SEA STORIES and LEGENDS, SEA CREATURES
(excerpts from posts)
(If you want to retell any of the stories listed below, be sure to obtain permission from the copyright holder if the material is not in the public domain)

1) Hawaiian (Maui) stories connected with the sea
http://www.mauigateway.com/~rw/myths1.htm

2) The Bastion — New England Sea History and Information. Odin's Castle of Dreams and Legends.
http://www.odinscastle.org/odin8.html

3) Legends — Ocean-Born Mary: A Classic Tale of Haunted New England
http://www.prairieghosts.com/ocean_mary.html

4) Strange Navy and Sea Tales and Nautical Terms
http://members.tripod.com/~Motomom/sea

5) The Great New England Sea Serpent
http://www.pibburns.com/tgness.htm

6) Connecticut and the Sea from Simon Pure Traditions (radio program)
http://www.simonpure.com/sea.htm

7) Sea Serpents from Out of Gloucester
http://www.downtosea.com/serpents.htm

8) Fish Stories from Out of Gloucester, MA
http://www.downtosea.com/fishstory.htm

9) Books containing sea stories from Mystic Seaport, CT
http://www.mysticseaport.org/learn/lo-resources.htm

10) Atlantic Coastal Kayaker — Stories of kayaking and the sea
http://users.primushost.com/~ack/ack/

11) Old sayings and myths from the sea
http://ctct.essortment.com/seamyths_rjrw.htm

12) Japanese myth: The Palace Under the Sea
http://www.st.rim.or.jp/~cycle/SACHIE.HTML

13) Japanesse folktale: Urashima Taro (with animated color illustrations) (different versions)
http://www.jinjapan.org/kidsweb/folk/urashimataro/urashima1.html
http://home.clara.net/wabei/xlation/quilt/urashima.htm
http://www.darsie.net/talesofwonder/utaro.html
http://www.angelfire.com/ma3/mythology/utaro.html

14) Urashima Taro and the Turtle, a Japanese folktale
http://faerymists.tripod.com/fytales/urataro.htm

15) Sea Creatures
Inquiry: we are researching sea stories for a programme for littlies at a local Sea Life Centre. We are doing pretty well with some European mermaid tales and Liz is going to use a particular favourite of mine - Urashima Taro. However, she has been asked to find tales featuring a dogfish and a stingray! Can anyone help? Also, if you have any short songs about sea creatures that would be great, too.
Ghislaine W.
Response: If you can get the book Twenty Tellable Tales by Margaret Read MacDonald, there is a great sea creature tale called Little Crab and his Magic Eyes, which I have used a LOT. Perhaps you could put in some stingrays and dogfish in it? I have also been telling Leviathan and the Fox from the book While Standing on One Foot by Nina Jaffe and Steve Zeitlin. The fox is tricked by two fish, a Swordfish and a Sea Bass. Could they be changed to "your" fish?
Neppe P.
Response: Having heard many creative American versions of his name, I hope you use the Japanese pronunciation: ooRAHsh'ma TAHro.
Fran S.
Response: One of Kipling's Just So Stories is The Crab that Played with the Sea. Flanders & Swann wrote a song about a sea-horse.
Philip A.
Response: Try The War Between the Sandpipers and the Whales from Margerat Read McDonald's Peace Tales: World Folktales to Talk About. When the whale cousins come to the island, I stop and ask the audience "Who were the cousins of the whales?" - Lot's of time I hear of everything and anything from under the sea - so if the audience does not name them you certainly can add dogfish and stingray! Just be sure to give equal time to naming the sandpiper cousins too! I also get everyone to join me in taking big bites out of the island like the whales, but I illustrate how to use your hands when pretending to be the birds that are spitting back the sea - just in case we have some literal interpretations in the group.
Allison C.
Response: Peggy Seeger used to sing this. Seems like you could write couple of new verses that would work. The tune is nice, and the chorus singalongable.
The Boston Come-All-Ye
Come all ye young sailormen listen to me, I'll sing you a song of the fish of the sea.
Then blow ye winds westerly, westerly blow; we're bound to the southward, so steady she goes.

Oh, first came the whale, he's the biggest of all, he clumb up aloft, and let every sail fall.
Then blow ye winds westerly, westerly blow; we're bound to the southward, so steady she goes.

Next came the mackerel with his striped back, he hauled aft the sheets and boarded each tack.
Then blow ye winds westerly, westerly blow; we're bound to the southward, so steady she goes.

The porpoise came next with his little snout, he grabbed the wheel, calling "Ready? About!".
Then blow ye winds westerly, westerly blow; we're bound to the southward, so steady she goes.

Then came the smelt, the smallest of all, he jumped to the poop and sung out, "Topsail, haul!".
Then blow ye winds westerly, westerly blow; we're bound to the southward, so steady she goes.

The herring came saying, I'm king of the seas! If you want any wind, I'll blow you a breeze.
Then blow ye winds westerly, westerly blow; we're bound to the southward, so steady she goes.

Up jumped the tuna saying, "No, I am the king! Just pull on the line, and let the bell ring."
Then blow ye winds westerly, westerly blow; we're bound to the southward, so steady she goes.

Next came the cod with his chucklehead, he went to the main-chains to heave to the lead.
Then blow ye winds westerly, westerly blow; we're bound to the southward, so steady she goes.

Last come the flounder as flat as the ground, saying, Damn your eyes, chucklehead, mind how you sound!
Then blow ye winds westerly, westerly blow; we're bound to the southward, so steady she goes.

Then, up jumps the fisherman with a big grin, and with his big net he scooped them all in.
Then blow ye winds westerly, westerly blow; we're bound to the southward, so steady she goes.
Tim Jennings
Response: I love that song, so thanks for putting that melody back in my hand to hum and sing all day!
Dvora S.
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(This web page updated 3/10/05; 1/10/06)