![]() This tentacle was so huge, it must have belonged to an octopus like creature measuring around 10 metres across. At around the same time, the German scholar, Athanasius Kircher, while visiting Malta, describes a monstrous sea devil on the sands of Mellieha Bay and asked, ‘Why would nature want such creatures to exist?’Īnother fishy story states that a local fisherman, fishing at Mellieha Bay, reported a gigantic tentacle crept up on land behind him. In 1642 Giovanni Francesco Abela wrote that ‘a terrifying marine monster with double rows of teeth’ washed ashore at Mellieha Bay following a storm. Its image has been seen on antique maps of the islands dating back to the early 1600s. Records of the silfjun can be found from several sources. This shark is believed to be the mighty ancestor of the modern Great White which, though rare, can be seen in Maltese waters. ![]() Numerous fossilised teeth of the prehistoric monstrous shark, the Megalodon, have been found embedded in the limestone rock. In the past, the Maltese would often refer to the Great White shark as ‘silfjun’ and evidence backs up the myths of monster sized sharks around Malta. Since the 16 th century, folk tales have spoken of the ‘silfjun’, which was described as a ‘whale sized shark’ and dwelt around the island of Filfla off Malta’s south eastern coast, along with other giant sea monsters. Yes, I know the title of this article won’t sell many packaged tours on a brochure, but Malta has, as do most countries surrounded by sea, myths and legends pertaining to frightening creatures lurking in the depths of its clear blue waters. Malta’s long history of folk, sighting & myths of sea monsters
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |