The Fisherman Who Married a Shark-Woman

A young fisherman fell in love with a beautiful woman he would see swimming by the shore. He married her, and she was a wonderful wife, but she had one rule: he must never say the word "shark" in their house. One day, the fisherman had a bad day at sea and came home angry and frustrated. His wife had prepared a meal, but he was angry that it wasn't the kind of fish he liked. In his rage, he forgot his promise and shouted, "Do you take me for a fool? This is not a proper meal! What do you know of fish, you child of a Shark!" As soon as the word was spoken, his beautiful wife began to transform. Her skin became grey and rough, and she grew a great fin on her back. She was a shark-spirit (pepo). With a sorrowful look, she walked out of the house, returned to the sea, and never came back. The fisherman had lost his magical wife forever because he broke a sacred taboo in a moment of anger.