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.