Creative Prompt #299: Seahorse

I was inspired to post this prompt by the fabric used in the Ocean Going Journal Cover.

Post the direct URL (link) where your drawing, doodle, artwork is posted (e.g. your blog, Flickr) in the comments area of this post. I would really like to keep all the artwork together and provide a way for others to see your work and get familiar with your blog or website.

The Creative Prompt Project, also, has a Flickr group, which you can join to  post your responses. I created this spot so those of you without blogs and websites would have a place to post your responses.

We are also talking about this on Twitter. Use the hashtag #CPP

Definition: “Seahorse is the name given to 54 species of small marine fishes in the genus Hippocampus. “Hippocampus” comes from the Ancient Greek hippos meaning “horse” and kampos meaning “sea monster”.[2] Having a head and neck suggestive of a horse, seahorses also feature segmented bony armour, an upright posture and a curled prehensile tail.

Seahorses are mainly found in shallow tropical and temperate waters throughout the world, and live in sheltered areas such as seagrass beds, estuaries, coral reefs, or mangroves. Four species are found in Pacific waters from North America to South America. In the Atlantic, H. erectus ranges from Nova Scotia to Uruguay. H. zosterae, known as the dwarf seahorse, is found in the Bahamas.

Colonies have been found in European waters such as the Thames Estuary.[3]

Three species live in the Mediterranean Sea: H. guttulatus (the long-snouted seahorse), H. hippocampus (the short-snouted seahorse), and H. fuscus (the sea pony). These species form territories; males stay within 1 m2 (11 sq ft) of habitat, while females range about one hundred times that.” (Wikipedia)

The Seahorse Trust

Magical Seahorse Tour

Seahorse Magazine

Sausalito Seahorse in Marin County, North Bay, California. Italian Seafood Restaurant. Live music nightly.

Seahorse is a new app for documenting life in scenes, together with friends and family.

Mister Seahorse: board book (World of Eric Carle)

Seahorse Lounge is a stunning Las Vegas lounge at Caesars Palace serving specialty martinis and more than 20 champagnes.

Seahorse is a simple solution for filers who need to meet European XBRL and iXBRL mandates.

Seahorse Triathlons and Duathlon (Kalamazoo Counties, Coldbrook County Park)

The Seahorse Inn, is located on Central Florida’s Atlantic coast, 50 miles east of Orlando’s Disney World.

Dr. Seahorse – indie pop music

The lined seahorse is a unique fish with a curled tail and horse-like head. It lives among bay grasses in the shallow waters of the middle and lower Chesapeake Bay.

The Neoprene perimeter O-Ring seal makes Seahorse Cases completely waterproof and airtight.

Symbolic meaning of Seahorse: “The symbolic meaning of seahorse is quite intricate and diverse as this little creature itself is full of surprises.

The seahorse is quite a unique creature, and thought to have mystical significance among the Ancient Greeks, European (alchemists) and Asians.

The Ancient Greeks and Romans believed the seahorse was an attribute of the sea god Neptune/Poseidon and as such, the seahorse was considered a symbol of strength and power.

Further, the ancient Eurpeans believed that the seahorse carried the souls of deceased sailors to the underworld – giving them safe passage and protection until the met their soul’s destination.

Chinese cultures believed that the seahorse was a type of sea dragon, and as such they were revered for their power and thought to be symbols of good luck.

Sailors have long viewed the seahorse as a good luck charm too.

Symbolic meaning of Seahorses carry the following significances…

Symbolic Seahorse Meaning

  • Patience
  • Protection
  • Perspective
  • Inflexibility
  • Persistence
  • Friendliness
  • Contentment
  • High-Perception
  • Generosity/Sharing

A relatively calm, and mild-mannered creature, the seahorse is seemingly content to roam the seas. Their bodies are geared for ambling-type motion – not for speed. Thus, they are symbolic of patience and contentment – they are happy with being where they are, and are in no hurry for advancement.

Further testimony to these attributes is the lack of evolution of the seahorse’s body style. They have remained with this body style without change since their inception. Content to be who they are, and not feeling the need to change – these are a few profound lessons the seahorse provides us.

However, along with a resistence to change, and a carefree approach to progress, the seahorse can be a symbol of inflexibilty or stubborness. To wit, the seahorse wraps its tail around the nearest object in order to anchor itself in turbulent waters. This is a lesson to be persistent in our goals, but be mindful that we are not too inflexible or stubborn in our achieving them.

A unique aspect of the seahorse is that the male is impregnated by the female and carries the offspring to term. This is a message of sharing the load in the home, and gaining perspective of both sides (genders) of an argument or situation.

The seahorse has a boney exoskeleton which is a message of protection. Often when the seahorse comes to us it is a sign that we either need protection from our external circumstances, or we are building walls that aren’t needed. Their armor-bodies are a sign that sometimes we might need to let our guard down – or perhaps we are leaving too open to get hurt.

Lastly among the long list of symbolic meaning of the seahorse and its lessons is the idea of perception. The eyesight of the seahorse is incredibly sharp, and each eye moves independently. We take this as a symbolic message of perception and awareness of those around us and our situations. When we are lost or confused, the seahorse asks us to take a good look around – not just with our physical eyes but with our spiritual eyes in order to get a better persepective of the situations.

Thus concludes this summary on the symbolic meaning of the seahorse. Check out the links at the end of this page for more symbolic meanings for cool creatures. Thanks for reading!” (What’s Your Sign.com)

Author: Jaye

Quiltmaker who enjoys writing and frozen chocolate covered bananas.