THE LEGENDS OF SEA MONSTERS GOES BACK A LONG WAY AND THE ARTISTIC RENDERINGS THAT RESULTED FROM DRAWING FROM STORIES WITH NO FIRST HAND KNOWLEGE OF THE SUBJECT. WE TEND TO TELL STORIES OF STRANGE BEASTS AND MAKE THEM MORE FIERCE, WINGS, FANGS, TUSKS, CLAWS AND MANES SPROUT FROM DRAWINGS WHERE NONE EVER EXHISTED IN REALITY. SO DRAGONS WITH MANES WHALES WITH TUSKS AND LARGE ARMS AND CLAWED FEET WERE ACCEPTED IN ANCIENT TIMES AND MOST ARTISTS DREW THEIR INSPIRATION FROM THEM. THEY SEEMED POPULAR IN WEAPONS DESIGNS AND ON OLD WORLD MAPS AMONG OTHER THINGS.
THERE ARE DEPICTIONS OF SEA MONSTERS ON POTTERY AND MOSAICS THAT HAVE SURVIVED SINCE BEFORE 1000 B.C.
PICTURES
#1. 1558 SEA MONSTER LION COMPLETE WITH MANE
#2. 1572 SEA MONSTER FROM A OLD MAP
#3. 1558 SEA MONSTER, FANCIFUL WALE
#4. 1560 SEA MONSTER
#5. 1558 WALRUS
#6. 1603 SEA MONSTER FROM MAP
#7. 1613 SEA MONSTERS, ONE A SHARK AND THE OTHER A UNICORN WITH A SAWFISH BILL FOR A HORN.
#8. 1755 SEA MONSTER WITH MANE
PERHAPS THE FIRST PICTURE IS A SEA LION
IF SOMEONE DESCRIBED AN ANIMAL TO A ARTIST WHO NEVER SAW ONE AND CALLED IT A SEA LION THIS MAY BE THE RESULT. I HAVE HEARD BOTH SEALS AND SAILORS REFERRED TO AS SEA DOGS. PERHAPS THE SEALS EARNED IT WITH THEIR LOUD BARKING I AM NOT SURE HOW THE SAILORS EARNED THE NAME.
THOSE WHO SAILED THE SEAS IN THE EARLY DAYS NO DOUBT FEARED THE LARGE WALES AS THEY WERE LARGE AND MYSTERIOUS BEASTS SO THEY PROBABLY TRYED TO AVOID THEM. THEY COULD NOT TELL WHAT THEY REALLY LOOKED LIKE OR HOW LARGE THEY REALLY WERE AND HAVING SOMETHING AS LARGE AS YOUR SHIP RUBBING AGAINST THE BOTTOM TO SCRATCH OFF ITCHY BARNACLES NO DOUBT TERRIFIED THEM. WHALERS NO DOUBT EXAGGERATED HOW DANGEROUS THEIR PREY WAS TO GAIN RESPECT AND TELL A GOOD TALE.
THE SEA STILL HIDES MANY MYSTERYS TODAY BUT IN THE EARLY DAYS IT WAS FILLED WITH THE UNKNOWN AND A FEARSOM AND MYSTERIOUS PLACE INDEED.
THE LION WAS WIDELY DISTRIBUTED IN EARLY DAYS WE EVEN HAD SOME IN THE AMERICAS IN PREHISTORIC TIMES. I THINK MAN RESPECTED THE LION MORE BECAUSE ITS WAYS ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER BIG CATS. TIGERS AND LEOPARDS, JAGUARS AND MOUNTAIN LIONS ARE SOLITARY AND NOT EASILY SEEN. LIONS LIVE AND HUNT IN PRIDES AND ARE MUCH EASIER TO LOCATE AND SEE . ALL BIG CATS INSPIRED FEAR IN MAN BUT FOR SOME REASON MAN SEEMED TO THINK LIONS MORE NOBLE AND RESPECTED THE LION MORE, EVEN ENOUGH TO NAME HIM KING OF BEASTS. NO DOUBT THE STORIES SPREAD MUCH FARTHER THAN THE LIONS RANGE AND THE FARTHER AWAY IT WENT THE MORE MAJECTIC AND FEARSOME ITS REPUTATION BECAME. EVEN HERCULES FOUGHT A LION AND AS AMERICA HAD NO LIONS DAVY CROCKET HAD TO KILL HIM A BEAR WHEN HE WAS ONLY THREE.
GOOD OLD LEGENDS ARE OFT REPEATED IN MANY CULTURES AND BECOME A PART OF ITS ART AS WELL.