Ever since I was a young boy I have always been fascinated with sharks and how cultures around the world view them. While visiting Florida back in 2007 I was lucky enough to purchase a shark tooth necklace from a local shop where had been put together just earlier that day. After this I became much more interested in how significant the tooth of a shark is in other cultures. What I found was rather fascinating to say the least.
During my Searches I found an article titled Symbolic Meaning of Shark Tooth Necklace which briefly discussed what the Shark Tooth represents in the local culture of the Hawaiian islands. In the islands it is seen as a symbol of protection for whoever wears one, it is also very important to the religious aspects of the ancient Hawaiians as sharks are viewed as the physical manifestations of their gods and goddesses. Sadly, most people who purchase these necklaces are usually unaware of how important the shark teeth are to the local culture and buy just so they can say they have a shark tooth necklace. Despite this, I find it interesting with several recent shark attacks in Hawaii none of the people attacked were professional surfers who normally wear the shark tooth necklaces. It seems that there may be some validity to the legends that the necklaces protect wearers from danger.
Is there a cultural object that you find interesting, then feel free to leave your own story and let me know what you find interesting about it.
Photo Credit: Indian Village Mall.com
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