The world is full of people who believe in mythical creatures.  Those of Melanasia, or more specifically the Solomon Islands, are no different.  One of these creatures is the Adaro.  The Adaro and the Aunga are believed to be the two parts of persons soul or spirit.  When death occurs, the Aunga, or the good and gracious part of the person moves on.  The malevolent part, Adaro becomes a spirit. 

Adaro are half man and half fish.  They have the body of man, gills behind their ears, tail fins for feet, a horn shaped like a sharks dorsal fin, and a sword fish or sawfish-like spear growing from its head.  Not only is the Adaro described differently than any of the many other mermaid-merman strories, they also behave differently.  Most stories of mermaids are ones where they are helpful and good natured.  Those of the Adaro tale of a creature dangerous to humans.  They are known to shoot flying poisonous fish.  These fish can cause unconsiousness and occasionally, even death.

It is told that the Adaro live in the sun.  They travel to and from earth during sun showers, using the rainbows.  While on earth they travel from place to place on waterspouts.

Jane Reture has a web page http://www.janeresture.com/melanesia_myths/solomons.htm dealing with several of the creatures from Melanasian mythology. About halfway down the page there is a picture of a wood carving of the Adaro. The carving was taken from San Cristobol in the Solomon Islands.

If you are truly interested in mythology, then a visit to http://www.pibburns.com is a must. This web site states the differences between mythology, folklore, and legend. There are also several links that cover a varied assortment of myths and legends.

There are people who study and search for creatures whose existance has not be substantiated.  These cryptozoologists try to find evidence to prove or disprove that many of the creatures we refer to as myths, such as the Yeti, or Big Foot, or even mermaids, are real.  Although many scientists don’t beleive in the study of cryptozoology, there are a handful that search diligently for the “hidden animal”.  Portland, Maine is home of The International Cryptozoology Museum.  Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman has a link to the museum on her webpage, along with some other interesting reading material. www.lorencoleman.com