Who cannot be enchanted by sea tales&myths: mermaids&mermen, serpents, sea nymphs&sirens, ulysses, wooden worlds, treasures&deepsea cities.
Stumbling across the story of Jurate’s Castle sums up the romance&shimmering beauty of the sea in all its magic,depth&moods:moontides, tempests, southwinds, whitehorses, rare sea-mists&fogs & starry nights.
For Jurate, the Goddess of the Baltic Sea, fell in love with a mere mortal fisherman(who was very good-looking).
Out of anger,her father Praamzis, God of the Sky,Earth&Sea,had her castle of white amber, doors of gold&windows of diamonds to be destroyed. Which is why when there is a fierce storm the sea tosses up pieces of Amber to be collected along the shores of the Baltic Sea.
Up from the depth&on the seashore, I’ve loved Pablo Neruda’s poems written whilst staying at his Casa Isla Negra. A Captain’s fantasy of loveliness as the bell tolls from a driftwood structure.
Ode to a storm:’Last night she came,
livid,night-blue,…:
the tempest with her hair of water,
eyes of cold fire-last
night shewanted
to sleep on
earth.’
night she wanted to sleep on earth.’
Pablo Neruda
