Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2024 i Faces People, Places, and World Culture for Kids and Children

Stories about mysterious creatures that live in the seas and oceans can sound awfully real. And in some cases, they are! But in other cases, the stories are just that—tales that are told to explain the otherwise inexplicable. Here are five deep-diving facts to get you started. 1 The ancient Greeks told stories of lovely water nymphs who had been turned into monsters. They sang beautiful songs that lured sailors to their death—the men either jumped into the sea and drowned or the creatures tore to pieces anyone who managed to reach the shore. The Greeks called them Sirens, a name that translates as “entanglers.” Some stories describe mermaids as descending from Sirens. 2 There are many living fossils or animals previously thought to be extinct that since have been…

In the past, when people believed that the world was flat, cartographers drew unknown ocean areas at the edges of their ancient maps with the legend “here there by monsters. Today, we know the world is round, but some people still believe that there are monsters hiding in waters that are too deep and dark for scientific exploration. You may have heard of the Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie, probably the most famous monster in the world. Nessie was first “sighted” in 1871, but the legend existed hundreds of years before that. Nessie is said to look like a plesiosaur, a large marine reptile that supposedly became extinct during the time of dinosaurs. Plesiosaurs had long necks, large bodies, and short tails. Nessie is not the only frequently seen lake…

Long before they knew that the world was not flat, ancient mapmakers would often put images of monsters and mermaids and other mythical creatures at the edge of their maps. This was meant to show places that were unknown or unexplored. One of these legendary creatures was called the Kraken, which was the largest monster that people have ever imagined. It looked like a giant octopus or squid with many appendages. It was said to be able to wrap those appendages around an entire ship and crush it, then eat its crew. Many of the mythical creatures that were once thought to be real, such as mermaids and dragons, were later proven to be people mistaking regular sea creatures (such as manatees and giant lizards) for monsters that never really…

There was a great sense of anticipation as we paddled out into Loch Ness. We carefully scanned the murky lake, hoping to glimpse the water’s best-known inhabitant—the Loch Ness Monster. But unlike 10,000 other people who claimed to have seen it, we were disappointed. Mischievous Kelpies Scottish legends tell of monsters called kelpies that live in many lochs, including Loch Ness. Kelpies are mischievous spirits that prey on unwary people, particularly children, who wander near the water’s edge. Parents use the legends to warn their children not to swim in the cold loch in case the kelpies should take them. The kelpie legend is probably the origin of the first written account of the Loch Ness Monster. In 565 C.E., so the story goes, the Christian missionary monk St. Columba…

More than a thousand monster hunters have claimed to see something strange swimming in the deep, dark waters of Loch Ness. But you don’t have to travel to Scotland to look for the legend. With a little imagination, you can spot a sea serpent right in your own kitchen! You Need » bagel» blueberry cream cheese (dairy or vegan)» blue food coloring» 5 pineapple chunks» 1 strawberry» 2 blueberries» plate» spatula» kitchen knife» cutting board STEP 1 Cover the plate with a thin layer of cream cheese. Add a few drops of the blue food coloring. Swirl the food coloring around. STEP 2 Ask an adult to help you cut the bagel in half. Set one c-shaped half in the plate’s center, with the curve side up and the two…

In the 1500s, ships were still developing into the vessels we know today. This limited the ability of people to explore the oceans and observe animals in their natural environments. Sailors and traders, though, did catch glimpses of some sea creatures. When they shared what they saw, their recollections were imperfect and sometimes exaggerated. Many experts today say these mythic portraits of sea beasts were usually based on some kernel of truth. German mapmaker Sebastian Junger created this artwork in the early 1500s. Can you spot some of the real marine animals (shown in the circles) that we know about today in Junger’s piece?”…

Sailors traveling through dangerous waters heard a song so irresistible that they turned off course to seek its origin. Without warning, their vessels soon crashed into the rocks of the flowered, corpse-strewn island of Anthemoessa near Greece. So said the tales of the ancient Greeks. But there was more to the myth. Once on the island, the shipwrecked sailors were attacked by the creatures. They soon learned that there was nothing sweet about the singers’ true nature. Rather, the sweet voices belonged to birds with the faces of women. Great “Entanglers” These monsters preyed upon all travelers, luring them to their deaths by drowning or tearing to pieces anyone who managed to reach the shore. The Greeks called them Sirens, a name that translates as “entanglers,” and told how they…

