Kraken facts for kids
The kraken is a legendary cephalopod-like sea monster of giant size in Scandinavian folklore. According to the Norse sagas, the kraken dwells off the coasts of Norway and Greenland and terrorizes nearby sailors.
Authors over the years have suggested that the legend may have originated from sightings of giant squids that may grow to 13–15 meters (40–50 feet) in length. The size and fearsome appearance given to the kraken have made it a common ocean-dwelling monster in various fictional works.
The kraken has been the focus of many superstitious sailors passing the North Atlantic and especially sailors from the Nordic countries. Throughout the centuries the kraken has been a staple part of sailors' superstitions and mythos being heavily linked to sailors ability of telling a tall tale.
Since the late 18th century, kraken have been shown in a number of ways, mainly as large octopus-like creatures. The kraken is also said to have spikes on its suckers. In the earliest descriptions, however, the creatures were more crab-like than octopus-like, and generally possessed traits that are associated with large whales rather than with giant squid.
Some traits of kraken resemble undersea volcanic activity occurring in the Iceland region, including bubbles of water; sudden, dangerous currents; and appearance of new islets.
Images for kids
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Two monsters, the ferocious toothed "swine whale", and the horned, flashy-eyed "bearded whale" on Olaus's map, given specific names by Gesner. The "bearded" is possibly a kraken.—Olaus Magnus, Carta marina (1539) -
The Niagara sighting. 200 foot creature allegedly seen afloat in 1813, depicted as octopus by a naturalist
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Sea-grapes, or cephalopod eggs
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"Kraken of the imagination"— John Gibson, 1887. -
Giant fish encountered by St. Brendan. "Insula Fortunata" marked near it.
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An illustration from the original 1870 edition of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
See also
In Spanish: Kraken para niños
