S1.E6: Newfoundland’s Madonna Iceberg

HistorySeason 1Folklore

May 7

Written By Robert Hiscock

Season 1, Episode 6

Time: 7:05

Newfoundland’s Madonna Iceberg

Hayward’s Picture of Our Lady of Fjords, St. John’s, NL, 1905

In 1905 the people of St. John’s were treated to an unusual iceberg — it looked like it had an ice statue on one end of it. Some people, including a prominent archbishop, were convinced it was the likeness of the Virgin Mary and that the iceberg was a message from God.

Read the Blog Posts

Read the blog post for more information, references and images.

1. Like A Virgin: NL’s Madonna Iceberg

2. Salads, Saints and 7 Other Iceberg Oddities

Sources & Further Reading

Our Lady of the Fjords, Newfoundland Quarterly, 1909
Pretty Iceberg, Evening Telegram, July 04, 1905
Mysterious Iceberg Off St. John’s, Archival Moments

Bonus Content

Purely for my own amusement I’ve studded this piece with many references to the singer Madonna.

The following is a playlist inspired by the blog post and podcast.

St. John'siceberg

Robert Hiscock

Robert grew up in a tiny Newfoundland community called Happy Adventure. These days he lives in Gander, NL and his happiest adventures are spent with his two Labrador retrievers exploring the island while listening to a soundtrack of local music.

When the dogs are napping Robert takes pictures, writes about Newfoundland, makes a podcast and shares NL trivia.

https://productofnewfoundland.ca

Mar. 19, 2024

The Love and Lies of Mildred Baxter and Paul Langstone

Mildred Baxter was waiting in England for her fiance to return from Harbour Breton, Newfoundland when she discovered he’d married someone else. She disguised herself in a jacket and trousers, crossed the Atlantic and confronted him in such a spectacular way that they still tell the story today.