Abaia
Abaia is a huge, magical eel in Melanesian mythology. It is an eel that is said to dwell at the bottom of freshwater lakes in the Solomon, Fiji, and Vanuatu Islands. It is said that this eel considers all of the creatures within the lakes its children and guards them furiously from anyone who means to harm them. Legend has it that anyone who dares to try to fish from a lake containing this mythical creature will be immediately overwhelmed by a tidal wave caused by its powerful tail. Another version of this legend states that instead of a tidal wave, the magical eel will cause a great rain storm, flooding the land and drowning those who have tried to cause harm to the lake’s creatures.
It has been suggested that the legend of Abaia had been formed from encounters with an undiscovered species of eel living at the bottom of these lakes.
