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Dave's Mythical Creatures and Places |
Sea-Horse
| Description |
Front half is a horse, back half is sea creature (usually a dolphin.)
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| Also Called | Hippocampus
or the Steeds of Neptune
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| Might actually be | The
fanciful version above may be based on a misunderstanding of a description
of either of the an actual sea-horse (genus: hippocampus) which are
only a few inches long, or a hippopotamus.
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| Seen in | A
common symbolic image among sea-farers, and in heraldry.
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| Described By: | Jobson,
describing a hippopotamus, which he called a "sea-horse"- "He
is in fashion of body a compleat horse, as round buttock'd as a horse of
service, and in his whole body answerable; his head like unto a horse with
short eares, but palpably appearing, which he wags and stirres as he shews
himself, onely toward his mouth he growes broade downe like a bull, and
hath two teeth standing right before upon his lower choppe, which are
great and dangerous." (The Golden Trade, 1623)
Olaus Magnus- "The Sea-Horse, between Britany and Norway, is oft seen to have a head like a horse, and to neigh; but his feet and hoof are cloven like to a cow's; and he feeds both on land, and in the sea. He is seldome taken, though he grow to be as big as an Ox. He hath a forked tail like a fish." Bossewell- "This water-horse of the sea is called a hippotame, for that he is like a horse in back, mayne, and neying: rostro resupinato a primis dentibus: causa tortuosa, ungulis binis. He abideth in the waters on the day, and eateth corn by night et hunc Nilus gignit." (Works of Armorie, 1589)
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