The Kraken Rises: Fictional and Real Monsters from the Deep Sea. The terrible kraken - myth or reality? What does a kraken look like in real life?

Stories constantly appear about the Kraken, which are full of fiction. For example, it is assumed that there is such a creature as the Great Kraken, living in the Bermuda Triangle. Then the fact that ships disappear there becomes understandable.

Who is this Kraken? Some consider him an underwater monster, some - a demon, and some - a higher mind, or supermind. However, scientists still received true information at the beginning of the last century, when real krakens ended up in their hands. Until that moment, it was easier for scientists to deny their existence, because until the 20th century they only had eyewitness stories to think about.

Does the Kraken really exist? Yes, this is a real organism. This was first confirmed at the end of the 19th century. Fishermen fishing near the shore noticed something very bulky, firmly grounded. They made sure that the carcass was not moving and approached it. The dead kraken was delivered to science Center. Over the next decade, several more similar bodies were recovered.

They were first studied by Verrill, an American zoologist, and the animals owe their name to him. Today they are called octopuses. These are terrible and huge monsters, they belong to the class of mollusks, that is, in fact, relatives of the most harmless snails. They usually live at depths from 200 to 1000 meters. Somewhat deeper in the ocean live octopuses 30-40 meters long. This is not an assumption, but a fact, since the actual size of the kraken was calculated from the size of the suckers on the skin of whales.

In the legends they spoke about it like this: a block erupted from the water, engulfed the ship with tentacles and carried it to the bottom. It was there that the kraken from legends fed on drowned sailors.

Kraken is an ellipsoidal substance, made of a jelly-like substance, shiny and having a grayish, transparent color. It can reach 100 meters in diameter, while it practically does not react to any stimuli. She doesn't feel pain either. It is, in fact, a huge jellyfish, similar in appearance to an octopus. She has a head a large number of very long tentacles with suckers in two rows. Even one kraken tentacle can destroy a ship.

There are three hearts in the body, one main, two gills, since they drive blood, which blue color, through the gills. They also have kidneys, liver, and stomach. The creatures do not have bones, but they have a brain. The eyes are huge, complexly arranged, approximately like those of a person. Sense organs are well developed.

The legend and myths of the kraken are among the most widespread in the world. Everyone is trying to solve the mystery of his existence. But who is the kraken?

The word itself comes to us from the Scandinavian language - “crabbe”.

In ancient times, science was not so developed, and people used one word to call all creatures more or less similar in appearance. Therefore, Kraken is the general name for all huge squids and octopuses.

But legends describe a single monster that keeps all sailors in fear. Who is he?

Appearance of the Kraken

Despite the terrifying stories, the kraken is a very real creature.

The giant monster has an elliptical body. It can reach about 3-4 meters in length, and more than 100 in diameter.

The color is usually grayish-transparent and shiny. And the body itself is jelly-like, which allows it not to react to external stimuli.

Externally, the kraken resembles an octopus: it has a head and several tentacles, strong and long.

According to legend, one tentacle with big amount suckers, can destroy a ship.

Like all octopuses, the kraken has 3 hearts: a regular one and a pair of gills that push blood through the gills.

The blood circulating in his body is blue. And the set of internal organs is almost standard: liver, kidneys, stomach. The body has no bones at all, but there is a brain.

The head of the octopus is the center of nerve nodes that controls all functions of the body. Their sense organs - taste, smell, touch, hearing, balance, vision - are well developed. They have huge eyes complex structure: retina, cornea, iris, lens, vitreous body.

Kraken has one distinctive feature: it has a specific organ whose properties resemble a jet engine.

It works as follows: having filled the cavity with sea water, the gap is tightly closed using cartilaginous buttons, and then the water is pushed out with a powerful jet.

As a result of this manipulation, the mollusk is able to move into the reverse side at a distance of about 10 meters.

The Kraken is also capable of releasing a cloudy liquid into the water when angered. It has a protective function and is poisonous.

It is almost impossible for a person to meet this giant, because it does not surface or does so extremely rarely.

Habitats

Krakens live in the open sea at a depth of 200 to 1000 meters. All oceans are habitats for these mollusks, with the exception of the Arctic Ocean.

According to one legend, it is believed that krakens are guards guarding the untold riches of destroyed ships.

Maybe that’s why it’s extremely problematic to meet them.

