Legendary Giant Creatures Around the World—Real or Myth?
3. Kraken
The Kraken is a legendary sea monster from the fishermen’s tales in Norway and Greenland. It is said to be a huge, slimy beast with tentacles capable of dragging an entire ship to the bottom of the ocean. Sounds fun!
In reality, giant squids are believed to be at the core of this legend. However, sailors have “slightly” exaggerated their size. The largest specimens only reach around 13 m in length and weigh about 275 kg. The squid can definitely overturn a small boat, mistaking it for prey, but dragging it to the bottom is not an option.
4. Griffon
Griffons are winged creatures with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle. They have sharp claws and snow-white, sometimes golden wings. Their role, according to various myths and literature, is quite ambiguous, as griffons often can be kindhearted defenders or evil, feral beasts.
But the real story of griffons is just as fascinating as the myths about them. Historian Adrienne Mayor suggested that the image of the griffon was inspired by the stories of Scythian gold seekers of Altai, who potentially found the fossilized bones of protoceratops in the Gobi Desert. If you look at the size of the dino, the bird-like beak, the proximity to gold deposits, and its collar, which could have created the illusion of wings, it’s not that strange to imagine it as a majestic eagle cat.
5. Cyclops
In ancient Greek mythology, the Cyclopes were a group of one-eyed giants who loved munching on sheep and people. Among them, the most famous was the fierce son of Poseidon, Polyphemus, who was blinded by Odysseus.
Now, as for the real story, in 1914, paleontologist Otenio Abel suggested that skulls of dwarf elephants were the myth’s origins since the central nasal opening in the elephant’s skull could be easily mistaken for a giant eye socket. Interestingly, these elephants were found precisely on the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus, Malta, Crete, Sicily, Sardinia, the Cyclades, and the Dodecanese.
