Kraken vs Giant Squid

[cryptidexpert100]

Does anyone know if krakens are just giant squids because i know they have prven giant squids are real a long time back.

[Vaise]

im not a expert but maybe early giant squid sightings may have become the basis for The Kraken. I beleive most Giant squid stay pretty deep. i found a interesting page about The Kraken maybe you would like to have a read?

http://www.unmuseum.org/kraken.htm

[musk]

krakken or kakarot lol

[bluewalshy]

There is no hard evidence that the Kraken ever existed, only in fictional works. Most giant squid live in great depths and hardly ever appear near sea level, and most of these giant squid were probably even larger in size millions of years ago before evolution took place. I would like to believe the Kraken was once real, but there is poor evidence to prove this.

[Mr.United_Nations]

There is no hard evidence that the Kraken ever existed, only in fictional works. Most giant squid live in great depths and hardly ever appear near sea level, and most of these giant squid were probably even larger in size millions of years ago before evolution took place. I would like to believe the Kraken was once real, but there is poor evidence to prove this.

Disagree, there is no such thing as poor evidence, just we don't have the machines and equipment to go down those depths and look for them. I'd say there is but not many left

[Guest Nathan DiYorio]

The problem is, you're going to find a certain group of people who won't accept that Krakens could have been giant squids until the scientists actually name something "Kraken." There's also another group that won't accept giant squids as Krakens because the reality of the giant squid doesn't line up exactly with the abilities and sizes Krakens have been portrayed as. These people create a pair of circular arguments which they continue to scream louder and louder until you finally leave a conversation. The arguments are as follows:

"Giant Squids are not Krakens because Krakens are not real."

"Giant Squids are not Krakens because Giant Squids are real."

They leave absolutely no room for "Krakens are giant squids depicted by uneducated men hundreds of years ago and spiced up for the sake of stories in the same way that we regularly spice up known living animals for our own fiction."

So is it possible that the Kraken was inspired by giant squids? Yes.

Is it possible that the Greek word for the animal we call a giant squid was "Kraken?" Yes.

[FLOMBIE]

Are you sure that is a Greek word?

[Guest Nathan DiYorio]

Are you sure that is a Greek word?

Nope, but the ethnicity of the word isn't really relevant to my point, which was that "Kraken" could be an archaic word for "Giant Squid."

Try grappling the meat of my point instead of the hangnails if you really want to make me wrong.

[FLOMBIE]

In German we say 'Kraken' for 'octopus'. I just checked the etymology, and it seems to have derived from ancient Norse, possibly meaning 'uprooted tree'.

And sorry, didn't want to sound like a smartass, but I was wondering because of the German meaning.

Edited February 27, 2013 by FLOMBIE

[Guest Nathan DiYorio]

In German we say 'Kraken' for 'octopus'. I just checked the etymology, and it seems to have derived from ancient Norse, possibly meaning 'uprooted tree'.

And sorry, didn't want to sound like a smartass, but I was wondering because of the German meaning.

Oh, oh, I see now. You're simply interested in the origins of language.

I'm sorry for assuming you were being pedantic.

[Wyverna]

I used to think Giant Squids were responsible for Kraken sightings but I don't think Giant Squids go that close to the surface.

Maybe the sailors were just making up stories to delight the young kiddies and the ladies.

[Mr.United_Nations]

I used to think Giant Squids were responsible for Kraken sightings but I don't think Giant Squids go that close to the surface.

Maybe the sailors were just making up stories to delight the young kiddies and the ladies.

doubt it

[TheSearcher]

Well considering that the Kraken myth is from the nordic saga's, one would have to check how they describe it instead of going after the later description given. For once Wikipedia isn't totally useless, check this.

I think we go to quickly with the later squid-like description

Since the late 18th century, kraken have been depicted in a number of ways, primarily as large octopus-like creatures, and it has often been alleged that Pontoppidan's kraken might have been based on sailors' observations of the giant squid. 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.

[PersonFromPorlock]

According to Wikipedia, Viking-era cargo ships ("Knaar") were not very big, about fifty-four feet long. So maybe a giant squid sighted dead on the surface was described as 'as long as the ship' and, as ships grew over time, so did the 'Kraken' in proportion.

[ReaperS_ParadoX]

Anybody see that thing on th discovery channel where they got actual footage of the giant squid?

[TheSearcher]

According to Wikipedia, Viking-era cargo ships ("Knaar") were not very big, about fifty-four feet long. So maybe a giant squid sighted dead on the surface was described as 'as long as the ship' and, as ships grew over time, so did the 'Kraken' in proportion.

Rather good explanation as to why we think that the Kraken must be enormous.

[Mr.United_Nations]

Rather good explanation as to why we think that the Kraken must be enormous.

a 54ft squid is pretty big

[justcalmebubba]

myths and folklore has its many faults of being twisted and retold to fit the situlation but in truth all stories had to start some place real or unreal kinda like ufo's hell theres old old old old old old old paintings down that has what could be thought of ufo's in them so whos to say whats true and whats not

[zillarancher]

It's always made sense to me that the Kraken myths came about due to some chance sighting of a giant squid. Sure, they rarely visit the surface of the ocean, but what's to say that they have never done that. It's not hard to fathom that an uneducated Norseman seeing something like that while out on some boating event (exploring, fishing, what have you) would construe it as a sea monster of great proportions. Hell, the reality is that a giant squid does have great proportions. Once the local watering hole gets hold of a story like that, then it's no holds bar for the lengths human imagination would go with it.

[Setton]

a 54ft squid is pretty big

Upper estimate is 43 ft. If you saw something only 10 feet shorter than the ship, you'd still describe it as 'as long as the ship'.

I love how a few years ago, nobody had heard of a kraken. Pirates of the Caribbean comes out and suddenly everyone's convinced they're real. Sorry but neither are the walking skeleton pirates

[zillarancher]

Huh, I always forget about the PIrates movies (wasn't a fan).

When I think Kraken, I think Clash of the Titans, as a modern example.

"Release the Kraken!"

[SameerPrehistorica]

Kraken is a fictional creature.May be there was some giant squids very large existed millions of years ago.But there is no way they can be bigger than a big Dinosaur.