Raijin: Raijin was created by the divine pair Izanami and Izanagi after the creation of Japan. There is a legend which says the eight lightning gods were charged with protection of the Dharma by the Buddha. Depicted as a muscled man carrying a series of drums, which he uses to make the rumbling sound of thunder.
Davy Jones: Davy Jones is not a pirate legend, it is a sailor’s legend. It’s important to note that in legend Davy Jones is not the Captain of the Flying Dutchman. The name is best known in the expression ‘Davy Jones’s locker,’ meaning the bottom of the sea, to which drowned sailors go. And that he would Perch among the rigging on the eve of hurricanes:, ship-wrecks, and other disasters to which sea-faring life is exposed, warning the devoted wretch of death and woe. The story of Davy Jones is a combination of many different legends that were blended together from various different cultures. Some say he was a pub owner in London and others say in Wales, who would pull out drugged rum from a locker and give it to unsuspecting sailors who would then pass out and wake up on a pirate ship. It is also said that Davy is a compromise of the word “duppy” which is a West Indian term for a malevolent spirit that would cause harm.
The Flying Dutchman: The true legend of the Flying Dutchman takes place off the coast of Cape Town. A captain named Van Der Deckon set sail after unloading all of his cargo, though his crew begged him not to. He sailed straight into a hurricane; the weather was so horrible that he had to leash himself to the helm to prevent him from being swept over board. In the midst of the storm he called out “God cannot even make me change my mind!” and swore that he would sail on until he reached the end of the earth. Shortly after he said these words a ghost appeared on the ship, and the crew dropped dead and when the captain tried to shoot this figure his arm withered. The ship went red in color and disappeared. It is said that it still sails the waters.
In the 14th century, the chance of salvation was introduced through a woman’s devotion and the opportunity to set foot on land every seven years to seek a faithful wife.
Neptune: Roman god of the sea. Jupiter took the sky, Neptune the sea and Pluto the underworld. One day Neptune saw the water nymph Amphitrite dancing in the island of Naxos and fell in love with her. Had many sons, one named Triton. Tempests and earthquakes were a reflection of his furious rage. Neptune was considered to be the bad-tempered, moody god. Once insulted, he would revenge himself.
Euryale: She is the second eldest of the three Gorgon sisters, her and her sisters possess brass hands, sharp fangs, and hair of living, venomous snakes. She and Stheno are immortal In some versions of mythology, Euryale also had the ability to turn anyone to stone with her gaze Euryale is noted for her bellowing cries. She is known for her eyes that hold such beauty, that a mortal man caught who looked into them would be caught in their beauty and trapped forever.
Triton: A mythological Greek God, the messenger of the sea. He is the son of Poseidon (Neptune)and Amphitrite God and goddess of the sea respectively, and is herald for his father. He is usually represented as a merman, having the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish. Like his father, he carries a trident. Triton’s special attribute was a twisted conch shell, on which he blew like a trumpet to calm or raise the waves.
Stheno: The eldest of the three Gorgon sister, she killed more men than both her others sisters combined. The sisters are
the daughter of Phorcys and Ceto they were born in the caverns beneath Mt. Olympus. She is known to be the most independent and ferocious, having killed more men than both of her sisters combined. Transformed into a Gorgon because of standing with her sister Medusa. Stheno tends to be depicted as a thin gorgon monster with red snakes curling around her head instead of hair. She had a temper that was said to be extremely violent
Medusa: The youngest and only mortal of the three sisters. A once beautiful woman who was either raped or seduced by the sea god Posiedon in the Temple of Athena. Athena was furious with Medusa. As a punishment, Medusa was changed into a terrible monster, along with her sisters Stheno and Euryale. Gazing directly into her eyes would turn onlookers to stone. Seeing herself thus transformed into so repulsive an object, Medusa fled from her home, never to return. Wandering about, abhorred, dreaded, and shunned by all the world, she now developed into a character, worthy of her outward appearance. Her name translates to “ruler”
Toyotama-hime: Her name mean “luminous jewel” also known as Otohime. She is the Japanese goddess of the sea daughter of Ryujin. She helped a hunter find his hook, and he found love with Toyotama-hime and they were married. Her husband began to long to return to the surface world. She was pregnant with his child and consented, so long as he would promise not to watch when she gave birth. He agreed and built a house for them to live in, and at the time of the birth, his curiosity got the better of him and he looked. He saw a huge black dragon holding a tiny baby. Toyotama-hime, who had changed to her dragon form of to give birth, was ashamed, and she left him and the baby and returned to the sea.
*By elizabethober
