The Sacred Eels of Waii

Rod Klein · Issue 49, Jul/Aug 2009 · pp. 64–65

as well as being the local swimming hole for the village children. The stream is an L-shaped channel and just a meter deep until the end, where it turns into a kind of cul-de-sac. There is a large tree at this end and some benches where people gather. At this point the stream bed becomes about three meters deep. This part of the stream is the home to a large number of fresh water eels similar in size and shape to salt water conger eels. These are said to be sacred and are under the watchful care of the village patriarch, Maggnus. 61 years old with short white hair and a few missing teeth that become obvious when he smiles, Maggnus has adopted these eels and feeds them every day with raw eggs. He claims that there are hundreds of eels in this area of the stream and as soon as he steps into the shallow area adjacent to the eels’ domain, several of the bigger residents swim out to greet him…