Seafaring Lore and Legend"A valuable and lively resource. Jeans sorts truth from fiction with a sure hand and does full justice to both."—Peter Stanford, President Emeritus, National Maritime Historical Society “A veritable sourcebook of nautical history, beliefs, and heritage. Every true mariner will get lost in this book.”—Boating Seafaring Lore and Legend is a storehouse of wonders for those who love the sea. From Noah’s Ark to Thor Heyerdahl’s raft, from Atlantis to the Northwest Passage, author Peter Jeans scours the ages and the seven seas for fanciful, inspiring, and bizarre tales of sea monsters, ghost ships, lost continents, castaways, pirates, explorers, superstitions, and customs. Discover the surprising truths behind:
This is a book you can open anywhere to savor for a few minutes or an afternoon. But be careful: it's easy to lose track of time at sea. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 20
... Lands Pillars of Hercules ◇ Colossus of Rhodes ◇ Ultima Thule ◇ The Hesperides ◇ Tarshish ◇ Taprobane ◇ Distant Ophir ◇ Magnetic Islands ◇ Hy Brasil ◇ Island of Ogygia ◇ Island ofDelos ◇ Lemuria, Lost Continent ◇ Lost Land ...
... land the seafarer could without risk whistle as much as he liked. Also, it was unlucky to use the word “pig” at sea—one said “hog” or “sow” instead—but on land it was perfectly safe to do so. In earlier times, when a ship was launched ...
... land right foot first, the left being unlucky in this context (the left, the sinister side—from Latin sinister, left—has always symbolized evil or harm; that is why armies step out left foot first, as a dire warning to their adversaries) ...
... Land of Lyonesse, chapter 2), the ancient kingdom slumbering on the seabed somewhere off Land's End—all these and many others were of consuming interest and importance to the seafarer of old. Antilia was well known to ancient ...
... lands that harbored no ills of any kind, where all was light, peace, and plenty. Alas!—they long ago disappeared ... land, he was hooted out of court by his contemporaries after he returned home. No one would believe him. How could ...
Contents
1 | |
13 | |
30 | |
3 Legendary Voyages | 43 |
4 Sea Quests of Old | 64 |
5 Maritime History | 85 |
6 Nautical Custom | 95 |
7 Life at Sea | 104 |
12 Navigable Waters | 206 |
13 Castaways and Survivors | 214 |
14 At Odds with the Law | 227 |
15 Sea Fancies | 246 |
16 Myth and Mystery | 254 |
17 Sea Monsters | 276 |
18 Wraiths of the Sea | 295 |
19 Superstition and Belief | 304 |
8 The Captain and His Ship | 134 |
9 A Murmuring of Men | 161 |
10 Big Ships and Battles | 176 |
11 Death and Disaster | 192 |
Sources and Notes | 329 |
Select Bibliography | 350 |
Index | 362 |