A01=Margaret Baker
Author_Margaret Baker
Category=FJN
Category=JBGB
Davy Jones' locker
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fisherman's tales
folk tales
folklore
ghost ships
kraken
legends
marine
marine mythology
marine spirits
maritime
maritime customs
mermaids
myths
Neptune
pirate
pirate legends
Poseidon
sailor superstitions
sea
sea monsters
sea serpents
sea shanties
sea shanty
selkies
shipwrecks
sirens
smugglers
Product details
- ISBN 9781446315590
- Weight: 542g
- Dimensions: 142 x 221mm
- Publication Date: 13 May 2025
- Publisher: David & Charles
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Hardback
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Filled with the myths and legends of the deep, this new illustrated edition of the cult classic folklore collection reveals the stories that swirled on the open seas, and the customs that remain part of maritime life.
The vivid, often eerie, superstitions, tales and rituals of the sea were the sailors ‘response to danger — immediate and uncontrolled. As a sailing-ship beat for weeks across the Southern Ocean, domain of the albatross, meeting no one in the lonely wastes, her crew felt an urgent need to appease the sea-gods. Even today, with engines, iron or fibreglass hulls, and less credulous seamen, much traditional sea lore has survived, especially in the fishing fleets.
Stories of phantom ships and crews (from the Flying Dutchman onwards), of the perennial sea-serpent, of lonely lighthouses; rituals such as the crossing-the-line ceremonies or blessing the fishing fleet; old weather lore, sailors’ chanties and sea language, taboos and talismans, precautions taken at keel-laying or launching — all these are recorded and interpreted here.
For everyone who enjoys strange stories and the chilly fascination of the unconquered sea, or thrills to watch man pitting himself against merciless elements, this book is a delight and a mine of information. Margaret Baker is unrivalled at collecting traditions of the past and showing the part they have played for generations of men in their daily lives. With brand new illustrations by Philip Harris.
Margaret Baker was an author known for her focus on the folklore and customs of rural communities in the United Kingdom and United States.
