There is probably no more terrible legendary monster compared to the Kraken, the ruler of the seas that made the sailors shudder with fear. What is interesting from the legend of the Kraken is the possibility that this legend may be based on something real.
Kraken is a monster who is described as a giant creature that dwells in the sea area of Iceland and Norway. This creature is called often attack ships passing by rolling it with its giant tentacles and pull it down.
Kraken word itself comes from the word "Krake" from the Scandinavian language meaning refers to animals that are not healthy or something weird. This word is still used in modern German language to refer to Octopus.
Once the popularity of these creatures to the point that he was often mentioned in popular films such as Pirates of the Caribbean or the Clash of the Titans. If there is a gigantic ruler of the sea creatures, then Krakenlah name.Character Kraken
We may think Kraken is just a part of the tale, but they are not. Kraken designation first appeared in book Systema Naturae, written Carolus Linnaeus in 1735.
Mr. Linnaeus was the first person to classify living things into the class-faction. In his book, he classifies Chepalopoda Kraken in the group with the latin name Microcosmus. So, if Kraken arguably has a place in modern science.
Erik Ludvigsen Pontopiddan, Bishop of Bergen, who is also a naturalist, once wrote in his book Natural History of Norway, published in 1752 when the Kraken "can not be denied, is the largest sea monster ever known."
According Pontopiddan, Kraken has a size of an island that floats and has tentacles like a sea star. He also mentioned that this creature can roll the boat through the tentacles and pulled into the ocean floor. However, according Pontopiddan, danger, especially from the Kraken is a sweeping ripples of water when he dived into the sea. Ripples that can sink ships which is nearby.
Interestingly, in addition to describing the Kraken as a dangerous creature, Pontopiddan also wrote about the other side of this mysterious creature. He mentioned that the fish in the sea near like Kraken. Since then, the Norwegian fishermen who know this love taking risks to catch fish with his boat until he was directly above the Kraken.
If they came back with a lot of catches, the villagers knew that if the fishermen are catching fish must have been just above the Kraken.
Since long, this creature is only considered as part of the ancient mythology which is equivalent to a fairy tale. But when the remains of dead beached monster Albaek, Danish, In the year 1853, scientists began to realize that the legend of the Kraken probably is based on something real, namely the giant squid, colossal squid or a giant octopus.
How exaggerated a squid or octopus can grow?
They could justify attacking a large ship as portrayed in the movies?
Significant sightings
In 1801, Pierre Denys de Montfort who investigates the subject of the Kraken is found that in the Chapel of St.Thomas in St.Malo, Brittany, France, there is a painting depicting a giant octopus attacking a ship with a way of rolling with the tentacles. The incident depicted in the painting was based on real events.
Narrated if the ship is the Norwegian ship, which was in offshore Angola. When getting the unexpected attack, the sailors on the ship then made a vow to St.Thomas is if they can be separated from this danger, they will make a pilgrimage.The crew then took the ax and started to fight the monster by cutting off the tentacles, tentacles. Monster went away. As a fulfillment of his vow that, the crews then visited the Chapel of St.Thomas in Britanny and hang the painting as an illustration of the events that befall them.
Unfortunately, the events that befall the sailors were not known exactly the year incurred.However, at least, a giant monster attack on a ship could not properly be regarded as mere myth.
In addition to paintings in the Chapel of the story of St.Thomas, Mr.Monfort also told another encounter with a creature like a giant squid or octopus suffered by captain Jean-Magnus dens of the Danes, who met with the creature's well off the coast of Angola. The giant creature attacking their ships and even succeeded in killing three crew.
The other crew had not been idle and immediately took the gun and fired it into the monster again and again until he disappeared into the ocean.
The captain estimated that the monster's dens in length 11 meters.
Another story happened on November 30, 1861. When was sailing in the Canary Islands, the French crew, Alencton, watching a giant sea monster swimming not far from the ship. The sailors quickly set up the bullets and mortar shells toward the later shooting monsters.
Monsters are scared to quickly swam away. However, Alencton ship immediately directed to chase him. When they got closer, iron forks immediately dihujamkan into the monster's body and immediately cast nets. When the crew raised the net, the monster's body broken and crushed and then immediately fell into the water, leaving only a portion of the tentacles.
When the ship landed and the tentacles were shown to the scientific community, they agreed that the crew might have seen a giant squid with a length of about 8 meters.
