The Kraken is a legendary sea monster of giant size that is said to dwell off the coasts of Norway and Greenland. A number of authors over the years have postulated that the legend originated from sightings of a giant octopus or squid that may grow to 40–50 feet in length. The sheer size and fearsome appearance attributed to the Kraken have made it a common ocean-dwelling monster in various fictional works.

The Kraken first came to the attention of the world in 1751, with the publication of the Natural History of Norway, written by Erik Pontoppidan, bishop of Bergen, who collected stories of the beast from the fishermen who claimed to encounter it. It is interesting to note that the Kraken, as originally reported over three hundred years ago, was never accused of being aggressive.

During hot summer days the Kraken often rose to the surface of the seas near Norway. The beast was usually encountered anywhere offshore that was at least a depth of 80 fathoms. Krakens attracted fish, especially cod or ling, in the water above the submerged beast. So if a Kraken was located, sometimes up to 20 boats would gather above it to catch the plentiful fish. After a short time, the Kraken slowly re-submerged, creating swells, eddies, and a whirlpool that pulled anything nearby down to its destruction or death.

All human deaths and injuries it caused were accidental, and generally due to fishermen not reacting fast enough to the Kraken’s presence. For example, a well-known tale of the sailor Sinbad told how he was one of several sailors who disembarked on a strange flat green island in the middle of the ocean to stretch his legs... and was the only person to survive when the 'island' sank beneath the waves and swam away. Another well-known tale told of Saint Brendan of Ireland being on a boat that moored at a hilly little island for a night. In the morning, when the sailors built a fire to cook a meal, the 'island' shuddered and began to sink and swim away. From these tales of the 'island fish,' came new stories that told how sailors had landed and set up camp on a Kraken, only realizing their error when they started a campfire... usually with great loss of life in the whirlpool created as the Kraken sank beneath the waves.