The Wondrous Ocean: Tales of the Headless, Dead, and the Deep From 16th and 17th Century Seafarers

• Main Author: Hastings, Garrett R
• Other Authors: Crisman, Kevin, Wachsmann, Shelley, Bickham, Troy
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Archaeology; maritime; lore; seafaring; ship; figurehead; Flying Dutchman; Blemmyae; kraken; witch; Kraken; Colossal Squid
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/195093

The age of seafaring exploration was an era of discovery and fantastical beings. During the 16th and 17th centuries, many Europeans believed in luck, ghosts, foreign monsters, creatures of the deep, and devils. This folklore was an integral part of the mariner’s life but is often overlooked or —starting in the 19th century—is muddied in popular culture. This thesis seeks to understand what the ancient mariners believed through microcosms of larger topics: luck, ships as beings, spirits and phantom ships, beasts encountered on land, monsters at sea, and magic. The main case studies are the myths of the Flying Dutchman, the Blemmyae, and the kraken. To fully understand the mariners’ lore, this thesis has sought out older accounts and scholarly analyses. Unfortunately, but predictably, an abundance of misinformation exists on this topic, so caution had to be taken as to which documents can be utilized. It should also be understood that this is folklore and is apt to change by its fluid nature. We must understand them as the sailors did. Popular seafaring lore has been greatly altered due to an artistic revolution in the 1800s, but much of it continues into our modern era. The kraken is now a feared colossal squid; witches are no longer hung, but the fundamental xenophobic ideas are still a reality. Folklore is more than just a vision of the past; it can also be a mirror of our present.