Tradition / Region: Roman Mythology, Medieval European Mythology
Category: Fish, Swordfish
The Myth
The Trebius Niger, or Black Trebius, is a strange and powerful fish known for defying the natural order of the sea. Though small—only about a foot long—it possesses abilities far beyond its size.
The Trebius can halt ships upon the water, clinging to their hulls and robbing them of all movement. Even the strongest vessel, once touched by it, becomes helpless, as if the sea itself has turned solid beneath it. Sailors fear its presence, for no oar or sail can overcome its grip.
The fish is said to change color with the seasons, turning black in summer and white in winter, marking the passage of time as clearly as the sky or the tides.
Most wondrous of all is its power over gold. If a Trebius is preserved in salt, even a small piece of it can be lowered into a deep well and will draw lost gold upward, as though the metal itself longs to return to the surface. For this reason, the fish is both coveted and dangerous, tempting the greedy while punishing the careless.
Unlike other fish, the Trebius does not scatter its eggs in water. Instead, it builds a nest, carefully constructing it before laying its eggs within. Some tales say it gathers seaweed for this purpose; others describe nests found in impossible places, even above the water, defying all expectation.
Later legends add that the Trebius is armed, bearing a sharp beak or pointed snout with which it can pierce ships, sinking them outright despite its small size. In some depictions it appears almost monstrous, with clawed feet, a bearded face, and a strange intelligence in its eyes.
Thus the Trebius Niger is remembered as a creature born of the sea but not bound by its rules:
a fish that stops ships, commands gold, builds nests like a bird, and carries ruin far greater than its form suggests.
Gallery
Sources
A Book of Creatures contributors. (n.d.). Trebius. In A Book of Creatures, from https://abookofcreatures.com/2020/05/15/trebius/
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive
Other
- How to Invite The Trebius Niger