Seafaring Lore And Legend

This title spans history to document the most unusual myths, legends, superstitions, fables and facts to emerge from the sea. It includes an extensive bibliography for continued research.

Horace Beck, a former professor of American Literature at Middlebury College, has been gathering the sea's folklore for 70 years in Europe, North America, and the West Indies. This collection of legends, songs, superstitions, and stories, both true and apocryphal includes spectral ships, mermaids and mermen, pirates, sea language, sea monsters, navigation and weather lore, names on sea and shore, and much more. Library Journal called Folklore and the Sea "a browser's delight as well as a researcher's gold mine."

“Titanic meets Tom Clancy technology” in this national-bestselling account of the SS Central America’s wreckage and discovery (People). September 1875. With nearly six hundred passengers returning from the California Gold Rush, the side-wheel steamer SS Central America encountered a violent storm and sank two hundred miles off the Carolina coast. More than four hundred lives and twenty-one tons of gold were lost. It was a tragedy lost in legend for more than a century—until a brilliant young engineer named Tommy Thompson set out to find the wreck. Driven by scientific curiosity and resentful of the term “treasure hunt,” Thompson searched the deep-ocean floor using historical accounts, cutting-edge sonar technology, and an underwater robot of his own design. Navigating greedy investors, impatient crewmembers, and a competing salvage team, Thompson finally located the wreck in 1989 and sailed into Norfolk with her recovered treasure: gold coins, bars, nuggets, and dust, plus steamer trunks filled with period clothes, newspapers, books, and journals. A great American adventure story, Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea is also a fascinating account of the science, technology, and engineering that opened Earth’s final frontier, providing “white-knuckle reading, as exciting as anything . . . in The Perfect Storm” (Los Angeles Times Book Review). “A complex, bittersweet history of two centuries of American entrepreneurship, linked by the mad quest for gold.” —Entertainment Weekly “A ripping true tale of danger and discovery at sea.” —The Washington Post “What a yarn! . . . If you sign on for the cruise, go in knowing that you’re going to miss meals and a lot of sleep.” —Newsweek

Excerpt from Legends and Superstitions of the Sea and of Sailors The present volume is an attempt at collecting the folk-lore of the sea and its belongings. Many of the myths here recorded are as old as history itself, and far older, and some of the most interesting legends have been frequently published; but, so far as I am aware, no comprehensive collection of the legends relating to the sea has heretofore been made. It is not claimed that the present work is exhaustive, for much has been written concerning the mysterious sea, and much remains for some future folk-lore collector, but the greater part of the legends of the sea are here assembled. These legends are derived from various and widely different sources. Comparative mythology has taught us not to despise the most frivolous tale, if we may, by comparison, illustrate more sober myths or legends by its use. I have adopted, as a safe guide for the interpretation of the nature-myths of the sea and the air, the teachings of Cox, whose writings have generally received the sanction of scholars. The standard works of Smith, Anthon, Murray, Gladstone, Keary, Fiske and Kelly have also been freely consulted and quoted. These mythological ideas of early nations often serve as a key to the interpretation of more recent superstitions. "The religious myths of antiquity, and the fireside legends of ancient and modern times, have their common root in the mental habits of primitive humanity. They are the earliest recorded utterances of men concerning the visible phenomena of the world into which they were born." About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Legends and Superstitions of the Sea and of Sailors in All Lands and at All Times Many writers on folk-lore have been consulted, and especially, as relating to the sea. Folk-lore journal, the ety, the works of Jal. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Discover a collection of the myths, legends, folktales and superstitions that sailors held dear as they travelled across the oceans and made their lives upon the sea.

This fascinating guide to maritime folklore explores the myths, legends, and superstitions of sailors and seafarers throughout history. From sea monsters and mermaids to shipwrecks and lost treasures, this book is a treasure trove of nautical lore. With stunning illustrations and detailed research, it is a must-have for anyone with an interest in maritime history. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.