Kracken Cryptid Silkscreen
January 12, 2011
15x11 Silkscreen
The kraken, or crab-fish was a myth of the waters off Norway and Iceland. Possibly confused by scared sailors as a giant squid, the kraken is known as a formidable beast. It prefers to remain undisturbed at the bottom of the sea feeding on large fish. The kraken is followed by schools of smaller, scavenger fish that fatten on the remains from his meals. For this reason sailors know where the kraken lurks, in the deepest depths at the bottom of the ocean, his location is given away by swarms of fish that greedily follow in his wake. Every three months the kraken rises and with the sole intent to briefly breech the surface. Ships must be weary for these rare occasions. Capable of pulling down large ships with his size and strength, it is not the kraken’s tentacles that must be feared by sailors. As the great kraken has satisfied his urge for ascent, he returns to his murky home. His descent causes an immense whirlpool that pulls down any nearby ship, the true danger of the kraken. Unlike other great Leviathans, sea monsters and octopus, the kraken is considered a sign of good luck. Fishing over a kraken ensures a good catch, although risky for the sailors floating above. Much like the schools of smaller bottom feeders that follow the kraken, so do men in search of their fortunes from the sea.
