Rachael Talibart captures the ebb and flow of the English coastline through photographs that frame erupting waves and the days surrounding violent storms. Her recent work has culminated in a book Tides and Tempests. These images are best viewed full screen

 

  • Sedna

    An Inuit goddess of the sea, Sedna is mostly benevolent but sometimes becomes angry if humans break taboos. Then, her hair becomes tangled, trapping the creatures of the sea on which the Inuit depend. Respected and feared, Sedna helps maintain balance in the world

    Wave photograph entitled Sedna by Rachael Talibart.

  • Nyx

    Ancient Greek goddess of the night, Nyx was one of the primordial gods who emerged at the beginning of creation. She was a child of Chaos and, coupling with Erebos (darkness), she produced Aether (light) and Hemera (day)

    Wave photograph entitled Nyx by Rachael Talibart.

  • White Walker

    A rare break into contemporary mythology for this photo. Game of Thrones fans will know

    Wave photograph entitled White Walker by Rachael Talibart.

  • Etain

    Also known as ‘the Shining One’, Etain was a Celtic goddess of love, transformation, hope and rebirth and she was associated with healing. I first released this wave in 2020, when we all needed some healing

    Wave photograph entitled Etain by Rachael Talibart.

  • Behemoth

    From the Book of Job, Behemoth is a primeval chaos-monster vanquished by God at the beginning of creation. Behemoth has come to be used for any extremely large or powerful entity

    Wave photograph entitled Behemoth by Rachael Talibart.

  • Medusa

    Originally a beautiful maiden, Medusa was punished by Athena. The goddess turned her hair into snakes and made her face so terrible to behold that anyone who looked on it would be turned to stone

    Wave photograph entitled Medusa by Rachael Talibart.

  • Leviathan

    From Mesopotamian and Hebrew tradition, Leviathan was an immense sea monster. It ruthlessly ruled over all the creatures of the sea. Its fins radiated light, and its eyes were bright as the sunrise

    Wave photograph entitled Leviathan by Rachael Talibart.

  • Niobe

    Niobe was a proud mother (see her babies on her shoulder?). When, as a punishment for her hubris, her children were taken from her, she couldn’t stop crying, so they turned her into a rock on Mount Sipylus, which ‘weeps’ when the snow melts above it

    Wave photograph entitled Niobe by Rachael Talibart.

  • Makara

    A Sanskrit word meaning ‘sea dragon’, ‘Makara’ is also the origin of the Hindi word for crocodile. In Hindu culture, Makara are legendary sea monsters and guardians of gateways and thresholds

    Wave photograph entitled Makara by Rachael Talibart.

  • Apollo

    Also known as Phoebus or ‘the bright one’, Apollo is the Ancient Greek and Roman god of the sun (and several other things). He represented the perfect harmony of reason and moderation, the physical and the moral. He was also known to transform into the shape of a dolphin from time to time!

    Wave photograph entitled Apollo by Rachael Talibart.

  • Dúfa

    From Norse mythology, Dúfa was one of the nine daughters of Aegir and Ran, the ‘billow maidens’ named after waves. Dúfa means ‘pitching wave’

    Wave photograph entitled Dúfa by Rachael Talibart.

  • Echo

    Echo was one of the Oreads, mountain nymphs. She was cursed by Hera so that she could no longer speak except to repeat the last words said to her by another. If you look closely, you can see in the foreground an echo of the larger wave’s mountain-like shape

    Wave photograph entitled Echo by Rachael Talibart.

  • Loki

    Norse trickster god, shapeshifter and all-round troublemaker, Loki often helped Odin and Thor with his clever plans but could just as easily embarrass or even betray them

    Wave photograph entitled Loki by Rachael Talibart.

  • Maelstrom

    A maelstrom is a giant whirlpool. Large whirlpools in fixed locations are rare, but terrifying when encountered. Not surprisingly, in stories told by those who survive, they have often been given the characteristics of sentient monsters. One of the earliest stories of such phenomena is Homer’s description of Odysseus’s encounter with Charybdis, a monstrous whirlpool near Sicily

    Wave photograph entitled Maelstrom by Rachael Talibart.

  • Namazu

    In Japanese mythology, Namazu is a monstrous catfish who lives in the mud under the islands of Japan. He is held down by a stone, but sometimes breaks free and thrashes about causing earthquakes

    Wave photograph entitled Namazu by Rachael Talibart.