To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores
We Discover New Oceans When We Muster the Courage to Lose Sight of the Shore
I’ve been reading lots of adventure stories lately — some true, some fiction, all inspiring. I think that’s the reason why I write historical adventure fiction, because the excitement of living vicariously through characters who face (and sometimes overcome) challenges helps me to confront the obstacles in my own life.
One of my favorite adventure stories just happens to be nonfiction that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end: The Brendan Voyage by Tim Severin.
The author, an Irishman intrigued by the story of Saint Brendan’s legendary 6th century voyage from Ireland to North America in a glorified canoe, decided to find out if the voyage could have actually happened as described in the eighth century Latin text known as the Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis (Voyage of Saint Brendan the Abbot).
Severin, with the help of many historians and craftsmen, built a boat out of ash trees and oxhides, using only the materials and processes available in the sixth century.
Can you imagine crossing the North Atlantic in a leather boat?!
Only 36 feet long and shaped like an oversized canoe, as seen in the photo below.
Brendan Currach, Photo by Cotton Coulson
The sailors encountered humongous fin whales and killer whales, ate seagulls for dinner, and survived gales and wicked currents in near-freezing waters. The braved the elements wearing only woolen and leather clothing that would have been worn by Saint Brendan in the early dark ages.
The four sailors on the Brendan (the vessel aptly named after the Irish monk) seemed to prefer the challenges of open water navigation in a leather boat over the hustle and bustle of city life in the ports they stopped along the way.
This real-life tale of adventure, challenge, and teamwork is inspiring in so many ways, not the least of which is the fact that they set out to accomplish what nearly everyone said was impossible, and proceeded to achieve their dream.
The modern crew of the Brendan engaged with the natural world in a manner that some like to say is no longer possible in the global, technology-driven, twenty-first century.
These adventurers proved that a different (and often more rewarding) way of living is available to all of us, as long as we have the courage to lose sight of the shore.
The sailors researched, prepared, and planned every detail of their voyage; they also learned early on that being adaptable was more important than sticking to their original course of action.
Moving in concert with nature sped them along their path much more pleasantly and efficiently than trying to fight the wind and tide that pushed them in a different direction.
Comforts such as hot food, a dry sleeping bag, and warm hands were gladly exchanged for the expansive beauty of sunrise and sunset across the vast horizon, the magnificent dance of sea birds on the ocean, and the teems of fish, dolphins, sharks, and even whales racing the current side-by-side with the curragh.
I love that these kinds of experiences are still available to us in current times, even though we are constantly barraged with the statement that there are no frontiers left on earth.
I for one, refuse to believe we have explored every corner of our existence; I think all of us continue to push boundaries and face challenges that take us out of our comfort zones and into the world of adventure.
Attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure.
~Bob Bitchin
Adventure can be trying something novel, like a new food, a new perspective on a familiar situation, or even engaging with someone you normally would avoid.
In fact, some might say that the last few years have been the very definition of an adventure, as the world has changed in ways we never imagined.
Adventure can happen anywhere, at any time.
The title of this post comes from William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. It is an adventure tale of sorts, with a daring escape to far off shores by the King of Bohemia once he learns his childhood best friend plans to poison him, an infant who is banished to a desert land and is nearly eaten by a bear, a King of Sicilia who calls down the wrath of Apollo by disparaging the Oracle of Delphi, and a loyal lady in waiting who risks her life to save her best friend from a ruler’s madness.
Like the crew of the modern Brendan voyage, each character in The Winter’s Tale is asked to face their biggest fear and move forward into the unknown, to unpathed waters and undreamed shores, knowing that their fortune lies beyond:
Prosperity’s the very bond of love,
Whose fresh complexion and whose heart
Together affliction alters.
The Winter’s Tale, Act IV, Scene 4
If you want to learn more about Shakespeare’s wisdom for the soul, click here. And if you want to read a historical adventure series about a young boy who charges headlong into unpathed waters and undreamed shores, click here.
Do you have any favorite adventure stories? What about real-life adventures? Drop and comment and share your experiences - I’d love to hear what calls you into the unknown.