Shark
Shark denotes danger, evil, and death at sea; Maya material instead treats it as a familiar sea-and-river animal named xoc.
Our paraphrase of what the sources say it carries.
At a glance
- Type
- Symbol
- Borne by
- 4 figures
- Traditions
- Japanese folklore (2)Caribbean folklore (1)Modern cryptid (North American) (1)
Figures that bear it
A model judged each figure against its own description, one term at a time. Is: the figure is, or is partly, this thing. Bears: it carries the thing or is marked by it. What a figure does is filed under motifs and powers. Open "why" for the sentence the judgement rests on.
- Black Demon Shark is Modern cryptid (North American)
why
Mexican waters are said to house this enormous black shark, larger than any known species.
- Isonade is Japanese folklore
why
Originating from Japanese folklore, the Isonade is a massive, shark-like sea creature with a barbed tail.
- Lusca is Caribbean folklore
why
The Lusca is a cryptid believed to inhabit blue holes in the Caribbean, combining shark and octopus features.
- Samebito is Japanese folklore
why
Samebito is the shark-man of a Japanese tale, black-skinned and green-eyed, exiled from the dragon king's undersea palace, whose tears of gratitude harden into jewels.