SIREN-LIKE DOLPHIN I

SIREN-LIKE DOLPHIN I

"The dolphin has its eyes on the back and the mouth on the opposite (on the opposite side) therefore they probably did not see their prey and food because of the clumsiness of the mouth from the eyes. Therefore they turn their mouth towards the sky, back and eyes towards the earth, so that they can catch their prey. If a thunderstorm is about, they play on top of the water, so that one sees them. One also says that they do help those who are in need in the waters. And one says that they cry when they are caught."

 Unknown Author (often attributed to Johann Wonnecke von Kaub), Hortus Sanitatis

The dolphin is very fond of its children, which is why it feeds them for a long time. Alone among all fishes it gives birth to a perfect animal and has breasts and suckles its young. And when a dolphin dies, the others gather together and carry the dead one into the depths of the sea and bury him so that he will not be eaten by fish. 

The small dolphins all stay together as they take each other by the hand and two large dolphins are their guardians. And if one of them dies, they carry him on their shoulders and armpits, protecting him so that he is not attacked by other fish, and when the storm of the sea throws the dead one ashore,  they hold each other affectionately, that is why it is said (as Pliny states) that a dolphin was caught by King Carie and a great multitude of Dolphins came to the harbor where he was caught and tied up. They sobbed and mourned as if desiring mercy, so the king let him go.
Aristotle, Historia Animalium

This week's monsters are very special. They're all sea monsters and they're done in collaboration with the spectacularly talented Iman Joy El Shami-Mader (@mythical.creaturologist). Imi and I have been internet friends for a few years now (maybe? who knows how time works anymore) and we share a lot of interests; cemeteries, holy relics, medieval paintings and of course bestiaries.

Here's Imi's version of the Siren-Like Dolphin

I love seeing her obsessively researched (it should be noted that she personally translated all of this source material) and documented monsters from folklore and mythology across the globe (and time). I especially love it when we draw the same creature!

One of my favorite things in the world is seeing multiple artists' interpretations of the same source material. For one, style varies and may lend itself to focusing on different parts of a creature. But also, your own personal tastes may lead you to interpret something in a completely different way than another artist.

Which brings us to this week. We decided to illustrate a week's worth of monsters found in Chet Van Duzer's book Sea Monsters On Medieval and Renaissance Maps. I've used this source material before and I'll be expanding in further blog posts this week.

Here's the original source material also from Hortus Sanitatis:

Chet Van Duzer's caption reads "Two siren-like dolphins in the Hortus Sanitatis, 'De piscibus', chapter 27, published in 1491." Because of this caption I treated them as two separate animals but it's clear from Imi's excellent research that they're actually one animal from two different angles.