Walking on water

This article is about the general act. For the biblical account, see Jesus walking on water. For other uses, see Walk on Water.

Walking on water float design by Leonardo da Vinci, late 15th century

Walking on water is at times used as an example of an impossible task. The phrase is widely used to refer to the performance of extraordinary tasks, as in the titles of books that aim to show individuals how to break through their personal limitations and achieve dramatic success.

There are reports of miraculous acts of walking on water in several religions, such as in Buddhist texts, some Hindu stories, the Huang-Po story, the stories of Orion, the Aeneid and some Native American myths, in addition to the accounts of Jesus walking on water in the New Testament. Islamic belief also includes accounts of Jesus walking on water.

Leonardo da Vinci, in the Codex Atlanticus manuscripts, sketched designs for floats to allow a man to walk on water.

See also

• Animal locomotion on the water surface