Nanaue is the name of a shark man in Hawaiian Mythology. He was the son of the shark king and a Hawaiian maiden named.
Myths & Legends[]
Nanaue was born on a very dark night in Waipio Valley, the son of Kamohoalii, the shark king, and Kalei, a Waipio Valley maiden. The shark king warned Kalei not to let Nanaue eat meat and it was not too long before Kalei noticed that he had a gaping fish mouth on his back. As Nanaue grew up, his deformity was kept secret.
One day, Kalei let Nanaue eat meat, and he had a sudden taste for flesh. He began to eat people while they swam near the shores of the sea. The townspeople noticed that Nanaue wasn't eaten even after being in the sea and they became suspicious. Not too long later, they found that he was the shark, but before they could kill him he escaped.
He got to the island of Maui, and married a chiefess. Even though he tried to resist temptation, his thirst for blood got to best of him and he devoured a young maiden in plain sight. Before they could kill him he escaped to another island called Moloka’i, hiding his identity.
Meanwhile, the stories of a shark man has began to spread among the islands. One day, the people saw him shape shift and beat him with clubs until he was dead.
Appearance[]
He originally was a normal looking young man, but with the gaping mouth of a shark on his back. Later, it seems he acquired more shark characteristics. In other stories, he is also able to shape-shift into a shark.
Modern Depictions[]
Films & Animations[]
- In The Haunting Hour series, he is referred to in Season 1, Episode 18 "Pool Shark"
- He appears as a central character in the 2021 film The Suicide Squad, based on the DC universe comics.
Comics[]
- He appears as a villain known as "King Shark" in the DC universe.
