Strange Sea Creature of Portland

Chicken of the Sea

Perhaps the most bizarre manifestation to have been witnessed emerging from the sea near Portland was documented in the Raphael Holinshed's 'The Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland', Volume 6, p. 645.

The account is as follows: -

"In the moneth of Nouember (1457), in the lie of Portland not farre from the towne of Weimouth, was scene a cocke comming out of the sea, hauing a great crest vpon his head, and a great red beard, and legs of halfe a yard long : lie stood on the water & crowed foure times, and euerie time turned him about, and beckened with his head,toward the north, the south, and the west, and was of colour like a fesant, when he had crowed thre"e times, he vanished awaie. And shortlie after were taken at Erith Within twelue miles of London, foure great and woonderfull fishes whereof one was called Mors marina, the second a sword fish, the other two were whales."