Throughout time, myths and legends about unknown monsters that live in the deep sea reach our days. Each nation had different names for them, but one thing united them - it was a sea monster with a huge mouth and a terrifying look. They were feared, revered, sacrifices were made in their honor, they acquired a divine status. Greece, Scandinavia, India - each civilization had its own ancient sea monsters.
Ancient Greece. Charybdis
Charybdis is a sea monster with a huge jaw from the myths of ancient Greece. She was the daughter of Poseidon and Gaia. Appeared in the form of a huge whirlpool in the Strait of Messina. The word itself just means a whirlpool. And in the manuscripts of Homer, Charybdis is not animated and is not identified with divine machinations. In his opinion, this was a common natural occurrence.
At different times, myths with Charybdis featured such ancient Greek heroes as Odysseus, Jason, Aeneas. The first two managed to survive the battle with Charybdis, despite the loss of their ships, Aeneas preferred to change the route, so as not to intersect with a dangerous monster.
Scandinavia. Kraken
Rumors about this monster began to spread in the 15th century on the shores of Iceland. The sailors talked about the incredible size of the octopus, with tentacles at least twenty meters long. This sea monster with a huge mouth, the size of a small island, easily drowned ships, encircling them with its huge tentacles.
When reports of a meeting with the monster began to come from neighboring countries, scientists of that time seriously thought about the reality of the existence of a huge squid or octopus. Disputes did not stop for a long time, but in the end, most scientists came to the conclusion that such a situation was impossible, and blamed everything on sailors and fishermen, who at that time also liked to exaggerate.
Nevertheless, history knows many cases when octopus or squid of impressive size drowned fishing boats and larger vessels. Perhaps they served as a prototype of the kraken.
Ancient india. Makara
Makara is a monster with the body of a dolphin and the head of an elephant. In Indian mythology, this sea monster with a huge mouth, could move not only in water, but also on land. For this, four legs were provided for her. The fear of Makara was so great that sculptures were made in her honor and in prayers they asked for mercy.
No matter how unrealistic at first glance these sea monsters may be, the list goes on for a very long time. This is a sea serpent, the existence of which was believed in Ancient Russia, and in China, and in America. And the lesser-known ket and scylla, which the ancient Greeks and Romans feared. Even now, people believe in the Loch Ness monster, try to capture it on camera, spend a lot of money on expeditions. It is possible that someday we will find out the secret, and maybe there is no secret as such. It is possible that all these monsters are the last representatives of the dinosaurs, who were more fortunate than their relatives. And why not find a fifty-meter octopus in the deeps of the sea, if a twenty-meter one was discovered long ago?