Round the Herne

 No, this is not a commentary of the cheesy 2009 movie but my telling of the myth that may possibly have inspired the scriptwriters of that creature feature. The islands of Fiji have many ancient myths including the tale of how the shark deity Dakuwaqa clashed with the octopus deity Rokobakaniceva. I have come across two slightly differing versions of this account, one which favours the shark as the more heroic of the two and one which puts the octopus in the better light. I suspect (though have insufficient knowledge of Fijian religion to say with any certainty) that the two versions may originate from tow different islands - one where the devotees of Dakuwaqa live and the other where the followers of Rokobakaniceva dwell. in matters of faith, human worshippers often take on the function of a Public Relations team promoting their favoured divinity. Whilst I am being flippant, the impact of loyalty and inter-tribal politics has a significant role to play in the recording of mythology.

 This short story by E F Benson first appeared in 1922 and details a man's childhood recollections and more recent experiences in an isolated Cornish village, where something horrible lurks in the darkness. Apparently this tale was well regarded by the American horror writer H P Lovecraft - for obvious reasons, given the echoes this tale has with that of the New England cosmic horrors. The photograph is a Fendahleen, a creature that appeared in an episode of Dr Who from the 1970s (and scared the life out of me back then). I have no idea if the special effects people responsible for designing the monster costume had read Benson's short story, but the look of the alien horror that Tom Baker did battle with does seem to fit very well with the "pestilence that walketh in the darkness". In other news, thanks all the Gods that the barber shops have reopened!