Medievalist, PostDoc, curiously looking towards the early modern period, currently working on historical whales, but also Kingdom of Sicily, Italy and charters @humboldtuni.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3mtt7s2effk2tTwo #walruses in combat. Perhaps the earliest surviving images in the European canon of the animal. Strange and familiar at the same time... Detail of the arm of a chair from #Tydal Church (Norway), ca. 1150 –1200 #oceanspast #walrus #medievalsky https://courtauld.ac.uk/research/research-resources/publications/courtauld-books-online/revisiting-the-cloisters-cross/the-cloisters-cross-and-the-walrus-tusk/24 Aug 2026 11:39 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtt7s2effk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3mqmnxta5hs25In 1624, a #whale stranded at Santa Severa, Italy. It was measured, its anatomy examined. The artist Giovanni Bricci wrote an extensive account, describing the animal—and because words alone weren't enough, he painted it. An artist painted a portrait of the whale! I was so excited… and then THIS:14 Jul 2026 16:48 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqmnxta5hs25https://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3mjyra6b5hc2nMaria of Burgundy on an allegorical sea voyage to her wedding with Maximilian I, attacked en route by Louis XI of France, represented as a #whale. #medievalsky #historicalwhale 📖Jean Molinet, Le Nauffraige de la Pucelle (15th c.); BnF, Français 14980, f. 16r; https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b9061437p/f18.item.r=Molinet%20Naufrage%20de%20la%20Pucelle.zoom21 Apr 2026 10:22 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjyra6b5hc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3mgu75y4qrs2zThis 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 #medievalsky12 Mar 2026 10:33 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgu75y4qrs2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3mgnasjshgk2mWhen you thought #whale watching would be relaxing… 📖Venationes ferarum, avium, piscium, pugnae bestiariorum & mutuae bestiarum (1580) 💻https://www.europeana.eu/de/item/9200518/ark__12148_btv1b550059821?page=109 #histwhale #melvillemonday09 Mar 2026 16:14 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgnasjshgk2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3mf4ze6dcus2mThis 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 https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/view/bsb00100701?page=,118 Feb 2026 11:52 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3mf4ze6dcus2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3mexlzjsgak2tIn 751, a #whale came ashore near #Bangor (Northern Ireland). Its specialty: three golden teeth, valued at 50 ounces each. How were they used? Two were sent to churches for admiration; the third was given to bridge builders as payment by the king’s son. #WorldWhaleDay 🖼️BL, Royal MS 13 B VIII, f. 16v16 Feb 2026 08:11 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3mexlzjsgak2thttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3mduj2z4qls2bSeeing 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. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1850-1214-47 #histwhale #oceanspast #melvillemonday [contains quote post or other embedded content]02 Feb 2026 09:15 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3mduj2z4qls2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3mdk7zx27a227The #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: https://imc-leeds.confex.com/imc/2026/prelim.cgi/Person/6037 #IMC2026 #medievalsky #oceanspast #histwhale29 Jan 2026 07:06 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdk7zx27a227https://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3mdfdsqrtoc2dDoubting men raking patient #whale? (Allegorical) depiction of whaling from the ‘Ci nous dit’ #histwhale #illumination #medievalsky https://portail.biblissima.fr/ark:/43093/mdata40b3588fd51f7e4dfe49e8c10eb3a0f78e1e8609, f. 33r (France 14th c.)27 Jan 2026 08:30 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdfdsqrtoc2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3md3e4g6qhk2hIn 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 https://dogc.gencat.cat/.content/continguts/serveis/dietaris_generalitat_catalunya/documents/pdf/dietari_vol_01_illustracions.pdf, S. 515.23 Jan 2026 09:09 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3md3e4g6qhk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3m7a3gltlwc2v‚Orca‘ in the ‚Liber de natura rerum’ of Thomas of Cantimpré. The text describes this seemingly friendly fellow as a huge mass of flesh with terrible teeth. The artist did not take these characteristics into account #medievalsky #orca https://patrimoine-numerique.ville-valenciennes.fr/ark:/29755/B_596066101_MS_0320/v0236.simple.selectedTab=thumbnail05 Dec 2025 08:36 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7a3gltlwc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3kisnadk3nl2eThe best drawing of an orca I have ever seen! In 1817 Bernard O'Reilly travelled to Greenland and through the North West Passage. His travelogue (whose authenticity has been questioned) contains this great picture wiki.app.uib.no/marinelexicon/…)12 Jan 2024 19:37 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3kisnadk3nl2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3lyf34k6lkc2qDear #MedievalSky & #SkyStorians, could you help, please? I am looking for depictions of orcas from before 1700 I already know: Olaus Magnus, Sebastian Münster, Pierre Belon, Guillaume Rondelet, Conrad Gessner, as well as the ones on bestiary.ca (s. pic) & the mural in Greifswald Thanks in advance!09 Sep 2025 06:18 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3lyf34k6lkc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3lyd3jdfq7k2jWho could fail to recognise the #whale ( #cetus ) with its characteristic shape and scales? #melvillemonday #historicalwhale Jacob van Maerlant, Der naturen bloeme (1300); Berlin, Staatsbibliothek, Ms. germ. f. 52 https://digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/werkansicht?PPN=PPN756658144&PHYSID=PHYS_0104&DMDID=DMDLOG_000308 Sep 2025 11:20 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3lyd3jdfq7k2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3lwp3sslt5c2tI finally made it to Olaus Magnus's Carta Marina. The map was printed in Rome in 1539 while Olaus Magnus, the Archbishop of Uppsala, was in his exile there. 1/1018 Aug 2025 19:06 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwp3sslt5c2thttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3lwmhlm7r4225🚨🐳We’re putting together a panel on #whales in medieval #literature for #IMC2026! Two papers are already confirmed: Icelandic sagas and English poetry. We’re looking for one more speaker to join us. If your research touches literary traditions too, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please DM.17 Aug 2025 17:59 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwmhlm7r4225https://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3lwmfq73di225Currently travelling on the night train via Stockholm to the #ESEH2025 conference in Uppsala. I am very grateful for the opportunity to discuss initial ideas on how stranded #whales were used by pamphlet authors of different denominations in their arguments. #envhist https://www.conftool.pro/eseh2025/index.php?page=browseSessions&form_session=338#paperID35917 Aug 2025 17:26 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3lwmfq73di225https://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3luukytoo5c2pDrawings of right and sperm whales, accompanied by the coordinates at which they were sighted. #Log of the ship Indian Chief by Thomas R. Bloomfield (1842–1844). #whale #historicalwhale #oceanspast 🌐https://archive.org/details/ms220log119/page/n3/mode/2up26 Jul 2025 12:31 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3luukytoo5c2phttps://bsky.app/profile/mariejaros.bsky.social/post/3lqtu7arspc24Warning: Probably the grumpiest #dolphin in the world. Adriaen Coenen, Walvisboek (1584-1585); https://dams.antwerpen.be/asset/jUZJkHhUZFeQeePAieiY0tyw/OMJAMQOTQZNeZKU9ZhbkxTdY05 Jun 2025 08:02 +0000at://did:plc:dzabbjeceydvkymdabbaphqz/app.bsky.feed.post/3lqtu7arspc24