The ocean has long infatuated mankind with it’s mixture of the familiar and the unfamiliar. Over 80% of our planet is covered in water and that water is home to all sorts of wonderfully colorful and exotic animals!
As humans, we have a funny habit of applying our worldview to others – indeed, we approach the animals of the ocean in such a land-driven way that we tend to name those animals land-related names (sea cow, sea urchin, sea anemone, sea lion, sea monkeys!)
We adapt our landlubber perspective to the sea rather than thinking what it is, as itself. We tend to do that with a lot of things, whether in the ocean or otherwise. Just think of the sound and color spectrum we perceive vis à vis that of other species. How we experience the world is not how all beings do.
So while we as a species like to name things in our image, it is in celebration of these animals in the largest environment on earth that we have created our own raku seahorses! They are great for hanging in a window, on a wall, over a bed, in a washroom, at a cottage – wherever you like.
You can even call them underwater horses, if you like. In our case, these underwater horses are hanging in the air (confusing, we know).
These little raku creatures will swim their way into your heart and for a short time they are available for $40 including shipping in the US and Canada! That means that you are able to celebrate along with us all that makes us landlubbers tick – whether it’s naming ocean things land names or not being able to hear ultrasonic frequencies like our cat overlords (Chairman Meow wrote that).
If you had were to rename “seahorses” to a non-land derived name, what would you call them?
Very cute 🙂
Thank you! Glad you like them. They are fun to make
If I had to rename seahorses, I would probably go back to my Greek mythology for a name. Oceanids were water nymphs in the ocean (as opposed to naïads in fresh waters on land) and I think would suit seahorses for a new name.
Great idea! I like your etymological reasoning as well. It makes good sense!
They look so cute! 😀
Thank you!
Very nice this post 🐴 🌊 😀
Thank you, Morgana, so glad you like it! 🐴 🌊 😀
Twirlfloaters? Would that name make any sense?
I like it. Thanks for adding it!
I think I’d name them The Mamas and the Papas
Interestingly, male seahorses are the ones who give birth to the baby seahorses
yepper…
Love the seahorses
Thank you! They are neat little creatures and are great inspiration.
I agree!
I notice that even serious nature programmes give names to individual animals, e.g. Tiddles. It is utter nonsense but I’m sure very deliberate.
Perhaps it makes it more relatable? I noticed an article about koalas saved from the fires in Australia also being given individual names as it made it easier for the volunteers to emotionally manage the number of animals. Perhaps naming things in ways that we understand is how we as humans prefer to connect.
Now that I notice it, I see it a lot, so yes I am sure there is some reason like that.
This is awesome!
Thank you! and thanks for leaving a comment. It means a lot to me
Of course! You are extremely talented. Have a great day!
So cute. I think I still keep them close to what they are already named but call them waterhorses if they survived on land too, kind of like mermaids, which I have always loved.
Mermaids are definitely interesting as well. I have always loved the mystery that goes with them as well.
Oceanequine? Equestroseas? (Sounds so grammatical)
Seaquines! Nah, too sparkly.
Horseas. Too cute.
Seaquests.
“Watch zee graceful seaquest az ee stalk zee femole weeth eez gracefool mo-shun not zo mooch swee-meeng but not zo mooch floateeng”
Jacques Cousteau
Love this! What fun seeing you brainstorm out loud, and I love the Jacques Cousteau zo mooch!
I love what you do. I especially liked sea-haw. very witty 🙂
Thank you John! It was a brain scratcher to think of some of these, but fun as well
Love these!
Thank you Ernie! I really appreciate that!
As humans, we have a funny habit of applying our worldview to others – indeed, we approach the animals of the ocean in such a land-driven way that we tend to name those animals land-related names (sea cow, sea urchin, sea anemone, sea lion, sea monkeys!)
I’m ashamed to admit that this has never crossed my mind before, which might just prove my epiphany of the year. Oh, they’re beautiful, the shimmery tungsten-pale-pink one (bottom right) is my favourite. 🥰 I would call them Filigrees methinks.
Neither has it crossed mine and, I totally agree with you, it is one big epiphany.
I wonder if we do that so we can relate to things more easily that we don’t understand? It is definitely very human-focused, but I understand the appeal more.
I do like Filigrees.
O they look so cute and shimmery. If I could, I would name them curly horses?
Their tails are so wonderfully curly, I love how they use them for grabbing on to things!
Adorable seahorses!
Thank you, Tamara! I admit I do enjoy turning clay into cute animals.
You are a great artist.
lovely post
Thanks! So glad you liked it
Beautiful.
Thank you, Daisy. I appreciate it.
They are gorgeous little creations! I would name them Equine Swimmers
Thank you! I like your name as well. Their faces really do look like horses, so I definitely understand the equineness!
😊
Yeah- I remember looking at these medieval woodcuts of sea monsters- and basically people would just assemble different parts of familiar animals to describe whatever unfamiliar sea animals they saw. Bonne travail 👌
I guess it makes sense that if one does not have words for something that combining the words you do have together helps make it understandable. I can empathize with that while also seeing that it limits the reality of what something actually “is”
True dat- I also kind of wonder if the mariners that saw them were so blown away by the experience that their brains simply registered them as say a giant pig with fins (which was an illustration of a whale- before they knew what whales were).
I love Sea Horses. I have always thought they were very Mystical. I am sure there is much more to Sea Horses than meets the eye. I have never seen one in the real world but I have a couple of ornamental ones that I bought. 🙂
Lovely! Are the ones you have made of wood or what kind of material was used? Are they wall hangings?
They are wall hangings. Shame you cant upload photos in the comment section or I would show you. One is ceramic pink and turquoise and glittery. The other is silver metal with a green glassy type centre and a blue marble type eye. Both lovely. I’ve always loved seahorses.
There’s no hope for me as I named my cows on the farm lol my fave was the horse Nellie tho 💕
no shame in that! Some people name their dog, Dog. 🙂
Second one looks real. 🙂 i can’t get past the horse names. It always looks like a Fetus to me.
I had not thought of that, but definitely see what you mean.
I would call them twimblids.
I like that! Sounds so different from anything with sea in it
Mermaid-approved! 🙂 They are beautiful!
lol… Chairman Meow! I think it’s time you met Earthpages’ First CEO! (RIP)
https://thedotmatrix.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/earthpages-first-ceo/
Amazing creatures & wonderful way to honor them.
….So Bojack Horseman didn’t drown? : )
I’ve nominated you for a Blogging Award…. https://supernaturalhippie.com/2020/03/09/ive-been-nominated-for-the-mystery-blogger-award/
I love the representation you do of the seahorse and bring in the many colors of the sea into the horse itself beautiful.