The Ancient Mariner and the Revenge of the Birds!

The Ancient Mariner, captured at Watchet Harbour.

From 'The Rime of the Ancient mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Coleridge had been staying in nearby Nether Stowey and went for an evening walk with his friends William Wordsworth and Dorothy, his sister, who were living close by at Alfoxton and they arrived in Watchet, staying the night there before carrying on with their walk. Watchet became the inspiration for Coleridge's poem so it is fitting that the statue should take pride of place here on the Esplanade.

I have taken many pictures of this beautiful sculpture by Scottish artist Alan Herriot but on this visit he was sadly in need of a wash and brush up as he had been targeted by the birds. Maybe this seems like sweet revenge on the mariner who killed the albatross that hangs around his neck, put there by the crew as a punishment for killing it and bringing about a fatal run of bad luck. The wind stilled, the ship did not move, and they ran out of water. The crew all died and only the mariner survived, a haunted man.

"Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion ;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.

Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink ;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink."
...
"And every tongue, through utter drought,
Was withered at the root ;
We could not speak, no more than if
We had been choked with soot.

Ah ! well a-day! What evil looks
Had I from old and young !
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.’


Should you wish to read the full, (and somewhat lengthy) poem here is a link:-

www.poetsgraves.co.uk/Classic%20Poems/Coleridge/the_rime_of_the_ancient_mariner.htm


For Sight and Sound here is a link to Albatross by Fleetwood Mac

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXeKi6ZkbOw