Spirit Lodge - Totem Animals - Page 148

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Totem Animals

Page 148

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Bear Medicine	Birth Totems	Coyote Medicine	Dragon Ranks	Dragonfly Medicine	Eagle Medicine	Four Animal Helpers	Grey Wolf Medicine	Hawk
Heron Medicine	Horse	Magpie	Raccoon	Salmon Medicine	Spider Medicine	Swan Medicine	Thunder Being Medicine	Totem Loss Disc

SHARK
By StarDreamer

Well, it seems I am getting lessons in predators.
Shark Wisdom includes: (AS)
A God of the Sea
Guardian of the family
Ability to move constantly
Savior
Protector
Connection to past knowledge
Shapeshifter
Remorselessness
Never being caught off guard
Ability to defend oneself
I will add as I discover. And please add whatever you may have.

SisterCyber:
Sharks are viewed stereotypically as dangerous. Singly, and when they are not hungry, sharks
tend to be quite peaceful. They can be trained to do simple tasks such as distinguishing certain
objects from others in the water, and the ringing of a bell for a meal when in captivity. In large
groups however, they can become unpredictable and may frenzy. In order to remain calm and
centered shark medicine people require time to themselves. If they do not have time alone they
can become irritable, anxious and aggressive in their behavior.

Sharks have incredibly sensitive noses that can smell one drop of blood in 50 million times as
much water. They can feel the pressure waves made by a struggling fish and are sensitive to
electromagnetic currents. They teach those with this totem how to develop and refine their own
sensory abilities. The study of aromatherapy would benefit those with this medicine. The shark
has no swim bladder and must swim perpetually to keep from sinking to the bottom. Water has
always been associated with emotional transformation. By observing the sharks swimming
patterns we learn how to rise out of our emotional discord efficiently.

Sharks have been known to inspire great terror because they have the power of the predator,
fearless and unpredictable. The shark offers the power of protection to those who resonate to it.
When there is something in your life that you need to frighten away call upon the shark to help
you. In the course of our learning we can attract events and people that are disharmonious.
Working with shark medicine gives you the power and confidence to drive off negative elements
or eliminate them completely.

StarDreamer:
It is somewhat astonishing that the old Hawaiians gave the same name to both the tiger shark and
white shark: "Niuhi". Many shark species found in Hawaiian waters were honored as being
sacred and were even considered reincarnations of dead family members. The "Niuhi" were,
however, more feared than adored. Still, both species played a role in local mythology. Legends
suggest that many kings living in the historical Hawaiian environment acquired their premonition
of future events by consuming the eyes of the "Niuhi". It is said that even the mother of the most
famous king of Hawaii, King Kamehameha (born around 1753 and having died on May 8, 1819)
asked for "Niuhi" eyes during her pregnancy because they supposedly would enhance the
leadership qualities of the future king she was carrying. Tiger sharks were always considered a
very special shark species not only in the Pacific but also in the Maldives, where they were
called "Femunu". (www.sharkinfo.ch Dr. Erich K. Ritter)

A shark following a ship is a death omen for one of the passengers.

Nail a sharks tail to the bow of a ship and you will ward off sharks.

The Kuna people live on the San Blas Islands off the northern coast of Panama. They call their
territory "Kuna Yala," the land of the Kuna. Their magnificent textiles called molas tell stories of
guardian shark spirits who protect fishermen, and dangerous shark spirits who inspire fear and
respect. The molas are hand sewn in a reverse appliqué technique using several layers of
differently colored cotton. (I have a really neat pic of one of these embroidered hammerhead
sharks.) One Kuna legend tells the story of Uncle Shark—a sacred, but evil, spirit who can cause
great harm as he travels the sea in his silver boat. Calling him "Uncle" reminds the Kuna people
of their belief in the close connection between the natural and spiritual worlds.

Stone carvings of mythical sharks adorn ancient Maya temples and other ruins. In Mayan
mythology, the xoc (pronounced shoke) was a terrible shark-monster that haunted the coasts and
even swam into rivers.

The word "shark" likely entered the English language after a British pirate spoke of man-eating
demon fish off the Yucatan coast, creatures which had devoured most of his crew after their fleet
was attacked by Spanish forces. The local Mayan Indians called these monsters "xoc."
(Monterey Bay Aquariam website)

Ampullae of Lorenzini - These small pits in the head detect electricity. The shark has the greatest
electricity sensitivity known in all animals. This sense is used to find prey hidden in sand in
bottom feeding sharks, by detecting the nerve impulses. It is this sense that sometimes confuses a
shark into attacking a boat, when the metal interacts with the salt water.

Sharks generally reach sexual maturity slowly and produce very few offspring in comparison to
other fishes that are harvested. This has caused concern among biologists regarding the increase
in effort applied to catching sharks over time, and many species are considered to be threatened.
Sharks figure prominently in the Hawaiian mythology…They could change form between shark
and human at any time desired, and for any length. A common theme in the stories was that the
shark men would warn beach goers that sharks were in the waters. The beach goers would laugh
and ignore the warnings and go swimming, subsequently being eaten by the same shark man who
warned them not to enter the water.

Hawaiian mythology also contained many shark gods. They believed that sharks were guardians
of the sea, and called them Aumakua. In other Pacific Ocean cultures, Dakuwanga was a shark
god who was the eater of lost souls. In ancient Greece, shark flesh was forbidden to be eaten at
women's festivals. In Greek mythology, Cerberus saved Delia from the stomach of a shark, fell
in love with her and became her protector.