Real Origins of the Kraken: How Giant Squid Sparked Sea Monster Legends

In this episode of Wildly Curious (formerly For the Love of Nature), host Kim Baker explores the terrifying legend of the Kraken, the sea monster said to pull entire ships beneath the waves. Was the Kraken just a sailor’s tall tale, or could it have been inspired by real creatures from the ocean depths? Kim dives into the history of the Kraken myth, from its Scandinavian roots to its possible origins in sightings of giant squid and octopuses. Discover how fear of the unknown shaped one of history’s most famous sea monsters and how science has unraveled the truth behind the legend.

Perfect for mythology lovers, marine biology enthusiasts, and anyone fascinated by the mysteries of the deep sea.

Transcript

Hello, and welcome to For the Love of Nature, a podcast where we tell you everything you need to know about nature, and probably more than you wanted to know. I'm Kim Baker, and it's miniseries time. For those of you just joining us, I'm filling in for a couple of weeks while Laura and Katie take a much needed break and prepare for the next Footlawn season.
Throughout this miniseries, we're talking about the very real origins of mythical creatures. And although the stories are fantastical, there's usually a pretty reasonable and real explanation for why these creatures have captured our minds and our hearts. In today's episode, we're going to talk about a mythical creature from the deep, the Kraken.
Let's jump into it. The early 2000s were a time of questionable fashion choices. Think frosted tips, choker necklaces, and non-existent eyebrows.
But nothing compared to the jeans. Whether they were distressed or lace-up, bootleg or buttoned, they were almost exclusively low-rise. And we're talking like one-inch zipper.
How did it stay up? And teens were giving plumber jokes a run for their money kind of low-rise. Unfortunately for me, the early 2000s were also when I was in junior high and high school.
Malls were plentiful, and my babysitting and other teen jobs spending money was enough to indulge in the low-rise jean craze. But Kim, what does this have to do with the Kraken of ancient lore? Well, you see, dear listeners, one of my high school friends gave me that nickname, the Kraken, and it stuck.
Man, am I glad trends have changed. Self-deprecation is the best I've got for today's anecdote, so let me tell you more about what the actual Kraken was all about. The Kraken, by all accounts, is a formidable beast.
Its original description dates back to the 1700s, where an Italian writer was documenting his travels in Scandinavia and wrote that it was a massive fish with many horns or many arms. He did make a point, though, to say it was definitely not a sea serpent, which at the time probably was an important fact to know. The Kraken moved through several phases of description, including a, quote, fabulous whale, giant sea crab, or huge starfish.
By 1801, what we today think of as the Kraken came to light. Namely, a large cephalopod-type creature, usually an octopus or squid, gigantic, horns, claws, and other spicy bits optional, capable of destroying large ships and killing many a sailor. Some accounts of the Kraken's size was, quote, miles long, end quote.
I don't know about you, but that gives me a, the fish was this big vibes. But what do I know? I wasn't a 19th century sailor.
The history of the Kraken starts in Scandinavian and or Nordic folklore. It was said that it roamed the seas from Norway to Iceland and into Greenland, especially in the summer. And of course, it liked wreaking havoc.
What giant oceanic monster wouldn't? The lore goes that fishermen, against their better judgment, were attracted to where the Kraken liked to hang out because fish were plentiful. Danish historian Erik Pontopippadin noted that the Kraken can emit a particular scent that attracted fish and then also use fish carcasses along with its own, quote, evacuation as a lure.
It's poop, Kraken evacuation is poop. As the Kraken feasts, lucky fish would escape its grasp and swim toward the surface, delighting fishermen. At this point, I don't know if the Kraken is having a feeding response or is kind of upset to be sharing its all-you-can-eat buffet with sailors, but it gets big mad.
It swims to the surface where one of two horrific things happens to the ship. One, the Kraken grabs the entire vessel and consumes everyone on board immediately. Or two, it gives a hearty wave or, I don't know, ten tickles?
That's my interpretation. And it plunges back into the water. Its submersion creates a whirlpool that pulls the ship and crew underwater and its curtains for everyone involved.
Yikes. Not a good day. I can see why people were a little put off by this creature.
So it seems like the Kraken has quite the folklore, but where do scientists and historians think it all came from? Now, first, I will die on this hill. The sea was and is a scary place.
I talked about it a couple episodes back in reference to the Hydra, but it bears repeating. It's 2023, and we only know a sliver of what's out there in the ocean right now. I cannot imagine being a sailor, seeing a new sea creature for the first time, and not being totally freaked out.
The most likely story, though, someone saw a squid or an octopus, and the tall tale got a little out of hand. John Ablett, senior curator of A Fancy Way to Say Mollusks at the Natural History Museum in London, explained it this way, quote, squid and octopus are really unusual animals. Their body plan isn't similar to anything else we know in the sea.
They move quickly, and the way their bodies, arms, and tentacles move seem to stimulate something in our fear of the unknown. I think the fact that they are such odd creatures, with some very large species being very rarely seen, make it very likely that they could be the starting points for the Kraken and other sea beast legends. What we think happened is that a partially digested or rotted remains of Giant Squid and Large Octopus were washing up on the beaches, and people were starting to guess what they might be.
In Norway, the Kraken myth grew, and such washed up specimens were interpreted as messages from God, or the devil, or sometimes called sea angels, sea devils, or sea monks. And that tracks. Giant Squid can grow up to 43 feet long.
And instead of seeing bizarre looking Kraken excrement, could sailors have instead been surprised by squid ink? It's not nearly as exciting as finding a real sea monster from the ocean's depths, but I'd still pay money to catch sight of a large octopus or squid. The Kraken may be a thing of myth, but it's a creature steeped in history that continues to be found in pop culture today.
It's been referenced or a full-fledged character in comic books, movies, TV, and regular old books. Heck, the Seattle Kraken are even a hockey team. If I would have known how cool the Kraken was, maybe I would have kept my nickname.
But really, who am I kidding? Probably not. If you can't get enough of cephalopods, I get it.
We can't either. And if you're on the hunt for more, check out our Just Squidden episode from Season 6. That's all for now.
Until next time.