Kraken's Korner

About the Folder

Greetings, and welcome to Kraken’s Korner! I am your host, Kraken (pronounced KRAW-ken), better known outside of the Internet as David. I have created this folder for you, my loyal reader, so that you can get a better idea of who I am, what makes me tick, and what makes me boom. Before we get into that, though, I will answer two questions that I’m sure you’re dying to know.


What is the significance of the name “Kraken”?

The Kraken is a sea monster of Norse myth. It is generally thought of as a colossal cephalopod—the class of animals that includes squids, octopuses, cuttlefish, and nautiluses. Tales of its size include an eighteenth century description that called the Kraken a “floating island” one and a half miles across. This is almost certainly impossible, but the Kraken is probably more believable than many of the other cryptozoological critters like the Loch Ness Monster or Ogopogo of Lake Okanagan in British Columbia; in fact, the legend of the Kraken is most likely just an exaggeration of a very real animal: the giant squid, Architeuthis dux. Giant squids are known to attack whales, particularly the Sperm Whale, which measures roughly 50 to 60 feet in the case of males. Who knows how large a giant squid could get in the deep abyss of the ocean? The largest squid ever measured fully intact was 55 feet, but estimates based on damaged carcasses have suggested up to 100 feet. One eyewitness claims to have seen a gargantuan squid that was 175 feet long, but this is unsubstantiated. I am like the giant squid: elusive and shrouded in mystery. Not much is known about either of us. In fact, the first footage of a living giant squid only came out in September 2005.

Seeing as how this is a site of writers, perhaps you would benefit more from a poem; thus, I give you “The Kraken” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson:

Below the thunders of the upper deep;
Far far beneath in the abysmal sea, His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep
The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee
About his shadowy sides; above him swell
Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;
And far away into the sickly light,
From many a wondrous grot and secret cell
Unnumber’d and enormous polypi
Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green.
There hath he lain for ages, and will lie
Battening upon huge seaworms in his sleep,
Until the latter fire shall heat the deep;
Then once by man and angels to be seen,
In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.

Thanks, Al—I couldn’t have said it better myself. As if that needed to be pointed out.


Why do I replace some of my C’s with K’s?

Why not? Does it bother you? It’s actually a relatively common practice because it adds a whimsical touch. I also like the “K” sound, which can be evidenced by the fact that a disproportionate number of the people, places, and things in "Quorilax"  [13+] have either a K, Q, or X in their name.



About the Items

"The Legend Lives"  [ASR]
When I interact with people on Writing.Com whom I have never met before, it’s hard to imagine who they are in a physical sense; I can only see them as lumps of clay that write. I have placed this photograph of myself here so that you can mold some Kraken klay and give me form.

"Alter Ego"  [13+]
Another picture of me, which was actually on Writing.Com first. If you read the accompanying description, you will learn about a real-life ghost story.

"Kraken's Khronicles"  [13+]
This main intent of this piece is to talk about my life before I came to Writing.Com, but I will update it to include major developments. If you don’t feel like following my journal, this is an alternative. Like my journal, it will give you many deep insights into who I am and why I am. See whether you can pinpoint the moment when everything went horribly wrong.

"Juniper Park"  [13+]
In the summer of 1997, my family took trip to Maine and the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia, resides the worst campground at which I have ever spent a night: Juniper Park. The campground was so bad that I can’t help but laugh now, but I sure wasn’t laughing then. Arachnophobics beware!

"Kraken: Behind the Tentacles"  [18+]
My journal is usually updated somewhere between a weekly and monthly basis, and I cover a wide variety of topics. I speak my mind, yet I’m not a fan of “site drama,” so if that’s what you’re looking for, search elsewhere.