According to numerous legends of all peoples of the world, it is believed that the kraken rests at the bottom of the sea until someone wakes it up.

Who is this? Most likely the God of the seas. All sea creatures obey him.

His order is capable of raising the kraken from the bottom and awakening it from its sleep in the name of destroying everything.

There is also a myth that the kraken is controlled by a certain artifact.

In general, he is harmless because he sleeps for centuries and does not harm anyone without orders. But if he is awakened, the power of the kraken will destroy more than one coastline.

Mythical creature or real organism

Yes, the kraken really exists. In the 19th century, the first evidence of this was obtained. Three fishermen from Newfoundland were fishing near the shore.

Suddenly a huge stranded animal appeared on the sandbank. Before swimming to it, the fishermen for a long time peered, trying to understand whether the creature was moving.

The dead kraken carcass was taken to a research center where extensive research was carried out.

Later, several more huge monsters were found. Scientists assumed that an epidemic or disease was the cause of the death of so many mollusks.

The first researcher of the legendary kraken was Addison Verrill, a zoologist from America. It was he who gave the name to the animal and compiled a detailed scientific description. After this, the giants received official recognition.

Carl Linnaeus thought it wise to place krakens in the order of mollusks. Overall, he was right. These monsters - octopuses - really belong to mollusks. An unusual fact is that the kraken is close relative snails

French zoologist Pierre-Denis de Montfort published his own research in 1802. In them, he proposed dividing the kraken into 2 types: Kraken Octopus, living in the seas of the north, described by Poinius the Elder, and a huge octopus, terrifying ships, living in the south.

Other scientists did not accept this hypothesis, believing that the testimony of sailors was not the most reliable source, since they could mistake volcanic activity or changes in current directions for a kraken.

And only in 1857 were they able to prove the existence of a giant squid - Architeuthis dux, which could serve as the beginning of stories about the Great Kraken.

1852 was the time when a priest from Scandinavia was able to describe the legendary mollusk in detail. Erik Ludvigsen Pontoppidan and his Natural History of Norway gave the world scope for imagination with colorful description appearance monsters.

Johan Japetus Steenstrup, a Danish zoologist, published a detailed work on krakens in general in the mid-19th century: he collected all the stories, evidence, images and drawings in one book.

And in 1853, he obtained real evidence of its existence - the throat and beak of a giant squid, which, apparently, had been washed ashore.

1861, November - first recorded meeting with existing kraken near the island of Tenerife.

The commander of the ship that collided with the monster obtained only a small fragment of the tail, since the rest of the carcass fell into the water due to gravity.

Legends

It turns out that the kraken is an ordinary mollusk, albeit gigantic size. Where then do the frightening stories about a formidable monster come from? Of course, legends.

Scandinavia. Kraken, in their interpretation, is Saratan, an Arabian dragon or sea ​​serpent. It was about this monster that sailors created legends, the origins of which come from the giant squid carcasses found in the stomachs of sperm whales.

Legends abound with various stories about Viking encounters with the kraken.

One Viking set off on his ship to the British Isles, gathered a crew and took the velva on the road to prophesy the path.

They set off, and as soon as they left the fjord with full sails, a white veil covered the eyes of the velva, and she began to say: “The moment we reach the lands of distant relatives, the ocean abyss will rise and a bloody island unprecedented before will rise, and will descend a military army to the island, and this island will drag us to the bottom, for this is the word of Njorda!”

Naturally, the warriors of the unfavorable prophecy were frightened, but the path could not be canceled. They sailed for several days and nights, and as soon as the sun rose, after these days, the shore became visible on the horizon.

At first the Vikings were overjoyed, all the islands are known and are on the maps, but then the sea foamed, rose and something rose from the water. At first, the sailors thought that it was an island, but since they knew about the danger, they did not set foot on it. And the island continued to rise and soon it was already a sea monster, huge, red, with long rods extending from a huge body.

Coming out of the sea waters, the creature wrapped its tentacles around the ship and began to pull it to the bottom. Fearing for their lives, the warriors took out their swords and cut the creature's tentacles, and then its body into pieces. They managed to escape from death in the depths of the ocean...

Bermuda Triangle. It is believed that the Great Kraken rests in this area, which is why this place has become so mysterious. The disappearances are justified by the existence of a monster that is capturing everyone with its tentacles.

