Inspiration for two Whale Poems in 'Ortelius' Sea-Monsters'

                                                                      

                       Still from film of a humpback whale in the Husavik Whale Museum.

On the same May 2017 trip to Iceland where I saw sea-monsters on Ortelius' map, I also spent a day travelling along the coast to Husavik, whale-watching capital of North Iceland.  

Included in my 'Ortelius' Sea-Monsters' pamphlet are two poems about real whales as a counterbalance to the trauma of those sea-monster poems. However the plight of whales is also potentially traumatic as they may be on the point of extinction if we don't clear up pollution of the oceans, whether from plastic, oil or noise of shipping lanes.

I've written extensively about my 'To a Humpback Whale' poem in a feature 'How I wrote...' published in Poetry Wales (online) and also briefly mentioned the atmospheric experience of the Husavik Whale Museum.

See previous blog posted 2022/03/how-i-wrote-to-humpback-whale-poetry.

Some photos of the trip:

                                                   Kitted out against the cold wind and spray.

                                                                 A  "blow".

                                                  All we saw. No breaches. Oh well.

                                             Inside Husavik Whale Museum.
                                              

Sea-Monsters in Akureyri Museum, Iceland

Hanging from the ceiling of Akureyri museum were several papier mache monsters made by local primary school children.  I hope they did not haunt the kids with nightmares as they did me after a visit  to this museum, in North Iceland, May 2017.

The models were inspired by this map of Iceland with its surrounding seas full of mythological and fantastical sea-monsters.  I was electrified by these monsters, and they became the inspiration for my poems exploring trauma -arising from the sea of the unconscious I suppose - which eventually became the pamphlet 'Ortelius' Sea-Monsters' which has won the Alistair Reid Award, 2023.                                 

        

            Map of Iceland by Ortelius, 1590,  Akureyri Museum, North Iceland

Here is the description of the monsters available in the Museum with close-ups images added by myself.

 a) The Nahual. If any man eat of this fish, he dieth presently. It hath a tooth in the forepart of his head, standing out seuen cubites. This diuers haue sold for the Vnicornes hornes. It is thought to be a good antidote and foueraigne medicine against poison. This Monster is forty elles in length. (This image is not found on Ortelius’ map, so I have used one by Pierre Pomet, 1694).

b) The Roider, a fish of an hundred and thirty elles in length, which hath no teeth. The flesh of it is very good meat, wholesome and toothsome. The fatte of it is good against many diseases.

c) The Burchualur hath his head bigger than all the body beside. It hath many very strong teeth whereof they make Chesmen or Tablemen. It is threescore cubites long. (A sperm whale?)

d) The Hyena, the sea hogge, a monstrous kind of fish, of which thou maiest read in the 21 books of Olaus Magnus. (N.B. 3 eyes in its flank.)

e) Ziphius (or Xiphius) an horrible sea monster, swallowing the blacke seale at one bitte.   (An orca?)

f) The English whale, beached. Not used.

g) Hroshualur, that is as much as to say Sea-horse, with a mane hanging downe from his necke like an horse. It often doth the fishermen great hurt and skare.

h) Not used. The greatest kind of Whales. It is more like a little iland, than a fish. It cannot follow or chase the smaller fishes, by reason of the huge greatnesse and waigth of his body, yet he praieth vpon many, which he catcheth by a natural wile and subtility which he vseth for to get his food.

i) Skautuhvalur, this fish altogether full of gristles or bones, is somewhat like a ray or skaite but an infinite deale bigger: when it appeareth, it is like an iland, and with his finnes ouerturneth ships and boates.