Sipping a hot cup of coffee, I sat opposite our friend at his kitchen table. We had been chatting about one of our favourite books, Charles Spencer's The White Ship. 'Makes you wonder', he said philosophically, 'how history would have changed had that boat not sunk'. A thought trickled across his face as he shot up from the table, his voice trailing away as he disappeared into another room. 'If you liked that book, you'll love this one', he said, handing me a small faded paperback, the outside edge of its pages browned and vanilla-scented with age. The book's title shone, emblazoned in metallic copper foil.
He was right. Tim Severin's 1978 book The Brendan Voyage was a fascinating read. It follows the story of St Brendan who sailed from Ireland in the sixth century in a small leather boat across the Atlantic Sea and reached the New World, the Americas. It had been a myth, told in an ancient manuscript called The Navigatio, and there was some debate among historians whether Brendan's trip could have been even possible, considering medieval technology and the challenges of such a long and dangerous mission across open sea. The tale told of the crew encountering pillars of crystal, sea monsters with teeth attacking one another and a blacksmith's island where they were pelted with hot pieces of coal before one of the crew members caught fire and died on the spot.
The book discusses the making of the boat in detail, and Severin's priority in using medieval methods and traditional techniques will make any history lover happy. The difficulties and challenges faced by the crew are given in life-like detail and with careful descriptions so you almost feel as if you're on the boat with them. Their journey not only confirmed that the sixth century trip was possible but tested out medieval boat-building techniques, food supplies and clothing. There's also a great sense of community as word spread via radio and in the press about the trip, and larger ships and control towers regularly make contact with Brendan to ensure they have enough food and batteries for their torches, a luxury the original Brendan wouldn't have had. I also found it interesting that Severin noted the crew's interaction with whales in context with whale populations. As he noted, back in St Brendan's day there would have been many more whales in the Atlantic than today, making it likely that they would have encountered larger numbers of them.
The book is also easy to read - it's as if you're listening to Severin tell the story - and there are some great photographs captured on the boat during the trip, published throughout the pages in coloured sections. The research is valuable from a historical perspective too, and you can only admire the crew for their passion in setting out to complete such a dangerous and ground-breaking trip, along with their teamwork and good spirits throughout the journey. I'd definitely recommend this book. I think it's still in print in some places but there also seem to be many copies available second-hand. Give it a read and let me know what you think!
You might also like Women of Power in Anglo-Saxon England and Anglo-Saxon Law and Order: Was it Really Brutal and Chaotic?
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