The Manatee of the Hague

The Hague

The atmosphere in a city like The Hague is largely due to its location on the coast. The tranquility of such a vast expanse of water has both a direct and an indirect impact on the hustle and bustle of the city. One could probably say that as opposites, they even serve to enhance each other. The physical boundary between the two is formed by a narrow stretch of coast. On warm summer days, people abandon the sultriness of the busy city to cool down and chill out on the beach. However, this is not always what they find as they join the crowds flocking to what soon becomes an even busier spot. On days like these, the peace that usually reigns on the beach is probably more evident in the middle of the city.

The Manatee

This coming together of extremes is also represented in an animal rarely seen in our present-day surroundings: the manatee. This ‘sea cow’ as it became known, was firs described in the Netherlands by Jacob van Maerlant in 1287. Initially, it was assumed that the animal bore a strong resemblance to animals such as the walrus and the seal. However, the writer van Maerlant soon gave it the name ‘sea cow’ thanks to its bovine head and large, amorphous body. In the 15th century, overseas trade and voyages of discovery became more commonplace and the animal started to gain renown. Even Columbus, who regularly encountered the sea cow on his trips, was vastly impressed by the animal. Strangely enough, he did not associate it with a cow, but with a mermaid, an apparition that was generally accepted to be a natural phenomenon by sailors in that period.

The Photos

Silent locations that radiate tranquility are not the only places where one can find true silence. It can also occur amidst the hustle and bustle of city life. The photos depict the tranquility of the water — the sea — the disappearance of the sea cow — being as it were transposed onto the city.

Atmospheres and opinions can be totally at odds, as is the case in Maerlant versus Columbus. In the same way as they defined their sea cow, it is also possible to redefine and reassociate The Hague in a different setting.