Peix Nicolau

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The Peix Nicolau (fish Nicolau) is a creature that, just like mermaids, is half man, half fish. The different legends and tales of the Mediterranean contain diverse stories about enchantments and marine mysteries.

Colapesce[]

The legend of Colapesce (or Pesce-Cola, i.e. "Fish-Nicholas") is recorded in late medieval Italian chronicles. It is a legend or folktale of the "diver recovers artefact" type, loosely related to Romance folklore of the Melusine family.

In the legend, a boy, Cola (Nicholas), insults his mother, who puts a curse on him forcing him to live in the water like a fish. He appears to fishermen and warns them of upcoming storms, and also informs them of the marvels found at the bottom of the sea. He is interviewed by emperor Frederick II. In order to test his abilities, the emperor drops a golden cup into the sea, asking Cola to retrieve it. Refusing at first, Cola finally attempts the dive and is never seen again.

The legend is set in Messina, and was recorded there by priests, and it spread to Barcelona when the Kingdom of Sicily was under the Crown of Aragon. It was first printed there, in a chapbook dated c. 1600. In this version, Pesce-Cola is a hybrid creature, half man, half fish.^[1]

The Rondalles Mallorquines version[]

Nicolau was a boy that always wanted to soak himself in the sea. His mother, tired of this, one day said a curse, which changed him from the waist down. The sea brought on Tresco every corner, which allowed him to create the letters to navigate. But he had never toiled the between Santa Margarita and Arta and although it was dangerous, he wanted to go and unfortunately was drowned. The story states the danger of this site, where a being so skillful in the matters of sea life was still strained.

More or less he is king of the water and of all who live there. He lives in the land that bathes the sea, and has a glimpsed ominous sign. He should be viewed, not caught and especially not more or you can not avoid the misfortune. According to the source, he is a single individual or an entire species.

Other versions[]

Legend has it that the fish Nicolau was originally a small child that was very fond of the water. The child's family lived in a coastal town and spent the day swimming in the sea. He cursed himself to become a fish after becoming tired of being prevented by his mother to play in the water. And in the end, tired all the disadvantages of living on earth waist fish-instead of walking and had to crawl like fish, not to spoil it had to be in – Stay to live to the sea where it still is.

Every March he comes out of his lair to see if there is any new land since last year, so he can go for a walk and once he sees what he wants, he goes back to his palace under water.

References[]

Sources[]

• "El peix Nicolau" (paper). Revista Sàpiens. Sàpiens Publicacions [Barcelona], núm.131, Juliol 2013, p. 14.ISSN 1695-2014.

External links[]

• "Sicily's Legend Of Colapesce". Experience Sicily. 18 August 2019.
• "The myth of Colapesce: the third column of Sicily". Sicily Uncovered. 28 August 2015.