SEA MONSTERS

Lurking in the sea

Although Haloween is approaching, please take this article with the utmost seriousness. The facts described in it are supported by the accounts of sailors and other credible witnesses.

In the legends and legends, there are countless masses of various creatures inhabiting the seas and oceans, as well as other parts of the world. We will present only a few of the most dangerous ones, as describing them all would take the whole book. Most of the creatures

have been observed in ancient times but, as the legends say, they are immortal, so you never know what lurks in the depths, in the areas you may be heading towards... Monstrous sharks, water snakes and Krakens are some of the more common and aggressive creatures that have been making life difficult for sailors since the dawn of time. It is true that no one has scientifically proven the existence of sea monsters, but no one has scientifically proven that they do not exist... So far man has only explored 5% of the sea depths. We know less about them than about the surface of Mars or the Moon.

Sea monsters have accompanied sailors for centuries. Information about the existence of astonishing and terrifying creatures can be found in legends and myths - especially in Nordic mythology - and in numerous historical and literary messages as early as in ancient times - for example in Aristotle. He wrote about the great sea snake in the first

century A.D. Pliny the Elder, and later - in the 4th century - Rutilius Taurus Aemilianus Palladius and Gaius Iulius Solinus. They are also mentioned in the Old Testament. Later on, these relations multiply alarmingly, covering more and more distant corners of the world.

In the Middle Ages, the first maps were created with the exact location of sea monsters. In 1539, on the initiative of Swedish Archbishop Uppsala Olaus Magnus, such a map was created, showing the relatively correct shape of the Scandinavian Peninsula and Baltic Sea coast. In 1570, the Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius went one step further. He marked the places where the most dangerous monsters can be found on the world map.

In the following centuries, hundreds of encounters with water monsters were recorded. Are we dealing here with hallucinations, deception, natural optical phenomena, or are we simply meeting 'overgrown' or mutated specimens of long known species? But is it not worth considering the possibility of survival to our times in the original or degenerate form of animals long considered extinct? These and other questions have long been answered in countless publications by creators and supporters of various theories. The number of reports is growing, photographs and films appear, the authenticity of which is, of course, undermined, but there is still no final proof - a well-preserved individual living here and now.

Moving on to presenting some of the most dangerous monsters that still inhabit the seas and oceans of our planet

Leviathan is a monster appearing in the Old Testament. It is significant that in Hebrew, the word 'Leviathan' also means a whale but its source is the word 'coil', which may indicate how this legendary and monstrous animal was imagined. The Leviathan is present in many Jewish legends. It is claimed to be a monster much bigger than a whale, and what is more, it feeds on whales. It resembles a snake a bit, but a huge one, surrounding the whole Earth. It symbolises the spirit of evil, which is only to be destroyed on the day of the Last Judgment.

Kraken

Another legendary sea monster is the Kraken. It was supposed to live in the depths, but also to block the Strait of Gibraltar, as it has been reported in ancient legends. In many stories, the Kraken lures ships, pretending to be an island, and when the seafarers go ashore, it wakes up and immerses, dragging the seafarers, too. Some legends say that he attacks ships as a servant of Neptune, god of all waters. He is known for many books and films, most often resembling a huge octopus in appearance.

Another legendary creature reigning in the waters is the sea snake, which is said to have been observed many times in different parts of the world. As early as in the 17th and 18th century sea snakes were considered to be a real existing species. Today, however, they are considered as a research object only in cryptozoology. Reports about sea snakes have already appeared in various mythologies, the earliest in the Nordic ones. One of the most famous observed specimens is the so-called Gloucester snake, which was supposed to be almost 30 metres long. It was the subject of research and it was discovered quite quickly that there was no evidence of this monster. And yet there are still people who believe in this animal, hiding somewhere in the deep sea. As far back as the 20th century, the press reported cases of this monster’s meeting. Another case of a documented encounter between man and a sea snake was supposed to be a Caddy, resembling a creature with flippers, with a camel's head. To this day, photographs of a carcass thrown out of the sea, which could not be identified and which is identified with the sea snake, have been preserved. What is significant, however, is that with time, reports of encounters with Caddy have become increasingly rare. However, there are still scientists who maintain to this day that the numerous and contradictory reports of witnesses must not be a mistake and that the Caddy is an unidentified animal.

If you are a seafarer and you have had a nice time reading this article, we would like to let you know that this was its purpose. If you have met a sea monster during your travels do not forget to tell us about it. We will certainly warn others.

Happy Halloween