This is the scapula of a fin #whale which stranded in 1365 on the Baltic island of #Usedom.
It is on display in the #Ozeaneum in #Stralsund. Bones of this whale once where on display in many places. 1/7

📸 my own
#histwhale #oceanspast #medievalsky

When you thought #whale watching would be relaxing…

📖Venationes ferarum, avium, piscium, pugnae bestiariorum & mutuae bestiarum (1580)
💻www.europeana.eu/de/item/9200518/ark__121...
#histwhale #melvillemonday

This is a #broadsheet announcing the #stranding of a whale in Ireland in 1692. It is said that 20 men could fit in its mouth. What a lovely, scaly dragon #whale!
#histwhale #oceanspast
www.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/view/bsb0...

Seeing this depiction of a pilot #whale in an 'indigenous' context is absolutely fascinating! Originally, it was an illustration of an animal that washed ashore near #Zandvoort (NL) in 1594.
www.britishmuseum.org/collection/o...
#histwhale #oceanspast #melvillemonday

The #whales are back at the #IMC in Leeds! 🐳
Many thanks to our wonderful speakers for accepting the invitation! Details of our two panels are available here:
imc-leeds.confex.com/imc/2026/pre...

#IMC2026 #medievalsky #oceanspast #histwhale

Doubting men raking patient #whale?
(Allegorical) depiction of whaling from the ‘Ci nous dit’

#histwhale #illumination #medievalsky
portail.biblissima.fr/ark:/43093/m..., f. 33r (France 14th c.)

The image shows, alongside the source text and a modern transcription, a fish labelled “balena”, with large scales, teeth, and a sly expression.

In 1458, a #whale beached itself at the mouth of the River #Llobregat and was declared a harbinger of King Alfonso V of Aragon’s imminent death. And honestly, just look at that face — this whale was clearly up to something fishy...

#histwhale
dogc.gencat.cat/.content/con..., S. 515.