Are krakens basically giant squids?
from cheese_greater@lemmy.world to nostupidquestions@lemmy.ca on 01 May 14:46
https://lemmy.world/post/46303902

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supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz on 01 May 14:50 next collapse

I would argue The Colossal Squid is the Kraken but I guess Giant Squids and Colossal Squids tie here.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossal_squid

GreenBeard@lemmy.ca on 01 May 17:55 collapse

Colossal Squid have only been spotted in the southern hemisphere, in the near-antarctic southern ocean. Difficult for them to be the source of the myths. They might fit the description better in some respects, but the number of highly unlikely circumstances it would take for one to end up in ancient European myths is pretty astronomical when the Giant Squid is just as close descriptively and much closer in habitat.

slazer2au@lemmy.world on 01 May 14:50 next collapse

More closer to hentai octopus then squids.

lvxferre@mander.xyz on 01 May 15:08 collapse

In some cases the kraken is represented as an octopus, or even as a bearded whale. So it depends, really.

I think the myth does originate partially from giant squids, but it’s “glued” with knowledge of smaller cephalopods; it’s easy to picture an octopus but giant, you know? The bearded whale depiction might be related too, possibly some whale hunting a giant squid (they sometimes do it).