E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Kraken.
A supposed sea-monster of vast size, said to have been seen off the coast of Norway and on the North American coasts. It was first described (1750) by Pontoppidan. Pliny speaks of a sea-monster in the Straits of Gibraltar, which blocked the entrance of ships.
