Religion/Mythology

1.      There is a Native American myth that originates from Hawaii, titled The King of Sharks. In summary, the King of Sharks marries a woman, and they have a son. In this society, a problem occurs: fishermen are catching fewer and fewer fish, and society relies on this in order to feed the population. The son is successful in escaping from society, adventuring off to the sea with his father, the King of Sharks. This mythology impacts the way sharks are viewed at this time because of how they are represented in this story. Also taken into consideration is where this story originated from, which is Hawaii. Hawaii is an area where sharks are abundant, so it makes sense that a myth about them came about. This mythology depicts sharks as a dominant species because they have power over humans. Because the King of Sharks has the ability to drive the fishes away, this then causes people to go into a panic. Hence, these people make the decision that the best solution is to kill whoever is the cause of these actions: the King of Sharks and anyone directly related to him. The incorporation of sharks in this mythological story gives rise the meaning that they are creatures that are sacred and at the same time dangerous.