Starfishman Mythology

There are a handful of global myths about starfish. Although not a real myth from human history, Kino’s mother tells him a story about how the stars in the sky were so entranced by the beauty of the shining blue ocean they came too close and were caught in the water and sank, never to return to the skies ever again.

Aboriginal Australia
An aboriginal Australian fable retold by the Welsh school headmaster William Jenkyn Thomas (1870–1959) tells how some animals needed a canoe to cross the ocean. Whale had one but refused to lend it, so Starfish kept him busy, telling him stories and grooming him to remove parasites, while the others stole the canoe. When Whale realized the trick he beat Starfish ragged, which is how Starfish still is today.

Ancient Greece
There is a Greek myth about a poor young fisherman who prays to Poseidon to help him win the heart of a beautiful woman from his village. Poseidon grants him his wish, and when the girl approaches him on the beach, the fisherman opens his hands and thousands of shining starfish fly out. This captivates the woman and she falls in love with him.