The Kraken

Origin and tradition

The Kraken belongs to Norwegian sea lore, where an enormous creature could resemble an island and endanger passing ships. Bishop Erik Pontoppidan described the tradition in the eighteenth century. Giant squid offer a real animal comparison, but their existence does not establish the fantastic size or behavior of the legendary Kraken.

Illustration in this atlas

A vast tentacled sea creature, commonly pictured as an octopus or squid.

References and further reading

1. britannica.com — Kraken

These references offer further reading. Accounts and depictions vary; the atlas illustration is interpretive artwork, rather than historical or scientific evidence.