Mythical tales have captivated us since we were kids. You imagine a different era and get fascinated by how the stories must have unfolded. However, spooky legends belong to another league entirely. Several myths about scary sea creatures have been passed down from generation to generation. These scary sea legends are probably responsible for some people’s fear of the sea today. Let’s dive in and explore five of them.
Ningen
In Japanese, the word ‘Ningen’ means ‘human’- so you already know the Japanese tale about the Ningen sea monster will be a scary one. The Ningen had five-fingered hands, arms, and legs like humans.
Courtesy: Thought Catalog
However, with fins, a tail, and a noseless face, you can imagine how spooky the creature looked. The Ningen was a cold-blooded killer who mercilessly killed sailors and taunted people by showing its scary form on the surface of the sea.
Cirein Croin
Speaking of masters of disguise in the sea, Scotland’s Cirein Croin has to be the most ruthless. The enormous sea monster caught its prey by luring them in after shrinking down to the size of a small fish.
Courtesy: Villains Wiki
The shocking part is when a fisherman catches the seemingly small fish, and it transforms to its gigantic size and swallows the fisherman. The cannibalistic Cirein Croin must have been extremely large- some even say it ate many whales in one meal.
Leviathan
The Judaism myth about the sea monster called the Leviathan is one of the scariest of all time. Legend has it that the Leviathan combined two of Earth’s natural elements– water and fire, by breathing fire.
Courtesy: Medium
The Leviathan killed numerous sailors by breathing fire and heating the surrounding water until it boiled. Then, the victims’ skins would melt as they died painfully. This sea creature is one of the most cruel.
Iku-Turso
Another terrifying sea creature myth is the story about Finland’s Iku-Turso. The name ‘Iku-Turso’ is translated as ‘the eternal Turso,’ and it was regarded as a primordial savage. It looked like an enormous octopus with suckers and long tentacles.
Courtesy: The Demonic Paraside
Although the Iku-Turso was said to keep to itself, it got violent whenever it was enraged. With its suckers and tentacles, it would lash out aggressively at anyone who crossed its path. Since there was no sure way to avoid the Iku-Turso, people innocently became its victims.
Qalupalik
The legend about the sea monster called the Qalupalik comes from the Inuit people. The Qalupalik was an evil mermaid with human-like qualities and other features that differentiated it from humans, like green skin and disgusting nails.
Courtesy: Pinnguaq
The monster liked to kidnap kids who played near the water’s edge by luring them with a humming voice. While some legends say the Qalupalik fed off the kids’ youthful energy, others claim it devoured the victims.
