Dana Amundsen

Nansen the ship's cat

Date: 11/11/22
Tags: #frostbite , #polar exploration

three sketches of a black and white cat. the first, the cat is climbing the rigging and sails of a ship. the second it is holding a flying fish in it's mouth. and the final it is sitting prettily.

fullsize image

Nansen, the ship’s cat aboard the Belgica. She was named after Fridtjof Nansen, the Nowegian Arctic explorer. Me being me, I knew that I wanted to pay homage to her in Frostbite. I can imagine her wandering around the ship in the background and curling up on the sailor’s laps for warmth.

I’m reading Roald Amundsen’s Belgica Diariy as research for Frostbite and I was very happy to see a drawing of Nansen by the cabin boy and Amundsen has written once about her in his diary as well.

“Three flying fish flew over the rails tonight. Of course, they were given a warm reception, in particular from Nansen, our small cat. When it is dark she creeps around the deck and catches flying fish all night long.”
-September 27th, 1897
Page 22 of Roald Amundsen’s Belgica Diary by Hugo Decleir

The drawing of Nansen by the cabin boy is below the read more.

An ink drawing of the same black and white cat by the cabin boy, Koren, in 1897.

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