Drawing on Scottish and other comparative examples, this paper explores the relations of humans and seagulls living-with and living-through one another in phenomena such as mascots, talking characters and gift and homeware items.
Paper long abstract
Seagulls are a ubiquitous feature of coastal ecosystems. Known to some as 'rats with wings', gulls feature significantly in contemporary legends and personal experience narratives stigmatising them as pests, with a penchant for local foodstuffs.
At the same time, they appear as sports mascots and talking characters, taking on a significant anthropomorphised presence in human culture. What is the significance of these human performances of identification with seagulls?
They star as emblems on gifts and homewares designed by local artists, indexical of a light-hearted, place-specific identity aimed at tourists and residents alike. Do these products mark an embrace of the seagull as a beloved feature of everyday life?
Drawing on Scottish and other comparative examples, this paper explores the relations of humans and seagulls living-with and living-through one another expressed in human visual and narrative cultures.