In October 1873, a fisherman named Théophile Piccot and her son managed to find a giant squid tentacle in Newfoundland. Once measured, the researchers concluded that the animal is likely to have up to 11 meters long.
In 1924, Frank T. Bullen published a book called The Cruise of the Chacalot. In this book, Bullen tells a remarkable story that referred to occurred in 1875. This story makes Kraken get his eternal enemy, the Pope throwers (Sperm Whale).
According to Bullen, in the year 1875 she was on a ship that was sailing in the straits of Malacca. When the full moon night, he saw there was a great cries in the water.
"There is a large movement in the sea when the full moon. I grabbed the binoculars are always ready in the night hangers. I saw a huge whale throwers were involved in a great battle with a squid that has almost as big as the whale's body. Head of the whale looks like a nimble handsJust like. Pope was seen being bitten by a systematic squid tentacles. In addition to the black head, also seen a large squid head. Terrible, I never imagined that there was squid with a head that big. "
Heard testimony Bullen, we may be tempted to say if he was exaggerating, or maybe make that up. However, in October 2009, the scientific community realized that the stories told Bullen probably is not just fiction. Giant squid are hostile to the Pope throwers.
In waters in the Bonin islands in Japan, marine researchers managed to obtain rare photographs showing a whale throwers was eating a giant squid which had an estimated length of 9 meters.
Giant Squid, Colossal Squid and Giant Octopus
Now, let us know a little more our giant three friends who may have fueled the legend of the Kraken. I will start from the giant squid.
Giant Squid
Giant Squid Architeuthis from this genus has eight known species and can have up to 13 meters long for the females and 10 yards for a male. This size is calculated from caudal fin to the tip of the tentacles. However, the size of this squid could be bigger than expected.
In the year 1880, pieces of tentacles found in New Zealand and is estimated to belong to the giant squid which has a length of 18 meters. Size incredible!
The idea that a giant squid could sink a ship may sounds corny Ngada today. However, in medieval times, the size of the ship from which we have now. For example, Columbus' ship Pinta named only has a length of 18 meters. A 10-15 meter long squid was likely to attack and sink the ship with ease.
Squid giant behavior is almost never known before until in 2004 when Japanese scientists succeeded in getting 556 photos of these creatures alive. Squid are caught in a trap created.When he escaped, one of the tentacles that have a 5.5 meter long break. From this length, the scientists estimate that the creature has a length of 8 meters.
Colossal Squid
If we thought the giant squid already has tremendous size, hence, introduce a single creature, the Colossal Squid.
This creature has a latin name Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni and scientists believe that these creatures can grow up to at least 14 meters in length. This makes it the longest in the world of invertebrates. Nevertheless, the scientists could not tell how long until these animals can grow.
About the Colossal Squid, Dr.Steve O'Shea, squid expert from Auckland University said:
"Now we know that this creature has a size larger than the Giant Squid. Giant Squid is no longer the biggest squid out there. Now we have something bigger. And not just about the big, but actually much greater."
Colossal Squid in the photo above was captured in the Ross Sea and has a mantle length of 2.5 meters. These include extraordinary size because the Giant Squid has the largest known only 2.25 meters long coat. Moreover, the Colossal Squid over the long-believed to still be growing until it reaches a much larger size.
If there Kraken out there, then it could be ascertained if the Colossal Squid is the main suspect.
So, what's the difference Giant Squid and Colossal Squid?
Giant Squid tentacles only have suckers that have holes and small teeth, while the Colossal Squid have tentacles are also equipped with sharp hooks. Some even have a third tip hooks.
Aside from the two types of squid on top, this one creature has tentacles and can grow in an extraordinary measure, namely the Giant Octopus.
Giant Octopus
Giant Octopus, or a giant octopus that can grow up to 9 meters in length. This long enough to make him into a monster feared by the sailors. These creatures are believed to Monfort as a monster who attacked the sailors in the Norwegian offshore Angola which his paintings hanging in the Chapel of St.Thomas.
The wreck was beached St.Augustine, Florida in 1896. Trusted as a Giant Octopus 
At present, the theory about a giant squid or octopus is considered as the most plausible explanation about the legendary Kraken.
If we assume that the European legend that says if the Kraken has a size of an island as "exaggerated", then maybe the Kraken's mystery is solved.
But, how can we be sure?
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