1810, the schooner Celestina, sailing to Reykjavik, noticed a huge glowing object. As they approached, the sailors realized that it was Living being, resembling a huge jellyfish. It was 70 meters in diameter.

An English corvette on a voyage to America rammed a similar monster. Only the ship was able to pass through the giant, as if through jellied meat.

After which, according to eyewitnesses, the kraken died and sank to the bottom of the sea.

Evidence

• 2004 Falkland Islands. The fishermen's trawl caught a squid almost 9 meters long. It was taken to the museum.
• September 2004. Japanese scientists near Tokyo lowered a cable with food for squid and a camera under water, to a depth of about 1 km. The giant monster took the bait, hooking its tentacle onto the hook. For an hour he tried to free himself, and the cameraI was able to take 400 pictures. The giant left without one tentacle, which was subsequently sent for examination.

The image of the Kraken in art

• A. Tennyson, sonnet “Days of the Kraken”
• J. Verne, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”
• J. Wyndham, "The Kraken Awakens"
• S. Lukyanenko, “Draft” kraken lived in the seas of the world “Earth-three”
• D. Vance, "Blue World"
• "Pirates" Caribbean Sea 2: Dead Man's Chest"
• "Clash of the Titans"
• "Lord of the Rings"
• A game Tomb Raider Underworld
• Game World of Warcraft
• P. Benchl "The Creature"
• S. Pavlov “Aquanauts”

The mythological giant got its name from the Icelandic sea ​​travelers who claimed to have seen a huge sea monster similar to. Ancient sailors blamed krakens for the mysterious disappearance of ships. In their opinion, the sea monsters had enough strength to drag the ship to the bottom...

Does the kraken really exist and why is meeting this mythical monster dangerous? Or are these just tales of idle sailors, inspired by too wild a fantasy?

Opinion of researchers and eyewitnesses

First mention of sea ​​monster refers to XVIII century, when a naturalist from Denmark named Erik Pontoppidan began to convince everyone that the kraken really existed. According to his description, the size of the creature is equal to an entire island, and with its huge tentacles it can easily grab even the most big ship and drag it along with you. The greatest danger is the whirlpool that forms when the kraken sinks to the bottom.

Pontoppidan was sure that it was the kraken that led sailors off course and caused confusion during their travels. This idea was brought to him by numerous cases when sailors mistakenly mistook the monster for an island, and when they visited the same place again, they no longer found a single piece of land. Norwegian fishermen claimed that they once found the discarded carcass of a monster of the deep sea on the shore. They decided it was a young kraken.

There was a similar case in England. Captain Robert Jameson had a chance to talk about his meeting with a huge mollusk under oath in court. According to him, the entire crew on the ship watched in fascination as the incredible size of the body rose above the water and then sank again. At the same time, huge waves. After the mysterious creature disappeared, it was decided to swim to the place where it was seen. To the surprise of the sailors, there was only a large amount of fish.

What scientists say

Scientists have no clear opinion about the kraken. Some included a mythical monster in the classification sea ​​creatures, others rejected its existence altogether. According to skeptics, what the sailors saw near Iceland is the usual activity of underwater volcanoes. This a natural phenomenon leads to the formation big waves, foam, bubbles, swellings on the surface of the ocean, which is mistakenly taken for an unknown monster from the depths of the sea.

Scientists believe that it is impossible for such a huge animal as the kraken to survive in ocean conditions, since its body would be torn apart by the slightest storm. Therefore, there is an assumption that the “kraken” is a cluster of mollusks. If we take into account the fact that many species of squid always move in whole schools, then it is quite possible that this is also typical for larger individuals.

It is believed that in the area of ​​the mysterious The Bermuda Triangle has been settled by none other than the largest kraken. It is assumed that he is the one to blame for the people.

Many people believe that krakens are demonic creatures, peculiar monsters from the depths of the sea. Others endow them with intelligence and... Most likely, each version has a right to exist.

Some sailors swear that they have encountered huge floating islands. Some ships even managed to pass through such a “ground”, since the ship cut through it like a knife.

Back in the century before last, fishermen from Newfoundland discovered a stranded body. huge kraken. They hastened to report this. The same news came several times over the next 10 years from different coastal areas.

