Illustration from The Book of Days, published in 1869

The sea monk, or sometimes monk-fish, was a sea monster found off the coast of Denmark almost certainly in 1546 (Paxton & Holland 2005). It was said to be a "fish" that looked superficially like a monk. It was described and pictured in the fourth volume of Conrad Gesner's famous Historia Animalium. Gesner also referenced a similar monster found in the Firth of Forth, according to Boethius, and a sighting off the coast of Poland in 1531. Image File history File links The_Sea_Monk. ... Image File history File links The_Sea_Monk. ... Picture taken from a Hetzel copy of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Sea monsters are sea-dwelling, mythical or legendary creatures, often believed to be of immense size. ... Munichs city symbol celebrates its founding by Benedictine monks—and the origin of its name A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, the conditioning of mind and body in favor of the spirit. ... Conrad Gessner (Konrad Gessner, Conrad von Gesner, Conradus Gesnerus) (26 March 1516-13 December 1565) was a Swiss naturalist. ... The Firth of Forth from Calton Hill The Forth Bridges cross the Firth Satellite photo of the Firth and the surrounding area Map of the Firth The Firth of Forth (Scottish Gaelic: Linne Foirthe) is the estuary or firth of Scotlands River Forth, where it flows into the North... Boethius teaching his students (initial from a 1385 Italian manuscript of the Consolation of Philosophy) Boethius redirects here. ...

In his epic poem La Sepmaine; ou, Creation du monde, the poet Guillaume du Bartas referenced the 16th century sea monk sightings as part of a poetic observation that all things on land and in the air had an equivalent in the sea: Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas (1544–1590) was a French poet. ...

Monk, known for his exeptional blocking skills, has been spotted in Massachuesetts were Jake writes songs about him including, Smells like Monk blocking, and of course, Monk Damn Sure. Jake got the inspiration for these songs from Big Ed and Princess Rose. Lyrics such as,

Yeah when monk blocks. It gets dangerouse. And it feels good. In Sues anus! I were panties, ON MY FOREHEAD When i bang her, it gets damgerouse! YEAH!

"Seas have (as well as skies) Sun, Moon, and Stars;
(As well as ayre) Swallows, and Rooks, and Stares;
(As well as earth) Vines, Roses, Nettles, Millions,
Pinks, Gilliflowers, Mushrooms, and many millions
of other Plants lants (more rare and strange than these)
As very fishes living in the Seas.
And also Rams, Calfs, Horses, Hares, and Hogs,
Wolves, Lions, Urchins, Elephants and Dogs,
Yea, Men and Mayds; and (which I more admire)
The mytred Bishop and the cowled Fryer;
Whereof, examples, (but a few years since)
Were shew'n the Norways, and Polonian Prince."

Steenstrup (1855) suggested that the 16th century illustrations could be interpreted as a giant squid

In 1855, Danish zoologist Japetus Steenstrup used 16th century drawings and descriptions to theorize that the specimen was a giant squid, a theory which was echoed by marine biologist Richard Ellis in 1998. Bernard Heuvelmans, known by some as the father of cryptozoology, believed the report was based on the discovery of an errant walrus. In 2005, researchers C.G.M. Paxton and R. Holland suggested it was an angel shark Squatina squatina, which is commonly called monkfish in English or munk in Norwegian. Other suggested suspects for the sea monk include a grey seal, a hooded seal, a monk seal, or a Jenny Hanniver (Paxton & Holland 2005). Image File history File links Japetus_Steenstrup_sea_monks. ... Image File history File links Japetus_Steenstrup_sea_monks. ... Japetus Steenstrup (1813 - 1897) was a Danish zoologist and biologist. ... Species Architeuthis dux Steenstrup, 1857 ?Architeuthis hartingii Verrill, 1875 ?Architeuthis japonica Pfeffer, 1912 ?Architeuthis kirkii Robson, 1887 ?Architeuthis martensi (Hilgendorf, 1880) ?Architeuthis physeteris (Joubin, 1900) ?Architeuthis sanctipauli (Velain, 1877) ?Architeuthis stockii (Kirk, 1882) Synonyms Architeuthus Steenstrup, 1857 Dinoteuthis More, 1875 Dubioteuthis Joubin, 1900 Megaloteuthis Kent, 1874 Megateuthis Hilgendorf, 1880 Mouchezis... Richard Ellis is a marine biologist. ... Bernard Heuvelmans (October 10, 1916 – August 22, 2001) was a scientist, explorer, researcher, and a writer probably best known as a founder of cryptozoology. ... Cryptozoology is the search for animals that are rumored to exist, but for which conclusive proof is missing. ... Binomial name Odobenus rosmarus (Linnaeus, 1758) Subspecies Walruses are large semi-aquatic mammals that live in the cold Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. ... Species (16 species, see text) The angel sharks are an unusual group of sharks, with their flattened bodies and broad pectoral fins that give them a strong resemblance to skates and rays. ... Species Lophius americanus Lophius budegassa Lophius gastrophysus Lophius litulon Lophius piscatorius Lophius vaillanti Lophius vomerinus Monkfish in natural envorinment Monkfish is the common name of a number of different species of fish. ... Binomial name Halichoerus grypus (Fabricius, 1791) Grey Seal range (in blue) The Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. ... Binomial name Cystophora christata (Erxleben, 1777) The hooded seal (Cystophora christata) is an arctic seal, which is named after a cap-like bulge essay on forehead and nose of the male that doesn’t hang down as with the elephant seal. ... Species Monachus schauinslandi Monachus monachus Monachus tropicalis Monachus is a genus (and a subgenus of the same name) of the Family Phocidae and the Order Pinnipedia and refers to the various monk seal species throughout the world. ... A Jenny Haniver is a ray or a skate which has been modified and subsequently dried, resulting in a grotesque preserved specimen. ...

