THE KRAKEN AND THE MERMAID

A needlework picture in the style of the seventeenth century

Without easy access to first hand nautical evidence in the seventeenth century, fantastical sea dwellers blossomed in monstrous fearsome forms in the human mind. Imaginations were stoked by the bizarre images often drawn in the margins of old maps: creatures such as sirens and mermaids, long sinuous and toothy serpents with scales and tentacles, gigantic turtles and leviathans (which could be mistaken for islands), lobsters of mind boggling length, huge fishes spouting geysers, and the dreadful Kraken (octopus), a Cephalopod so immense it could encircle and sink a ship.

These mythical creatures were the inspiration for this fanciful scene: the “sea monsters” depicted in early drawings to fascinate and frighten their naive audience.

Stitched over two threads on 40 count linen using only cross and back stitches, the finished piece will measure approximately 10″ x 12-3/4″, and is recommended for any level of skill.