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Os Mamíferos Marinhos Nas Viagens Marítimas pelo Atlântico Entre os Sécs. XV e XVIII: a Evolução da Ciência e do Conhecimento
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Resumo(s)
Os mamíferos marinhos constituem um grupo animal que pode ser usado como um paradigma para a história da ciência e para a história da história natural, tanto em Portugal como no Altântico. Apesar de serem animais marinhos que vivem num meio que nos é inóspito, neste grupo de mamíferos incluem-se animais grandes, que dependem da superfície para respirar e que desde sempre suscitaram interesses, interrogações e motivações nas diversas culturas e populações humanas que com eles contactaram. Para Portugal Continental encontram-se as primeiras referências a mamíferos marinhos desde o século XII, seja através de registos de arrojamentos como de actividades associadas à baleação em diversas zonas do país. Em Portugal e paralelamente ao País Basco, reconhecido berço da baleação ocidental, desenvolveu-se uma importante cultura baleeira. Esta avançou para o Atlântico apoiada no desenrolar das navegações portuguesas oceânicas, ultramarinas e transatlânticas a partir dos séculos XV e XVI e também aí se estabeleceu. É igualmente na exploração do grande e desconhecido Mar Oceano, primeiro ao largo da costa ocidental africana e das ilhas atlânticas e posteriormente atingindo o seu expoente máximo na costa brasileira durante o século XVII, que se observaram os animais marinhos, se fizeram relatos e perpetuaram descrições, se transmitiram informações recém-descobertas e se criaram as bases para as ciências naturais. Este facto particulariza-se para as descrições zoológicas e classificações animais que apenas são reconhecidas enquanto disciplinas a partir do século XVIII. Existe um Naturalismo Atlântico, formalizado neste trabalho, que decorreu num período de abertura e criação de novas concepções mentais sobre o mundo e que se desenvolveu simultaneamente ao Naturalismo Enciclopédico Europeu, este último resultante dos movimentos científicos e culturais do Renascimento. No entanto observou-se que poucas interligações ou influências existiram entre estas duas linhas das ciências naturais. Este facto é indicativo da pouca expressão da ciência natural Atlântica à época provavelmente como resultado da inexistência de edições impressas, do uso comum da língua portuguesa em detrimento do latim ou de uma deficiente divulgação e propagação do conhecimento. No entanto, ao estudar as fontes históricas e analisando especificamente as referências a baleias, golfinhos, focas, manatins e outros grandes animais marinhos, concluiu-se que a partir do Além-Mar Português surgiram contribuições relevantes para a formação e a evolução da história natural num contexto de revolução
científica e de globalização de conceitos e ideias.
Marine mammals are an animal group that can be used as a paradigmatic example for the history of science and for the history of natural history, both in Portugal and the Atlantic. Although being aquatic mammals living in an intimidating environment, they are big animals that need to come to the surface to breathe and have always motivated interests and raised questions throughout different human cultures around the world. In Mainland Portugal first references to marine mammals were found since the 12th century, through stranding records or whaling related activities registers in several coastal regions. In Portugal together with the Basque Country, the renowned place of birth of occidental whaling, an important whaling culture developed. These whaling activities and its techniques moved towards the Atlantic along with the oceanic Portuguese journeys since the 15th and 16th centuries. Also, other Atlantic records were made and descriptions were perpetuated through the exploration of the big and unknown Sea Ocean, first along the occidental African coast and the Atlantic islands and then across the ocean reaching the coast of Brazil during the 17th century. These narratives are particularly rich in terms of zoological descriptions and marine animal classifications, disciplines which were only recognized as so since the 18th century. The formal concept of Atlantic Naturalism, considered in this work, arose in a time of minds opening and new mental conceptions in parallel with the Encyclopedic Naturalism that resulted from the Renascence scientific and cultural movements. Nevertheless, there were few influences or connections between these two lines of natural science and they only cross each other very briefly. This may indicate that the Atlantic natural science had none or little expression in that period, probably as a result of few printed editions, the use of Portuguese instead of Latin or a poor dissemination of the knowledge. However, studying the historical sources and analyzing specifically the occurrence of whales, dolphins, seals, manatees and other big marine animals, we conclude that from the Portuguese Overseas relevant contributions to the formation and evolution of marine natural history came to light, in a context of scientific revolution and globalization of ideas and concepts.
Marine mammals are an animal group that can be used as a paradigmatic example for the history of science and for the history of natural history, both in Portugal and the Atlantic. Although being aquatic mammals living in an intimidating environment, they are big animals that need to come to the surface to breathe and have always motivated interests and raised questions throughout different human cultures around the world. In Mainland Portugal first references to marine mammals were found since the 12th century, through stranding records or whaling related activities registers in several coastal regions. In Portugal together with the Basque Country, the renowned place of birth of occidental whaling, an important whaling culture developed. These whaling activities and its techniques moved towards the Atlantic along with the oceanic Portuguese journeys since the 15th and 16th centuries. Also, other Atlantic records were made and descriptions were perpetuated through the exploration of the big and unknown Sea Ocean, first along the occidental African coast and the Atlantic islands and then across the ocean reaching the coast of Brazil during the 17th century. These narratives are particularly rich in terms of zoological descriptions and marine animal classifications, disciplines which were only recognized as so since the 18th century. The formal concept of Atlantic Naturalism, considered in this work, arose in a time of minds opening and new mental conceptions in parallel with the Encyclopedic Naturalism that resulted from the Renascence scientific and cultural movements. Nevertheless, there were few influences or connections between these two lines of natural science and they only cross each other very briefly. This may indicate that the Atlantic natural science had none or little expression in that period, probably as a result of few printed editions, the use of Portuguese instead of Latin or a poor dissemination of the knowledge. However, studying the historical sources and analyzing specifically the occurrence of whales, dolphins, seals, manatees and other big marine animals, we conclude that from the Portuguese Overseas relevant contributions to the formation and evolution of marine natural history came to light, in a context of scientific revolution and globalization of ideas and concepts.
Descrição
Palavras-chave
Mamíferos Marinhos Oceano Atlântico Viagens Exploração História da Ciência História Natural Naturalismo Atlântico Marine Mammals Atlantic Ocean Journeys Exploration History of Science Natural History Atlantic Naturalism