Scientific facts about krakens

Official recognition sea ​​giants received thanks to Addison Verrill. It was this American zoologist who was able to draw up an accurate scientific description of them and allowed the legends to be confirmed. The scientist confirmed that krakens belong to mollusks. Who would have thought that the monsters that terrified the sailors were relatives of ordinary snails?

The body of the sea octopus has a grayish tint and consists of a substance similar to jelly. The Kraken resembles an octopus, as it has a round head and a large number of tentacles covered with suction cups. The animal has three hearts, blue blood, internal organs, the brain in which the nerve ganglia are located. Huge eyes are designed almost the same as those of a person. The presence of a special organ that is similar in action to jet engine, allows the kraken to quickly move long distances with one dash.

The size of the kraken is a little different from the legends. After all, according to the descriptions of the sailors, the monster was as big as an island. In fact, the body of a giant octopus can reach no more than 27 meters.

According to some legends, krakens guard the treasures of sunken ships at the bottom. A diver who is “lucky enough” to find such a treasure will have to make a lot of effort to escape from the enraged kraken.

Into the dark unknown sea ​​waters on great depth live mysterious creatures, from ancient times terrifying on seafarers. They are secretive and elusive, and are still poorly understood. In medieval legends they are represented as monsters that attack ships and sink them.

According to the sailors, they look like a floating island with huge tentacles that reach the peak of the mast, bloodthirsty and ferocious. IN literary works These creatures received the name "krakens".

The first information about them is found in the Viking chronicles, which speak of huge sea ​​monsters attacking ships. There are also references to krakens in the works of Homer and Aristotle. On the walls of ancient temples you can find images of a monster dominating the sea. Over time, references to these creatures have become less numerous. However, by the middle of the 18th century, the world again remembered the storm of the seas. In 1768, this monster attacked the English whaling ship Arrow; the crew and ship miraculously escaped death. According to the sailors, they encountered a “small living island.”

In 1810, the British ship Celestine, sailing on the Reykjavik-Oslo voyage, encountered something reaching a diameter of up to 50 meters. It was not possible to avoid the meeting, and the ship was severely damaged by the tentacles of an unknown monster, so it was necessary to return back to the port.

In 1861, the kraken attacked the French ship Adekton, and in 1874 sank the English Pearl. However, despite all these cases, scientific world thought giant monster nothing more than fiction. Until in 1873 he received material evidence of its existence.

On October 26, 1873, English fishermen discovered some huge and presumably dead sea animal in one of the bays. Wanting to find out what it was, they swam up to it in a boat and poked it with a hook. In response to this, the creature suddenly came to life and wrapped its tentacles around the boat, wanting to pull it to the bottom. The fishermen managed to fight back and get a trophy - one of the tentacles, which was transferred to the local museum.

A month later, another octopus 10 meters long was caught in the same area. So the myth became reality.
Previously, the likelihood of encounters with these deep-sea inhabitants was more real. However, in Lately practically unheard of. One of latest events, associated with these creatures dates back to 2011, when the American yacht Zvezda was attacked. Of the entire crew and people on board, only one person was able to survive. Tragic story"Stars" - the last one famous case about a collision with a giant octopus.

So, what is this mysterious ship hunter?

There is still no clear idea of ​​what species this animal belongs to; scientists consider it a squid, an octopus, and a cuttlefish. This deep sea dweller reaches several meters in length, presumably some individuals can grow to gigantic sizes.

Its head is cylindrical with a chitinous beak in the middle, which it can use to bite through steel cables. The eyes reach 25 cm in diameter.

The habitat of these creatures extends throughout the World Ocean, starting their journey from the deep waters of the Arctic and Antarctica. At one time it was believed that their habitat was the Bermuda Triangle, and they were the culprits mysterious disappearances ships in this place.

Hypothesis of the appearance of the Kraken

Where this mysterious animal came from is still not known. There are several theories about its origin. That this is the only creature that has survived ecological disaster"times of dinosaurs" That it was created during Nazi experiments at secret Antarctic bases. That perhaps this is a mutation of an ordinary squid or even an extraterrestrial intelligence.

Even in our time of advanced technology, little has been studied about krakens. Since no one saw them alive, all individuals exceeding 20 m were found exclusively dead. In addition, despite their enormous size, these creatures successfully avoid being photographed and videotaped. So the search for this deep-sea monster continues...