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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 14h

I spent a month there in the summer years ago. I love the civic traditions, and just…the feel of the town

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 1d

It’s pretty good odds!

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 1d

I suspect I have seen them

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 1d

Siena is maybe my favorite place in the world

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 2d

Happy Friday! You've made it to the end of the week. To celebrate, here's a drawing from of a very feisty eel 1908.

The drawing is titled "Two Men on a Boat are Attacked by a Sea Monster." But that's wrong. It's a big ol' eel, and maybe those dudes shouldn't be so mean to it.
🗃️🧪

B&W ink pen drawing of two men in a small boat, with a large eel. The sky on the horizon has been colored an uneven blue. The water looks choppy, with small waves near the boat and bigger ones just behind it.

The eel is rearing up, and facing the man at the front of the boat. From its posture, it seems to be attacking him. It's expression, however is somewhat calm, suggesting that it is either: a) very comfortable with violence; or b) just wants to talk. The eel has a line coming out of it's mouth, and has probably been hooked and hauled into the boat. You'd want to talk, too.

For their part, the men look distressed. The one facing the eel, at the front of the boat, is holding an oar and about to fall into the water. The man at the back has a club, and is probably about to go after the eel. He is wearing a wide tie, which is not appropriate garb for eel fighting.

The drawing is from: Wellcome Library V0049550; https://wellcomeimages.org/indexplus/image/V0049550.html

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 3d

Thank you! I try

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 3d

Oh! No…that’s fine. I’ll be kinda curious what they think

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Reposted by Surprised Eel Historian, PhD

the idea slumlord✨ @mollytanzer.bsky.social · 3d

What if we tried loving one another, eating delicious food, making art...what if we practiced patience, helped those who need it, found ways to make life easier for all, moved our bodies, and slept cozily in nice warm beds. How about we see how that goes for a while, instead of whatever all this is

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Reposted by Surprised Eel Historian, PhD

Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 3d

"Salt eel" was a slang term among English sailors for a rope whip.

Samuel Pepys recorded thrashing his servant with one, writing, “With my salt eel went down in the parlor & there got my boy & did beat him till I was fain to take breath.”

Not cool, Sam. Not cool. 1/2
🗃️🧪

Meme. Photograph of marshmallow candy Peeps -- the yellow rabbit ones that are canonical Easter treats. You can see four of them clearly, in a row, and parts of other rows above and below them. These peeps are standing together as part of a broad swath of peeps. They are finding strength and resolve in the company of their peers. As we all do.

They have no mouths, but they each have three dots, representing two eyes and a nose. Probably. Or maybe not...perhaps we've been making assumptions about Peep biology that we should not. It might be that those dots represent three eyes. Or three noses.

It does appear, though, that they are staring very hard. Judgingly hard. They are considering the petty tyranny of Samuel Pepys and they do not like what they see. It is likely that they will get together in some sort of Caucus of the Peeps and kick him out, demanding that he begin to pronounce his name phonetically.

Meme text reads:
"It's time for kinder,
Gentler Pepys"

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 3d

He really wasn't

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 3d

But eels have great phallic potential, & so do salt eels!

In Fletcher’s 1622 play, "The Sea Voyage" a sailor has his manhood questioned by a female passenger, & in retort he invites her to search him, saying, “A seaman is seldom without a salt eel."

If ya know what I mean. 2/2

Meme. Black and white image of a muscled & shirtless sailor pulling a rope aboard ship. This seems like it is taken from a movie, but I cannot find which movie it's from, or who the actor is.

What matters most, though, is that he is meant to be Very Sexy. His hair is shiny and dark, styled just so. He is wearing ridiculously clean white pants, and his nipples are perfect. They wink at you. The one bare foot you can see is steady on the deck, a foundation for his testosterone, and his arms are offer to hold up the moon for you. He is pulling down on a rope that disappears out of frame; perhaps he has lassoed the clouds and is wrangling them into lines of erotic poetry.

He is not meant to be a sex symbol. He is meant to be a sex embodiment. And it seems likely that he knows it.

Meme text reads:
"I'm happy to see you
...and...
there's an eel in my pants"

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 3d

"Salt eel" was a slang term among English sailors for a rope whip.

Samuel Pepys recorded thrashing his servant with one, writing, “With my salt eel went down in the parlor & there got my boy & did beat him till I was fain to take breath.”

Not cool, Sam. Not cool. 1/2
🗃️🧪

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 4d

It’s time

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 4d

A reminder that if you like one of my drawings and want a print of it, reach out and let me know! I'll be happy to work with you.

Bruce Erickson @bruceerickson.bsky.social · 4d

Thanks @greenleejw.bsky.social for the great image. I look forward to receiving the art piece. Its getting framed and up on the wall real quick. All my grandkids love it, they think it fits this old GrumpyPa real well.

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Reposted by Surprised Eel Historian, PhD

Bruce Erickson @bruceerickson.bsky.social · 4d

Thanks @greenleejw.bsky.social for the great image. I look forward to receiving the art piece. Its getting framed and up on the wall real quick. All my grandkids love it, they think it fits this old GrumpyPa real well.

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 4d

I hope you all enjoy it!

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 4d

Yup! The toxin breaks down in low heat, so any cooking takes care of it. But you won't see eel sashimi

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 4d

Thanks, Alice! That's very kind of you

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 4d

I'm the most famous eel historian in the world! How is that not great?

Also, I've met tons of wonderful people & made some of my very best friends. I've been able to launch a whole new career as a mapmaker & artist. I've been profiled in TIME, saved some eels, & shared the spaniel with the world.

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 5d

Has anything great happened in your life because of social media?

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Reposted by Surprised Eel Historian, PhD

Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 4d

It's Wednesday. You need some eels in your life, right? And some otters?

Here you go!

A scene of otters & eels, from an early 15th C. copy of Gaston Phoebus's Livre de la chasse. Eel blood is toxic to mammals, but otters don't care. They love them some eels.

Can you blame them?

A medieval painting of otters playing in a pool, chasing and catching eels and other fish. There are 10 adult otters, and what look to be 2 younger otters in a den at the base of a tree. They are all doing serious otter things: playing, eating, cavorting, eating, gamboling, eating, swimming, and eating. They are having a good time. For now.

It can't last, though. This pond seems way too small to support all of these otters, and the painting has a border around it. They can't leave, and soon they will turn on each other in a bloodbath that will make the Donner Party look like a tea time at the Rotary Club. If you check back with these otters in two weeks, I suspect you'll find only carnage.

That, though, is a problem for Future Otters. Today's otters are carefree, with spotless souls.

Source:
Morgan (MS M.1044 fol. 28r)

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 4d

It's Wednesday. You need some eels in your life, right? And some otters?

Here you go!

A scene of otters & eels, from an early 15th C. copy of Gaston Phoebus's Livre de la chasse. Eel blood is toxic to mammals, but otters don't care. They love them some eels.

Can you blame them?

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 4d

There are eels on each map, but that’s it, I’m afraid

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 4d

The cheapest way to own copies of 5 of my maps!

Also, these are both excellent and well-written books.

David M. Perry @lollardfish.bsky.social · 4d

Post-order Oathbreakers and The Bright Ages here. Pay zero shipping from @bookshop.org. Me and @profgabriele.com tried to write it real good for you!

bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

and

bookshop.org/p/books/oath...

The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe

A New History of Medieval Europe

bookshop.org

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 4d

Thank you

Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 4d

Next time I’ll draw a different moon

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