Anglers are famous for telling tall tales about huge fish and the one that got away. In common culture, the term “fish story” is a euphemism for exaggeration or down-right lying. But our fish stories can’t hold a candle to fish gods, magical fish and murderous mermaids. Here are a few tall tales from around the globe to inspire, entertain and teach a lesson.
What Do You Know About Fishy Folktales?
One of the most bizarre mermaid legends comes from Brazil. The story starts with Iara, a gifted female warrior and her two jealous brothers. The brothers pursued Iara to the confluence of the Amazon and Rio Negro where they threw her into the raging water. To save her, a fish god turned her into a mermaid. Afterward, Iara lured men with her beauty and song only to throw them into the river. Locals still blame Iara when someone drowns mysteriously.
Perhaps the most ridiculous legend attempts to explain why women set so many fishing records. In 1922, after Georgina Ballantine pulled the largest salmon ever from the River Tay, male anglers speculated that male salmon are attracted to female pheromones women rub on the lure.
A Norse myth tells about Loki, the god of deception, who tricked Hod, god of winter and darkness, into killing beloved Baldur, god of beauty, peace and wisdom. To avoid retribution by the other gods, Loki turned into a salmon. Thor, the god of thunder and protector of mankind, was quick enough to grab Loki before he could swim away. The taper between a salmon’s dorsal fin and its tail is the result of Thor’s strong grip on Loki.
Zambians and Namibians have a folktale to explain why hippopotami are vegetarians. The Creator made the first hippo as a land animal, but the hippo begged to be in the water to cool off and comfort its dry, dusty skin. The other animals opposed the idea, fearing the huge hippo would eat all the fish. So, the hippo vowed to eat only plants. This story explains why hippos have the weird habit of tromping on their poop—to show there are no fish bones in it.
Russians warn against greed with the tale of a poor fisherman who caught a magical fish. The fish promised to fulfill the man’s wishes if he let it go. When the fisherman’s wife heard the fish, she mentioned their broken water trough. Poof! They had a new trough. Realizing the power of the fish, the wife wished for more and more. Soon the couple lived like royalty. Then the wife wished to rule the land and sea with the magical fish as her servant. When the magical fish heard this wish, it swam away leaving the poor couple in rags sitting next to the broken trough.
Georgina Ballantine and her record-setting salmon in 1922. | Feature photo: Raeburn Photographic Studio, Perth; Culture Perth and Kinross Collection
