oceanic fun facts galore

Every other page of this book had me asking myself, Where was this amazing piece of literature when I was in the literal trenches of my M.A. thesis research? This is a good thing, both because it proves I had more to learn after nearly two years spent researching parts of Greek mythology related to Sirens and other ocean-related monsters of the sea in ancient and modern literature, and because I made it out of grad school alive (phew).
In all seriousness, I thought this was a jolly nonfiction romp through so many historical and cultural facts about storytelling patterns of the sea, sailors, and the people of numerous coastlines caught in liminal spaces. The amount of countries and subcultures mentioned in various tall tales, superstitions, and famed ghost ship sightings was truly astounding to me, because of its evidence of careful research as well as confirmation that the sea enchants humans across the globe.
Each of the chapter titles I've listed below display the range of content Bell covers with the intent of helping readers grasp the "whys" as well as "hows" of oceanic storytelling culture and their lasting impacts:
- Introduction: Casting Off
- 1. Seafaring and Sea Fearing
- 2. Maritime Magic and Omens
- 3. Supernatural Beings and Fishy Tales
- 4. The Haunted High Seas
- 5. Monsters of the Deep
- 6. Weird and Enchanted Geographies
- 7. Coastal Folklore: Bringing It Back Home
- 8. Remaking Our Nautical Fears
- Epilogue: Past Tides and Future Shores
I remember most vividly the chapter and its sections explaining and exploring the lore of The Flying Dutchmen, from how the tale began, why the ship and its captain are said to be purgatorial cursed, and what the cost of seeing this apparition for yourself may mean. The methodical unpacking of why people believed what they believed, and respecting that, while also wondering how science might provide a clearer explanation also felt very well developed to me. The concept of "fakelore" was new to me as well, but actually makes a whole lot of sense in the midst of its sort of nonsensical nature. Similarly, the last few sections of the book connecting older ideas about the ocean and its inhabitants to depictions of the sea in popular culture felt really well done to me. I was happy to see a few pages devoted to analyzing the work the ​Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise has done for this branch of folklore, as well as the entire book ending on a positive environmentalist note brimming with hope rather than desperation abut the state of our planet and humanity's relationship with the ocean. If you think you'd like to expand your armory of oceanic fun facts, this is the book for you.

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