Undamaged vessels floating empty in the middle of the ocean . . . Cargo ships sunk in storms, only to be spotted years later sailing in the same waters where they went down . . . “Bad luck” ships abandoned by their crews . . . Sailors have been telling “haunted ship” tales probably for as long as there have been ships. Here are some of the most famous stories. • The Flying Dutchman is a legendary ghost ship cursed to sail the seas forever. Sailors have been telling its story for more than 400 years. Seafarers report hearing the crew call out, begging them to carry messages to loved ones back home. • On March 1, 1858, the steamboat Eliza Battle caught fire, killing at least 25 people. Since…

Sea Terrors . . . Pick up any medieval or early modern map, and you will find seas brimming with depictions of fearsome beasts. Mapmakers of those times thought these creatures lurked beneath the water’s surface. Among such a diversity of terrifying creatures, there is one beast you’re certain to see—the sea serpent. Many American and European sailors encountered such creatures in the North Atlantic Ocean. According to their accounts, these monsters dragged down ships and gobbled up the unfortunate crew and passengers. An 18th-century Danish missionary saw a sea serpent that lifted its head “as high as the mast-head.” In 1860, magazines even published drawings of one such beast stranded on Bermuda’s Hungary Beach. But the maps contained pictures of other monsters, such as 12-foot-tall lobsters. No shells or…

CRITTER CORNER Hundreds of years ago, even the bravest sailors dreaded the Kraken, a terrifying sea monster that sank ships and had a taste for human flesh. Today, we know that this monster was based on a super-sized squid or octopus. Back in the day, people would not have seen these creatures alive since they lived in the deep ocean. Jon Ablett, Senior Curator of Mollusca at the Natural History Museum in the United Kingdom, explains how the myths got started. “What we think happened is that the partially digested or rotted remains of giant squids and large octopuses were washing up on beaches and people were starting to guess what they might be.” What is the science behind these real-life sea monsters? Read on for a quick tutorial. What…

The wistful Little Mermaid statue gazes out to sea. She is caught between the worlds of merpeople and humans. Perched on a rock at Langelinie, Copenhagen’s harbor entrance to the sea, she has served as Denmark’s most famous landmark for more than 100 years since her unveiling on August 23, 1913. Millions of people have paid homage to her, posed with her, and cruised by to take in her otherworldly beauty. Sailors drape her with flowers and kiss her, believing that she brings them luck. Vandals and political activists have damaged the statue, but each time, she has been restored to her former glory. As in Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale “Den Lille Havfrue,” in which the beloved heroine first came to life, goodness and kindness are rewarded. The…

Sea Creatures in the Sky Mythical sea creatures such as mermaids are usually associated with oceans. However, there’s an entire set of watery mythological creatures that live in the sky. Fittingly, they live in an area of the night sky that is referred to as the “sea of stars.” On a starry night, especially in autumn, there is a whole crew of mythological sea creatures waiting to be seen. The area of the sky where many of the water-related constellations are found is called the Sea, or the Water. Ancient people may have given the area its name because the Sun passed through this part of the sky during the rainy season. Several familiar “watery” constellations are found in this cosmic sea. They include Aquarius (the Water Carrier), Pisces (the…

Characters: Storyteller 1Storyteller 2Storyteller 3 Maroochy: villager whose name means “Black Swan” Adina: Maroochy’s sweatheart Bunji: villager who joins Maroochy Toba: companion to Maroochy and Bunji STORYTELLER 1: Long ago, some young men left their camp. MAROOCHY: We will get some food for our wives and children. BUNJI: I will race you to the bush! TOBA: You win. But can you hurl a spear as far as this? (throws spear) BUNJI: A child could throw a spear that far. MAROOCHY: A spear is no weapon compared to my boomerang. See how it returns every time I throw it! STORYTELLER 1: Although the young men did not travel very fast, they eventually reached a flat place with a set of pools and standing bulrushes. In times of flood, this same land…