It’s been a while since a Pirate-themed submission achieved 10,000 supporters on LEGO Ideas.
And while Iyan Ha’s design found inspiration in Ernest Hemingway’s classic novella, it lacks a true buccaneer. Nonetheless, this seafaring build may still hold interest to LEGO Pirate fans…
“The Old Man and the Sea” wasn’t one of the finalists which passed the LEGO Review Board’s scrutiny, so it’s been dry-docked in the Parking Lot to determine whether it be suitable for production.
Includes everything you see here
IYan Ha writes:
From the The Old Man and the Sea webpage on the LEGO Ideas website.
Hello. I’m Iyan Ha.
This project is the creation of the novel, “The Old Man And The Sea”, written by Ernest Hemingway.I worked with Studio 2.0, a designer program.
I used about 1,300 bricks, & 1 minifigure.
Meet Santiago, the titular old man and the only minifig yer get
IYan continues:
“Why are we challenging ourselves?”
“Why do we move forward without being daunted by defeat?”
This novel by Ernest Hemingway tells the story of man’s spirit of challenge who is undaunted by defeat.
My project is also like that.
The giant marlin caught by Santiago
IYan continues:
In the distant seas of Cuba, a giant size of a marlin is caught fishing by an old fisherman, “Santiago.”
The fish was 18 feet (5.5 meters) long and weighed 1,500 pounds (700 kilograms).
The old man continues to follow the marlin’s lead even as he falls and injures himself in the boat.
Santiago is gonna need a bigger boat!
IYan continues:
The old man never gives up the marlin caught in the fishing rod.
On the third day, the old man overpowers the giant marlin that popped up to the surface. And ties it to the side of the boat.
A bit like Moby Dick but with a swordfish!
IYan continues:
But another difficulty begins.
The marlin’s sniffing sharks chase the old man’s boat.
The old man challenges the fight against the sharks.
Every time sharks rush in, the marlin’s flesh gradually disappears.
But the old man never gives up.
The giant marlin caught when the boat returned to the coast was left with only its bones.
The old man enters the cabin house, falls asleep, and dreams of lions.
Sharks not included
IYan continues:
The misfortune behind the fight against the giant marlin and sharks does not mean the old man’s defeat.
He was undefeated.
He went beyond his limits and accepted his fight with himself.
He showed how humans should behave.
Simply replace the Santiago minifigure with a LEGO Pirate minifig
“The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway
Iyan Ha’s model borrows inspiration from Hemingway’s 1952 book, capturing a fierce seafaring confrontation within the frame of an open book.
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- A copy of the book is included
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- Good luck reading it, though…
IYan continues:
Hemingway won the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize in Literature for his 1952 novel “The Old Man and the Sea.”
I made a scene in the novel with Lego.
It is divided into three parts: the old man’s boat / the marlin / and the sea.
And when these are combined, a diorama is completed.
Synopsis
The story follows Santiago, a weathered fisherman from the Cuban coast, who’s been cursed with 84 days of empty nets without a catch.
A decorative plaque is included so yer don’t forget the name
But on the 85th morn, he sets sail alone, far beyond the shallows, and hooks a marlin so mighty it could drag Poseidon’s own chariot.
For three days and nights, Santiago battles the beast, his hands torn, his body weary, but his spirit unbroken.
A pertinent quote from the story is also included
He finally slays the marlin at last, straps it to his skiff, and turns homeward. Yet the cruel sea, sends sharks to feast on his prize, leaving naught but bones. Still, Santiago returns with his head held high, for though the sea took his catch, it could not take his pride.
History Lesson
Legendary author Ernest Hemingway tale the penned in the year of 1952, earning him the Pulitzer Prize and later helped him claim the Nobel.
Ernest Hemingway writing a story on his laptop in 1948
The Old Man and the Sea be a story of grit, of man against nature, of fighting fate with nothing but a line, a hook, and the heart of a lion.
“But man is not made for defeat,” he said. “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.“
Santiago may be old, but he’s no landlubber — he’s a legend carved in salt, sweat and sorrow.
About the Builder…
IYan Ha is a South Korean AFOL who’s been extraordinarily busy with LEGO Ideas, accumulating SEVEN 10K submissions and FIVE Staff Picks under his bootstrap.
Taken for Ivan’s CASTLE DRACULA 10K Club Interview
Ivan hasn’t previously appeared on the Classic Pirates radar because he’s yet to embrace our beloved LEGO Pirate theme, but he has built a few ships from other eras of history.
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- Galley of Warriors
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- Forest Base
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- Roman Warship
Yer can connect with Ivan on Instagram and Facebook where he’ll no doubt keep his fans updated on the progress of The Old Man and the Sea.
What’s Happened to LEGO Ideas?
After a string of rejections, LEGO Pirates fans focused their talents towards the BrickLink Designer Program where their fortunes be more favourable.
All reached 10,000 supporters… None passed review….
Nonetheless, the occasional brave soul still tempts their fate with LEGO Ideas, but Pirates of Barracuda Bay be only true Classic Pirate-themed submission to succeed.
The closest we’ve ventured lately be 21363 The Goonies, but some fans feel the set strays too far from the classics.
What Do Yer Think?
Did the “The Old Man and the Sea” stir yer soul or leave ye driftin’?
Would you lovingly embrace the “The Old Man and the Sea” into your LEGO collection?
Or could this design be modded into a LEGO Pirates creation?
What a colourful fishing expedition!
Could pieces be repurposed for completely different LEGO Pirate MOCs?
Spill yer reckonin’ on The Old Man and the Sea in the .
