Meet the strange and terrifying Sea monsters! Those who made medieval sailors afraid to go out to sea. Chthonic creatures born of sea salt and dark depths. Children of the sea, as depicted by Swedish diplomat Olaus Magnus almost 500 years ago.
Olaus Magnus (1490-1557) was a Swedish Catholic priest who held a high position in the church hierarchy. In the early modern period, a cleric would typically have had every chance of living a quiet and untroubled life. Unfortunately for Magnus, King Gustav I Vasa, a man who was both cruel and practical, came to power in Sweden. Ironically, it was this latter trait of the new monarch that caught Magnus's attention. Seeing financial benefits and convenience in the Reformation, King Gustav converted the country to Lutheranism. As a result, in 1524, Olaus, a devout Catholic, went into exile in Rome, where his brother, Johannes Magnus, and later Olaus himself, were appointed archbishops of Uppsala, the highest ecclesiastical office in Sweden. However, neither brother actually had the powers of an archbishop, as recent events had reduced the archbishopric to a title without authority.
In exile, the Magnus brothers dedicated their time to writing scientific works about Sweden and Scandinavia. This was driven partly by their Swedish patriotism and, undoubtedly, by a desire to raise Sweden's prestige among the Catholic hierarchy. At the time, the Catholic Church was not overly concerned about the prospect of losing the Scandinavian kingdoms to the Lutherans.
Carta marina et descriptio septemtrionalium terrarum (Latin for “Marine map and description of northern lands”)
In addition to his scientific writings, Olaus Magnus also created a map that became a significant focus for researchers. It was the first large-scale map of a European region and, while not entirely accurate, was a vast improvement on earlier maps of Scandinavia. Instead of just geographical lines, his map depicted legendary and mythical creatures, such as sea serpents, that were said to roam the stormy seas and create havoc for sailors.
What is most surprising about Olaus Magnus's map is the number and appearance of its sea monsters. The map portrays a fascinating mix of geography and folklore from the time, including:
Many geysers and volcanoes in Iceland, along with two mysterious black holes marked as «chaos» possibly referring to the biblical sense of «abyss».
Trolls believed to live in the Norwegian mountains, which supposedly turn to stone when exposed to sunlight.
In Sweden, the map shows wolves attacking moose and people milking does, hunting, and fighting with their eastern neighbors who hunt fox-like stoats.
Skrikfinnia is depicted as the home of Starkad, a giant who is a hero of Scandinavian sagas, etc.
Sebastian Münster “Sea Monsters and Fantastical Beasts”
The depictions of these sea beasts impressed the rest of Europe by serving as a valuable collection of interesting facts about Scandinavian customs and folklore. Today, these same images can impress your friends as part of your interior design or as accessories on your clothing and luggage.
We present ten different, but closely related, designs of enamel pins. This is a preview of the result is making. There may be slight changes during creation.
According to reports, they are a type of whale that frightens and amazes men just by showing their cruelty at first sight. If this monster is indeed a Rosmarus (Olaus Magnus does not call it by name):
«The Norway Coast, toward the more Northern parts, had huge great fish as big as Elephants, which are called Morsi, or Rosmari, may be that they are so from their sharp biting, for if they see any man on the Sea-shore, and can catch him, they come suddenly upon him and rend him with their Teeth, that they will kill him in a trice... They will raise themselves with their Teeth, as by Ladders, to the very tops of Rocks, that they may feed on the Dewie Grasse, or fresh Water, and role themselves in it, and then go to the Sea again».
Their heads are shaped like squares, covered in prickly spikes, and they have long, sharp horns. They are ten or twelve cubits long, very black, and have huge eyes. The compass is about eight or ten cubits high. The Apple of the Eye is one cubit long, red, and fiery. At night, it looks like a burning fire to fishermen far away. It has hairs like goose feathers: thick and long, hanging down like a beard. The head of the sea monster is as big as the rest of the body, which is very small. It's not more than 14 or 15 cubits long. Many great ships, filled with strong sailors, could easily be drowned by one of these sea monsters.
«A Whale [Balena] is a very great fish about one hundred or three hundred foot long, and the body isa vast magnitude; yet the Orca, which is smaller in quantity, has more nimble to assaunt, and cruel to come on, is his deadly Enemy. An Orca is like a hull turned inside outward; a Beast with fierce Teeth, with which, as with the Stern of a Ship, he rends the Whales Guts, and tears his Calves body, or he quickly runs and drives him up and down with his prickly back...».
«Monsters in the Sea almost like to men, that sing mournfully as the Sea Nymphs. Also Sea-men, that have a full likeness of body, and thse in the night will seem to go up into the ships; and it is proved, that when they appear there is some danger coming; and if they stay long the ships are drowned».
“They who in Works of Navigation, on the Coast of Norway, employ themselves in fishing or Merchandise, do all agree in this strange story, that there is a Serpent there which is of vast magnitude, namely 200 foot [61 meters] long, and more – over 20 feet [6 meters] thick; and is wont to live in Rocks and Caves towards the Sea-coast about Berge: which will go alone from his holes in a clear night in Summer and devour Calves, Lambs, and Hogs, or else he goes into the Sea to feed on Polypus, Locusts, and all sorts of Sea-Crabs. He hath commonly hair hanging from his neck a Cubit long, [18 inches, 45 cm] and sharp Scales, and is black, and he hath flaming shining eyes. the Snake disquiets the Shippers, and he puts up his head on high like a pillar and catcheth away men, and he devours them, and this happeneth not but it signifies some wonderful change of the Kingdom near at hand; namely that the Prince shall dies, or be banished; or some Tumultuous Wars shall presently follow”.
«On the Coasts of Norway, there is Polypus, one Creature with many feet, which hath a pipe on his back, whereby he puts to see, and he moves that sometimes to the right side, sometimes to the left. Moreover, with his Legs as it were by hollow places, dispersed here and there, and by his Noothed Nippers, he fastneth on every living Creature that comes near to him, that wants blood.... He changeth his color by the color of the stone he sticks unto, especially when he is frightened at the sight of his enemy the Conger.... He lies on his back upon the stones, that he can scare be gotten off of, unless you put some stinking smell to him».
«A monstrous Fish found on the shores of England, with a clear description of his whole body, and every member thereof,... was seen there in the the year 1532, and the Inhabitants made a prey of it.... For it had a Hogs head, and a quarter of a circle, like the moon, in the hinder part of its head, four feet like a Dragon, two eyes on both side of his Loyns, and a third in his belly inkling toward his Navel; behind he had a Forked-Tail, like to other Fish commonly».
«The Whirlpool, or Prister, is of the kind of Whales, two hundred Cubits long, and is very cruel... The Beast hath... a long and large round mouth, like a Lamprey, whereby he sucks in his meat or water, and by his weight cast upon the Fore or Hinder-Deck, he sinks and drowns a ship».
«...the Mariners that come thither unawares, are in a moment sucked in by its sudden circumvolution, all force and industry of the Pilot being taken away, especially those who know not the Nature of the place, or at otherwise driven on by the force of Tempests; of that, by contempt, little regard this imminent danger. This is the Charybdis vortex, known to Aristotle, and referred to in the less common saying, 'Between Scylla and Charybdis'».
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«Tartarus»is a project by an idealist and dreamer. It is an attempt to spread his ideas among those who live in the neighboring house and those who are hundreds and thousands of kilometers away from the author. And believe me, he himself is curious to see what will happen next.
