When ancient mariners spoke about sailing the "Seven Seas," they usually referred to all the seas and oceans of the world.

While the term was not meant to be taken literally, early oceanographers counted the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Black Sea, the Adriatic Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Indian Ocean.

In a figurative sense, the term was also coined by Rudyard Kipling, who used it as the title for a volume of poems.

In the 1980s, the Eurythmics popularized the phrase with their song "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)":

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world and the Seven Seas
Everybody's looking for something.

When geographers talk about the Seven Seas today, they sometimes refer to the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, South Pacific, North Pacific, Indian Ocean, Antarctic Ocean, and Arctic Ocean.

Whatever the Seven Seas are or were, they include all or many waters of the world—figuratively or literally. 

In the spirit of wanting to provide a forum for writers and readers of personal essays from around the globe, I chose to name this publication Seven Seas Magazine.

Whichever sea you call yours, your submission is welcome here!

Annika Neudecker, Editor/Publisher