The harbringer of death

Possibly because of their aspect, aggressivity or because they damage fishing tools and eat all the other preys, making of them a poor bargain when captured, Dragon-eels have a negative reputation among fishermens and mariners of the Saynué

In the folklore

Among sea people of the Saynué, Dragon-eels have fame as a ill-omen that prophesies the death of those who see them. For this reason, people tend to stay away from the area that represent a good habitat for the species. One notable exception is represented by the Cyanor collectors that have to search for it in areas where dragon-eels often thrive and affecting the price of this precious material.

Origins

The origin of this popular belief is lost in time, however certainly it was already popular in the 1100CM because a code from around that time mentioned a sea-folk tale about a witty fishermen that after seeing a dragon-eel manages to outsmart the embodiment of death that came to take him to Dagda for judgement.

Day life implications

Meeting a dragon-eel it is indeed bad luck because if caught in a net or a fish trap they are likely first to eat any other fish caught together with them, secondly to tear a hole in it. If pulled overboard, it is likely to fight viciously to regain freedom. Left alone the steam jet that it can produce from the mouth, its bite is sufficient to mutilate an inexpert fishermen. And probably, the belief has originated from the large number of casualties due to this species