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Dave's Mythical Creatures and Places |
Sea-Monk
| Description | A
fish that looks like a monk. This idea is probably based on the belief that
everything on land has a corresponding creature in the sea.
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| Might be | A
giant squid?
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| Described By: | According
to Conrad Gesner, a monk-fish was caught off Norway in a troubled sea, and
one was found in the Firth of Fourth.
In Stow's Annales, he describes the capture of one such creature: "A.D. 1187. Neere unto Orforde in Suffolke, certaine Fishers of the sea tooke in their nettes a Fish having the shape of a man in all pointes, which Fish was kept by Barlemew de Glanville, Custos of the castle of Orforde, in the same castle, by the space of six monthes, and more, for a wonder: He spake not a word. All manner of meates he gladly did eate, but more greedilie raw fishe, after he had crushed out all the moisture. Oftentimes he was brought to the Church where he showed no tokens of adoration. At length, when he was not well looked to, he stale away to the sea and never after appeared."
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