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The '''kraken''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|r|ɑː|k|ən}})<ref name=oed1-kraken/> is a legendary [[sea monster]] of enormous size, etymologically akin to a [[squid]] or [[octopus]], said to appear in the sea between [[Norway]] and [[Iceland]]. It is believed the legend of the Kraken may have originated from sightings of [[giant squid]], which may grow to {{convert|40|-|50|ft|m|abbr=in|order=flip}} in length.
Kraken, theas a subject of [[sailors' superstitions]] and [[mythos]], was first described in the modern era in a travelogue by [[Francesco Negri (travel writer)|Francesco Negri]] in 1700. This description was followed in 1734 by an account from [[Dano-Norwegian]] missionary and explorer [[Hans Egede]], who described the kraken in detail and equated it with the ''[[hafgufa]]'' of medieval lore. However, the first description of the creature is usually credited to the Norwegian bishop [[Erik Pontoppidan|Pontoppidan]] (1753). Pontoppidan was the first to describe the kraken as an [[octopus]] (polypus) of tremendous size,{{efn|He vacillated between polypus and "star fish" however.}} and wrote that it had a reputation for pulling down ships. The French [[malacologist]] [[Pierre Denys de Montfort|Denys-Montfort]], of the 19th century, is also known for his pioneering inquiries into the existence of gigantic octopuses.
The great man-killing octopus entered French fiction when novelist [[Victor Hugo]] (1866) introduced the ''{{linktext|pieuvre}}'' octopus of [[Guernsey]] lore, which he identified with the kraken of legend. This led to [[Jules Verne]]'s depiction of the kraken, although Verne did not distinguish between squid and octopus.
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