Legends of the Sea

Living on a Bayou, I see and hear a lot of things. There is always much talk of things of the water, the tide, the day's catch, and tackle shops. There are also legends. Legends that are passed down through the ages. Some are wonderful tales of huge Manta Rays that had "wing" spreads that spanned an old schooner and flounder jubilees where the flat fish would move close to the shores. Stories are told of how during these jubilees waders could spear more flounders than they could carry. Then there are the stories of cannons that were found in Biloxi Bay..some say they were from the Civil War..others say they were from much earlier..so it is with legends. I love to hear the older fishermen talk of these things in their "Old Biloxi" lingo that is somewhat of a Cajun/Creole mix. Their old Southern drawl adds much to their story-telling as does the extra embellishments that are added to the original tale. Many would sit spinning these yarns while patching their nets or shucking oysters. Almost every yard would have a gathering of fishermen eager to talk to any who would listen. How I wish that I had taken notes at these gabfests! What a wonderful collection of history..truth or fiction..this would have been! It is rare to see nets strung up to dry any more or the piles of oyster shells stacked along the back fence. What use to be the norm, now is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

Speaking of legends of the sea, one of my favorites is about the lowly saltwater catfish. Those "good fer nothin' hard heads" as many call them. These catfish are one of the few fish that are considered not edible and they are quite the pain (literally) to deal with when caught. Their fins can stab you and inflict a very nasty wound. But all this said, it is this "scrap" fish that has one of the most endearing legends attached to it. If ever the opportunity arises that you can see the cleaned backbone of this fish, you can see what appears to be the body of Jesus on the Cross. If you flip it over there is the Roman shield and if you shake this Cross it rattles. This rattling is said to be the dice that were tossed for Christ's garments. A similar story is about the Sand Dollar. When looking at a Sand Dollar (a flattened type of Sea Urchin) you will see a star in the center..this star represents the Star of Bethlehem. There is a "flower" surrounding the star that is said to be the Poinsettia or Christmas Flower. The five wounds that Jesus suffered are shown as five holes in the shell and if the shell is broken..five white doves of peace can be found. These doves represent the love of Christ.

So many things are tied to the sea..not only in legend but in our lives. Our very existence hinges on the sea and its health.