An Historical and Critical Treatise
In this groundbreaking work Anthonie Cornelis Oudemans, explores the mysterious and elusive creature known as the great sea-serpent. Originally published in 1892, this book remains one of the most comprehensive and well-researched studies of sea serpents to date. Oudemans became immensely fascinated by this often enormous creature, and spent three years of intensive research before publishing his work.
He argues for the existence of a sea-serpent that can grow up to 60 feet long, which, according to the many recorded sightings, often resembles a prehistoric Plesiosaur. Oudemans relied on nearly 200 eyewitness accounts and many publications, and named the creature Megophias Megophias in Latin, in accordance with scientific convention. However, Oudemans’ colleagues did not approve of his work on sea monsters, as they believed such creatures could not exist. Despite this, his work gained recognition posthumously. In the 1950s, Belgian biologist Bernard Heuvelmans rediscovered Oudemans’ work and found in his sea-serpent the missing link in cryptozoology.
This new revised edition features a clear distinction between Oudemans’ ongoing text and the many included eyewitness accounts, as well as all-original images that have been cleaned up for clarity. Additionally, readers will find a Post Scriptum containing biographical information about the author and – as a bonus – the first English translation of Oudemans’ original 1934 Dutch-language essay on the Loch Ness Monster.
