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Legendary sea monsters - Kraken

Legendary sea monsters of the past may not be myth after all

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According to Scandinavian mythology, the Kraken was a giant sea creature (said to be 1 mile long) believed to eat whales and devour entire ships, and generally described as being similar to an octopus or squid. It was first mentioned in the 13 th century Icelandic saga, Örvar-Oddr. Now researchers have found a fossil which they believe relates to this so-called mythical creature.

Two years ago, researchers discovered the remains of a marine lizard which contained a strange pattern believed to have been caused by a Kraken-style octopus. While this conclusion was largely criticised, Professor McMenamin, a palaeontologist at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts has cited new fossil discoveries which support the initial hypothesis that a giant octopus or squid once dominated the oceans.

The initial discovery in 2011 consisted of a strange arrangement of vertebrae of a sea reptile called ichthyosaur that lived around 200 to 250 million years ago found in Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park in Nevada. Professor McMenamin believes that the way the bones were arranged could not have occurred naturally and appears to have been the result of an attack by a much larger predator. If it was done by a Kraken-type squid, it would have needed to be up to 30 metres long –today’s largest giant octopus species are rarely larger than a human being.

The latest finding is believed to be part of the beak of a giant ancient octopus- or squid-type creature, as well as more bones arranged in unusual patterns and shapes which contain sucker markings.  Next to the remains of the ichthyosaur was a 'debris pile' of scattered bones that were no longer in their correct order within the skeleton.  

According to Professor McMenamin, the arrangement of the bones and the positioning of the sucker markings suggest that the reptile was drowned or had its neck snapped. It was then carried away from where it was killed, probably into the Kraken’s lair and dumped, leading to the pile of remains which were found.

While some scientists remain sceptical of the theory, it is certainly deserving of further research.

By April Holloway

 

Comments

Sweet! sea monsters! 

   

--Still learning--

The Earth used to have a biosphere much more hospitable to life.  We know this for a fact because fossil evidence shows much more abundant and larger life in the past.  

Pseudo-science has moved this age to the far distant past, long before humans "arose,” another pseudo-scientific concept, disputed by the evidence.

Scandanavian legends tell of a Kraken, and the evidence comes from a fossil of a creature who supposedly went extinct hundreds of millions of years ago.  What evidence does anyone have for that age?  None, other than hypothesis, unsupported by any experimental testing.  In other words, not science, by definition, because science requires experimentation and testing before an idea can rise to the level of a theory.  

But so much of our accepted "sicentific facts” have zero experimental testing invovled.  That includes geology, or at least the part of geology that estimates the age of the earth forms, and such non-sciences such as paleontology and anthropology.  

Genetics and actual anthropological evidence belies the idea of the “ascent” of man, but rather shows a marked descent in brain size and physical size and strength over past people.  Our brains have shrunk massively compared to our ancestors, as have our bodies.

Yet the idea that we, human beings, have reached the pinncacle of perfection remains the central premise of humanism, which replaced God with man and called it “science.”

So paleontologists tell us catastrophes didn’t happen, because the Bible says they did.  And paleontologists tell us dinosaurs died out long before humans, despite ancient art work around the world depicting dinosaurs.  No matter the evidence, “theory” doesn’t change, because actual theory requires experimentation and proof, but “accepted theory” requires neither.

 

Neither religion nor pseudo-science such as paleontology can lead us to the truth of our past.

 

Tom Carberry

I've no doubt that most mythological sea creatures were based on real accounts. Creatures like Nessy, Caddy and others that have been reported IMO are largely real. The account of a sea serpent in the early 1900's by a German officer. The video taken off the coast of Alaska a few years ago shows a creature much like Caddy. Even the Monster Quest episode showing a family of creatures that lives off the coast of Florida. I don't think these are fake, nor misidentified sea creatures. The pictures of what appears to be a Plesiosaur that was pulled up from the ocean floor in the late 1970's by an Asian trawler.

I've no doubt they exist and are living deep underwater. Now the Bloop and whatever made that sound. THAT I'd love to see, from a distance!

angieblackmon's picture

i think most sea monsters are real!

love, light and blessings

AB

aprilholloway's picture

April

April Holloway is a Co-Owner, Editor and Writer of Ancient Origins. For privacy reasons, she has previously written on Ancient Origins under the pen name April Holloway, but is now choosing to use her real name, Joanna Gillan.

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