Conch Shell

The Conch Shell was an item Graham found on the beach of Harpies' Island. He gave it to the Ancient Mariner so that the man could hear him.

Background

The conch is a sea mollusk with a long shell shaped like a spiral cone. it is considered good eating in many places. In the Greek myths, the conch shell was used as a horn by Triton, the son of the sea god Poseidon. Aphrodite, the Greek love goddess, is sometimes depicted holding the conch shell as a reminder that she was born from the sea.

The conch shell has long been associated with hearing. As a horn, it amplifies both the sound breathed into it and the sound entering from the outside. If one holds the conch shell to his ears, he imagines he hears the sea contained within it. Finally, the largest hollow in the the external ear is known as the concha because of its resemblance to the conch shell.