Kraken and Poseidon
Poseidon was god of the sea, earthquakes, storms, and horses and is considered one of the most bad-tempered, moody and greedy Olympian gods. He was known to be vengeful when insulted. “He is the son of Cronus and Rhea and was swallowed by his father along with his siblings Hades, Demeter, Hestia, and Hera” (GreekGodandGoddesses). Eventually the gods fought back defeating Cronus splitting the world into three. Zeus, the eldest son of Cronus, controlled the skies, Poseidon the seas, and Hades the underworld.
Facts about Poseidon
- “Poseidon was most notably the God of the sea and the protector of all waters; sailors relied upon him for safe passage.
- Poseidon was allotted his dominion after the fall of the Titans.
- Zeus and Hades were his brothers.
- It stands to reason that, because of his influence on the waters, he was worshipped in connection with navigation.
- Poseidon was worshipped as a fertility god.
- His name is Greek for “husband.”
- He wielded the trident or three-pronged spear, and this image of him is reflected in art.
- Poseidon could strike the ground with his trident to produce an earthquake. This earned him the nickname “Earth-shaker.”
- Poseidon possessed a palace, made of gems and coral, located on the ocean floor. He was at Mount Olympus more often than his palace.
- Poseidon was moody by nature: his temperament was unstable at best, and his emotional fluctuations often resulted in violence.
- He was similar to Zeus in that he liked to exert power over women and flaunt his rugged masculinity. At times, however, his efforts were appreciated.
- His primary means of transportation was a chariot pulled by horses.
- Poseidon assisted the Greeks in the Trojan war. However, Zeus commanded him to withdraw from the battlefield, and he reluctantly obeyed.
- Poseidon was the husband of Amphitrite, a Nereid. Their union produced Triton, who was half-human, half-fish.” (GreekGodsandGoddesses)
Kraken
“The Kraken is a giant octupus or squid. It is said to be so large that it is capable of wrapping its tentacles around ships and crushing or sinking them.
There are no exact estimates on how big it is. Descriptions range from ‘bigger than a ship’, to ‘the size of several ships’, to over a mile long” (DictionScary).
“The legend of this sea monster comes from the Old Norse culture. The Norse, who are also commonly referred to as Vikings, were a civilization that lived in and explored Scandinavia around the 9th and 10th centuries. Their civilization was heavily dependent on seafaring and sailing.”
Because of this heavy dependence on sailing, they likely witnessed a number of things that would have led them to the idea of the Kraken. Giant whirlpools referred to as maelstrom, are common in Scandinavia, and were once thought to be related to the movements of the creature. Tentacles or pieces of tentacles from giant squid would have washed onto shore periodically. And without advanced technology, it would have been difficult to tell if a large shadow underwater was of a whale, a school of fish or something far more sinister” (DictionScary).
Sites Used: “Poseidon • Facts and Information on Greek God Poseidon.” Greek Gods & Goddesses, https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/poseidon/.
“Kraken • Facts & Myths • Dictionscary.” Dictionscary, https://dictionscary.com/kraken/.
