LogFAQs > #946427611

24. Kraken (monster) (22 points)
Nominated by: handsomeboy2012 (1/5 remaining)


Importance: 10
Fear: 6
Snake: 6

Krakens are some of the oldest and most well known mythological creatures out there. Originating from Scandinavian folklore, as long as there were deep oceans, ships and sailing, there were stories and tall tales of towering cephalopods terrorizing those very sailors. Krakens combine several of our natural-born phobias into one: the unknown represented by the darkest depths of murky waters, the giant stature representative of those with more power and control over us, and superstitions common with sailors due to the high mortality rate of those in the profession. The kraken, though we know is firmly rooted in myth and fiction now, was originally believed to be a real being, and a genuine fight and threat to watch out for while sailing. Giant squids and similar species I'm sure contribued to this myth, and as far as we can be concerned, are the closest we have to a myth like the kraken exist in our world, just as terrifying and rare to spot. Krakens are typically reserved for mythological fantasy stories like Clash of the Titans or Pirates of the Caribbean, but there can be some connection made to Lovecraft's mythos seen in monsters like Cthulhu, with their intimidating stature and tentacled-designs. There's never really been that definitive work to define krakens themselves in horror though, and that's kind of a shame. Instead of the ten billionth shark movie, someone should make an actually good Kraken movie, but it could be that there's nothing really left to mine from them anymore. Well, I'm sure Krakens will continue to be featured in many fictional stories, their stock is still high and they are an essential generic enemy of the sea, and with that, their legacy of fear & superstitious influence will continue to live on as well.

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