The Lure of the Sea

Download or read book The Lure of the Sea written by Alain Corbin and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1994-01-01 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Corbin argues that with few exceptions people living before the eighteenth century knew nothing of the attractions of the coast, the visual delight of the sea, the desire to brave the force of the waves or to feel the coolness of sand against the skin. The image of the ocean in the popular consciousness was coloured by Biblical and mythical recollections of sea monsters, voracious whales, and catastrophic floods. It was perceived as sinister and unchanging, a dark, unfathomable force inspiring horror rather than attraction. These associations of catastrophe and fear in the minds of Europeans intensified the repulsion they felt towards deserted and dismal shores.