Image Information
Whale
The whale floats at the surface long enough for sand to accumulate on its back. Sailors mistake the whale for an island and land on its back to rest. When they build a cooking fire on the "island", the whale feels the heat and dives, drowning the sailors. The whale catches fish by openng its mouth and emitting a sweet odor; the fish follow the odor into the whale's mouth. The sailors have built a large fire, and one of the men is warming his feet near it. The whale not only has sand on its back, but also a tree. A sailor remains on the ship under a striped canopy, while a furry animal (perhaps a cat) stands on the ship's dragon prow. The ship is very similar to the ones shown in the sawfish (folio 8r) and siren (folio 21r) illustrations.
Bibliothèque Nationale de France Digitized Manuscripts