Sharks in Stories, Media, and Literature 203human blood regularly to maintain her strength. These sacrifices included
crushing the victim’s neck with a sawfish snout, symbolizing Cipactli’s feed-
ing behavior.
In Asia, traditional healers chased away demons and cured disease by
wielding a sawfish saw. In northern Borneo, locals traditionally nailed saws
over doors to repel ghosts, or hung wrapped saws over cradles to soothe
infants. In Papua New Guinea, sawfish are said to unleash storms to punish
those who break fishing taboos.
Several African coastal societies viewed sawfishes as one of the most
dangerous beasts around, attributing to them supernatural powers to repel
evil, cure sickness, and overcome misfortune. The Lebou of Senegal pro-
tect their homes, families, and cattle by mounting saws on the walls of their
homes. Sawfishes find their way into proverbs of the Duala of Cameroon.
The Jola of Gambia and Senegal view sawfish as ancestors possessing a
magical weapon. To the Akan of Ghana, the sawfish is a symbol of the au-
thority of the king and a guarantor of the kingdom’s prosperity. A contin-
ued high regard for sawfish in African societies is reflected in the coinage of
the West African states.
The Kuna people of the San Blas Islands of Panama also revere sawfish.
Legends tell of sawfish patrolling the coast, protecting fishermen from sharks
and other dangerous animals and even rescuing drowning fishermen.
Myths and legends involving other sharklike fishes occur in many cul-
tures. Many myths tell of giant fishes that are responsible for the creation
of nations and the heavens, that help hold up the world, or that are respon-
sible for earthquakes, tidal waves, erosion, and strong winds. A Maori leg-
end from New Zealand tells how Ikaroa, a long fish (perhaps a shark), gave
birth to the stars in the Milky Way. A Japanese giant fish named Isonade is
a shark-like monster that causes strong winds, capsizes boats, or uses hooks
on its tail to catch unwary fishermen. A Kuna story describes the activitiesAluminum-bronze 5 -, 10 -, and 25 -franc coins in circulation in the West African (CFA) countries of Benin, Burkina
Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. Each coin bears a highly stylized pristid sawfish
on its face, although the uneven rostral “teeth,” slender body, and large tail fin are also reminiscent of the pristio-
phorid sawsharks. Exchange rates run at about 500 CFA francs to the dollar. Wikimedia Commons, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
File:BCEAOFranc.png