Myths from the Sea

Myths from the Sea

Seafarers have always been known for their superstitions and tall tales. Away from home for months or years at a time, far from the safety of land, they often saw (or thought they saw) strange creatures unknown to landlubbers. Sailors invented sea monsters, mermaids, and other mythical creatures to explain sights or happenings they didn't understand. Like the Indians, sailors made up stories to explain their surroundings or just to pass the time and amuse their friends.

Indians and seafarers shared some of the same myths. The Neptune family of the Penobscot tribe believed its ancestor was a half-man, half-fisher merman who lived in a cave. He warned the tribe whenever danger threatened his family.

All sailors believed in the very real dangers of the sea. Many ships left port never to be heard from again. Often no trace of the wrecked ship was ever found.

Sometimes the loss of a ship at sea was blamed on an attack by a sea monster. Or maybe the captain or crew had done something to make the sea angry at them. Sailors and fisherman had many superstitions to try and attract good luck or avoid bad luck. Even if a seafarer said he didn't believe in superstitions, he usually didn't ignore them!

Have you ever heard of these superstitions?

• Never whistle on a boat. It calls up the wind.
• Boats shouldn't be named after an engaged woman because the seas get jealous.
• Don't paint a boat blue.
• Don't set sail on a Thursday.
• Don't say "pig" on a boat.
• Never harm a bird at sea. Birds bring good luck.
• Taking an umbrella aboard a ship is unlucky.

Can you think of any superstitions that you've heard?

Build a Beast

Old-time sailors invented stories of sea monsters out of fear and superstition. With each retelling of their stories, the sea monsters became larger and scarier!

Create your own sea monster with playdough. Use buttons, pipe cleaners, toothpicks, paperclips, or Q-tips to give your sea monster claws and teeth, just as the sailors did.

Here's a list of sea monster features to choose from: claws, suctions cups, huge teeth, spines, armored skin or scales, snakelike body or arms, webbed feet or flippers, gills like fish, blowhole like a whale, or shell like a turtle.

After you make your creature, name it. Then decide what it likes to eat and what might eat it.

Recipe for Playdough

• 1 cup flour
• one-half cup salt
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar

Cook in a saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a ball (about 5-10 minutes). Add food coloring if you like. Knead slightly. Cool.

This will keep for at least a month in a covered plastic container.

What's in a name?

Try to figure out what sailors meant when they named these things they discovered in the sea.

Was there really a mermaid (half-woman, half-fish) who lived in these underwater parts?

Mermaid		Perhaps it was only the Sea Cow or Manatee that won homesick sailors' hearts
Jingle shells		Mermaids toenails The round, Mother-of-pearl shell cast up high on beaches
Skate Egg Case		Mermaid's purse The long fringes or "tendrils" of this case anchor it to seaweed on the ocean floor
Razor clam		Merman's razor Its long blade can be found standing straight up in the sandy beach.
Waved Whelk egg Case		Merman's soap Old-time sailors used clusters of this snail's eggs for soap