Episode 8: Hyrcanian Sea

It is now October 10, 1636, and the Friedrich is sailing down the shallow Volga delta, guided by a new pilot from Astrakhan and preceded by a boat of Tatars who are supposed to help them avoid the sandbars.Incredibly big plants grow along the river, Olearius says. Esula, today listed among the world’s 100 most invasive species, grows as tall as a man, and Angelica as big as a man’s arm. Angelica has been cultivated in northern climates since the 10th century, and can be used to make candy and flavor various kinds of liquor including aquavit, gin, and absinthe.They pass the best fishing grounds in the country and a place the Muscovites call “The Sacrifice of the Tatars.” It is a settlement on the island of Perul, where a long pole is kept with a sheep’s skull at the top of it. Whenever the inhabitants take a voyage, they sacrifice a sheep. The skull remains on the pole until the next voyage, or until it falls off on its own accord.They also see great white pelicans, and Olearius says the “great bag of shriveled skin” under their beaks can hold nearly three gallons of liquor. The locals use them for fishing, tying strings around their legs and throats, and if we are to believe the tale of one Franciscus Sanctius, the bird eats children on the coasts of Africa. The Persians make musical instruments out of their skin. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit semipropilgrim.substack.com