coming forth and taking their cruise ship down with it. Still, there is something to be said for how many people believed in the Kraken. Perhaps, as the presence of man in the world increased, the Kraken merely ventured off deeper into the sea.