Mystery of ancient ‘sea monsters’ solved as accounts linked to whale feeding trick

Paper co-author and mediaeval literature expert Professor Erin Sebo, also of Flinders University, said that “hafgufa” may be another example of how accurate knowledge about the natural world can be preserved in forms that pre-date modern science.

She said: “It’s exciting because the question of how long whales have used this technique is key to understanding a range of behavioural and even evolutionary questions.

“Marine biologists had assumed there was no way of recovering this data but, using mediaeval manuscripts, we’ve been able to answer some of their questions.

“We found that the more fantastical accounts of this sea monster were relatively recent, dating to the 17th and 18th centuries.

“There has been a lot of speculation amongst scientists about whether these accounts might have been provoked by natural phenomena, such as optical illusions or underwater volcanoes.

“In fact, the behaviour described in mediaeval texts, which seemed so unlikely, is simply whale behaviour that we had not observed — but mediaeval and ancient people had.”

The full findings of the study were published in the journal Marine Mammal Science.

Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1740800/mystery-ancient-sea-monsters-hafgufa-solved-accounts-linked-whale-feedings