According to Conrad Gesner, a monk-fish was caught off Norway in a troubled sea, and one was found in the Firth of Forth. Although these have been dismissed as myth, the case of the Sea Monk has enlightened many modern biologists to see the grain of truth hidden in "Ólde" legends, as the sea monk is now believed to be a large squid. Ancient oriental records have been found, linking a supposed sea monk, the "Umibozu", to Chinese sea dragons. This has led to the investigation of the myth of traditional dragons, with biologists hoping to find a link between these and relatives of the Komodo dragons of Indonesia. The Firth of Forth from Calton Hill The Forth Bridges cross the Firth Satellite photo of the Firth and the surrounding area Map of the Firth The Firth of Forth (Scottish Gaelic: Linne Foirthe) is the estuary or firth of Scotlands River Forth, where it flows into the North... The Chinese dragon (spelled Long, Loong or Lung in transliteration), is a mythical Chinese creature that also appears in other East Asian cultures, and is also sometimes called the Oriental (or Eastern) dragon. ... Chinese dragon, color engraving on wood, Chinese school, nineteenth Century The dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a large and powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities. ... Binomial name Varanus komodoensis Ouwens, 1912 Komodo dragon distribution The Komodo Dragon, also known as the Komodo Monitor, Komodo Island Monitor, Ora (to the natives of Komodo[2]), or simply Komodo (Varanus komodoensis), is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2-3 meters (approximately...

The legend may have developed from sailors exploring uncharted seas who occasionally caught sight of the underside of manta rays, which can look remarkably like a contorted human face. Binomial name Manta birostris Dondorff, 1798 The manta ray or giant manta is the largest of the ray fish, ranging up to eight meters (25 ft) across and weighing up 3,000 kg (3 tons). ...

A monster called a "sea monk" also appears in some fantasy-based computer and card games, such as Lost Kingdoms II and Final Fantasy XI. Like several recent rpgs, the first Lost Kingdoms experiments with using collectable card game mechanics in a traditional console rpg context. ... Final Fantasy XI ), also known as Final Fantasy XI: Online or simply Final Fantasy Online, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix Co. ...

References

• Ashton, John (1890). Curious Creatures in Zoology. John C. Nimmo.  via books.google.com.
• Ellis, R. (1998) The Search for the Giant Squid. Lyons Press. London.
• Heuvelmans, B. (1974) Dans le Sillage des Monstres Marins. Famot. Geneva.
• Paxton, C.G.M. & Holland R. (2005) Was Steenstrup Right? A new interpretation of the 16th century sea monk of the Øresund. Steenstrupia 29, 39-47.
• Steenstrup J.J.S. (1855) Om den i Kong Christian IIIs tid i Øresundet fanget Havmund (Sømunken kaldet) Dansk Maanedsskrift 1, 63-96.

See also

• Umibōzu - a similar legend-creature from Asia
• bishop-fish