Thursday, February 11, 2010

The Figurehead

The figurehead embodied the spirit of a ship and was originally believed to placate the gods of the sea and ensure a safe voyage. Almost every prow had a carved figure looking down at the waves, and the variety was immense. Today they are a decorative reminder of the bygone days of sailing ships.
Figureheads were often the likeness of a beautiful woman.  We saw this figurehead from the "Britannia" in a
museum in Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua.

We've always had an appreciation for the artistic beauty of figureheads on the great ships.  So when we spotted this one on a yacht in St. Martin, we were anxious to get a closer look.

She is a mermaid, graceful and .....

... Yikes!  Scary!!!
What's with the devil eyes and the real hair?
She looks like the little mermaid before she went into anger management therapy.
I think maybe Merengue is better off without a figurehead.

2 comments:

  1. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! This had me cracking up! As I would say, "Eeeww! CREEPER!"

    Wish I was heading your way next week with the rest of the crew. Natalie started describing the "villa" (as she called it) where they'll be staying and I told her she had to shut up immediately, as I couldn't handle it. Grrrrrr. But believe me, I'll be there in spirit. :)

    Love you both very very much and thanks for making me laugh.

    Sophie

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  2. Hey! That looks like me in the morning! Well, maybe this figurehead scares the gods into providing safe passage...

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