Sea monk
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The sea monk was a sea monster found off the coast of Denmark almost certainly in 1546 (Paxton & Holland 2005). It was said to be a "fish" that looked superficially like a monk. It was described and pictured in the fourth volume of Conrad Gesner's famous Historia Animalium. Gesner also referenced a similar monster found in the Firth of Forth, according to Boethius, and a sighting off the coast of Poland in 1531.
In his epic poem La Sepmaine; ou, Creation du monde, the poet Guillaume du Bartas referenced the 16th century sea monk sightings as part of a poetic observation that all things on land and in the air had an equivalent in the sea:
- "Seas have (as well as skies) Sun, Moon, and Stars;
(As well as ayre) Swallows, and Rooks, and Stares;
(As well as earth) Vines, Roses, Nettles, Millions,
Pinks, Gilliflowers, Mushrooms, and many millions
of other Plants lants (more rare and strange than these)
As very fishes living in the Seas.
And also Rams, Calfs, Horses, Hares, and Hogs,
Wolves, Lions, Urchins, Elephants and Dogs,
Yea, Men and Mayds; and (which I more admire)
The mytred Bishop and the cowled Fryer;
Whereof, examples, (but a few years since)
Were shew'n the Norways, and Polonian Prince."
In 1855, Danish zoologist Japetus Steenstrup used 16th century drawings and descriptions to theorize that the specimen was a giant squid, a theory which was echoed by marine biologist Richard Ellis in 1998. Bernard Heuvelmans, known by some as the father of cryptozoology, believed the report was based on the discovery of an errant walrus. In 2005, researchers C.G.M. Paxton and R. Holland suggested it was an angel shark Squatina squatina, which is commonly called monkfish in English or munk in Norwegian. Other suggested suspects for the sea monk include a grey seal, a hooded seal, a monk seal or a Jenny Hanniver (Paxton & Holland 2005).
Umibōzu is the name of a similar creature from Asia. Sailors believe that it could cause storms and on occasion would overturn their junks. As a precaution against these creatures, there was at least one deckhand on every junk who was specially trained to ward off the creature by waving a stick covered with red streamers and leading the crew in a ritual dance.
According to Conrad Gesner, a monk-fish was caught off Norway in a troubled sea, and one was found in the Firth of Fourth. Although these have been dismissed as myth, the case of the Sea Monk has enlightened many modern biologists to see the grain of truth hidden in "Ólde" legends, as the sea monk is now believed to be a large squid. Ancient oriental records have been found, linking a supposed sea monk, the "UmibǑzu" (see above), to Chinese sea dragons. This has led to the investigation of the myth of traditional dragons, with biologists hoping to find a link between these and relatives of the Komodo Dragons of Indonesia.
The legend may have developed from sailors exploring uncharted seas who occasionally caught sight of the underside of manta rays, which can look remarkably like a contorted human face.
A monster called a "sea monk" also appears in some fantasy-based computer and card games, such as Lost Kingdoms II and Final Fantasy XI.
[edit] References
- Ashton, John (1890). Curious Creatures in Zoology. John C. Nimmo. via books.google.com.
- Ellis, R. (1998) The Search for the Giant Squid. Lyons Press. London.
- Heuvelmans, B. (1974) Dans le Sillage des Monstres Marins. Famot. Geneva.
- Paxton, C.G.M. & Holland R. (2005) Was Steenstrup Right? A new interpretation of the 16th century sea monk of the Øresund. Steenstrupia 29, 39-47.
- Steenstrup J.J.S. (1855) Om den i Kong Christian IIIs tid i Øresundet fanget Havmund (Sømunken kaldet) Dansk Maanedsskrift 1, 63-96.
