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- The Leviathan. Although the word has evolved to be a generic descriptor for something particularly large, the stories of the Leviathan refer to a specific sea monster, who is one of the oldest such myths in human records.
- The Kraken. As sea monsters go, names — and bodies — don’t get much bigger than the mighty kraken. This sea monster first appears in the historical record around the 12th century A.D., and was described then as the biggest monster ever to swim the world’s oceans.
- Colossal Squid. The giant squid may be, well, giant. But it is still smaller than the colossal squid, another enormous form of sea life which may have been mistaken for krakens and other sea monsters in history, but which is also all too real.
- Giant Whales. In Norse lore, the hafgufa has a special place in legend as a canny and rapacious fisherman. According to stories apparently based on eyewitness accounts, the massive creature was known to belch up portions of its previous meal in order to provide attractive bait for fresh fish.
- Release the Kraken. Aristotle introduced the world to the giant squid (which he called teuthos) in 350 B.C. But giant squids have been seen throughout the world’s oceans, and they are quite common in the seas around Norway and Greenland.
- Hail Hydra. The hydra is a “mythical” beast most commonly described as having nine heads, each of which will regenerate if decapitated. The Greek hero Hercules was commanded to kill a Hydra as his second labor, and a marble tablet in the Vatican depicting this exploit interprets the hydra as a strikingly octopus-like monster.
- Sea Serpent on Deck. In the 16th century, people believed that a creature of unimaginable size and ferocity called Soe Orm stalked the waters. Olaus Magnus gave a gripping description of this sea serpent, accompanied by the equally formidable woodcut seen above, in the 1555 masterpiece Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus.
- The Mighty Leviathan. In the 6th century A.D., Irish cleric St. Brendan and 18 other monks sailed out from Ireland to cross the ocean. During their journey, they came upon a black, treeless island and decided to make camp for the night.
Oct 24, 2024 · From Legend to Science: Sea monsters and their real models in nature. Sea monsters have fascinated people for centuries. As mythical creatures, they often represent the unpredictability of the seas. Scientific research demystifies the legends by making connections to real sea creatures and real phenomena. Carta Marina of the Swedish bishop ...
- An Ecosystem of Monstrous Proportions
- Some Specific Scary Sea Monsters
- Protecting Our Sea Monsters
When you think about it, the ocean itself is a bit of a monster – a living, breathing system of giant proportions. For example, most life on earth is aquatic. Less than 5% of the oceans have been explored. The longest Mountain range is underwater. 70% of the world’s oxygen – a fiendish amount – is produced by the ocean. The pressure on the seafloor...
There are plenty of secrets of the monstrous seven seas that we have yet to understand. But there are plenty of real-life sightings to send a shiver-of-a-jellyfish sting up your spine. The depths of the ocean are where mysticism meets horror movies – and the surface is by no means safe, either. Read on for a thoroughly-inconclusive list.
Of course, the scariest story of all the scariest sea monster stories are the monstrous implications of human impact on our oceans, coastlines, and fragile marine ecosystems. In addition to warming water and unknown impacts on deep sea migration and global currents impacting weather, there are the immediate crises that our societies must address. C...
Join Oliver Crimmen, Senior Curator of Fish, and Jon Ablett, Senior Curator of Mollusca, as they explore the real-life inspiration behind fantastic sea monsters of yore that are lurking in the Museum's wet collections.
Sea monsters are beings from folklore believed to dwell in the sea and are often imagined to be of immense size. Marine monsters can take many forms, including sea dragons, sea serpents, or tentacled beasts. They can be slimy and scaly and are often pictured threatening ships or spouting jets of water.
Oct 8, 2024 · The idea of sea monsters has captivated us for centuries. Could there really be something scary lurking in the dark depths? Folklore and popular culture say yes, yet science urges us to dive a little deeper.