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The Rookan Fantôme (commonly shortened to The Rookan and alternatively spelled Requin) is the name given by Cajun people to a legendary shark believed to inhabit North America's fresh and brackish water systems such as the Mississippi River, bayous, and swamps. The Rookan is described as an extremely large and dangerous shark creature resembling a Bull Shark yet unlike the Bull shark has been reported to grow 14ft or larger.

Various Descriptions

The stories and descriptions of The Rookan vary significantly and liberty with details have been acknowledged as the legend shark has evolved over time in Louisiana folklore.

Most classically, the Rookan is described in reports as a shark at least 12-14 ft in length with abnormally large jaws and an elongated dorsal fin demonstrating extreme aggression and territorial behavior. The skin of the shark is supposedly tougher than most shark species however there have been no documented captures.

Other variations have been used to describe the Rookan including a creature that has skin and teeth resembling an alligator yet maintains the shape of a shark. Despite the diversity, all variations are thought to be connected to the francophone culture's word for shark, Requin derived from Requiem (also known as Mass for the Dead), so named that if a man enters the water with this shark, his friends must start the soon to be dead man's mass. (Also see Requiem shark )

Although many stories include fantastical features of the Rookan many reports align with the physiological and physical description of a large Bull Shark. However, some people argue that due to its larger than normal size and extremely violent attacks the Rookan may be a different species or others argue a rare variation of a Bull Shark.

Origins

Louisiana Folklore

Unfamiliar to most, The Rookan is a legend from French Cajun culture originating in Southern Louisiana. The date of the first stories of the Rookan are unknown yet the legend as people know it today has been passed down for many generations.

According to Louisiana folklore, the Rookan prefers the muddy waters of the Mississippi River and has developed a diet of freshwater fish, snakes, dogs, alligator, hog, and humans. People claim that the Rookan shark creature prefers to eat humans and will devour them whole if they are in the presence of the Rookan. Stories include The Rookan knocking fishermen out of boats, eating pets, and even eating through wooden docks. Similar to the Cajun legend of the Rougarou, many suggest stories are told to children to scare them into behaving. Others argue The Rookan was created as a compilation of many century old Cajun fishing tales.

Additional Origins

Other people have suggested the legend of the Rookan originated after "two commercial fishermen from Alton, Herbert Cope and Dudge Collins, caught a bull shark in 1937. They found something troubling their wood and mesh traps late that summer. Concluding that it was a fish, they built a strong wire trap and baited it with chicken guts. The next morning, they caught a 5 foot 84- pound shark". ^6 Although the incident did not happen in Louisiana, public confirmation of sharks in the Mississippi River led to many tales and stories in the times mass media.

Distribution

Many species of sharks have been commonly captured and fished in high volumes at the Mouth of the Mississippi because of the high salt water content. The Rookan is distinguished from these sharks though as its reported distribution is relatively very North and embedded into the waterways of the Mississippi River.

Scientific View

Scientist typically refute the existence of the killer Rookan as there have been no documented fatal shark attacks in the United State's freshwater systems. However scientists and academics suggest the folklore could have originated from anecdotes about an extremely large Bull Shark. Bull sharks have been well documented to tolerate and thrive in fresh and brackish water. They have been found as far North as Illonois in the Mississippi River and although the Bull Shark movement and reasoning for low salt tolerability requires more study, globally Bull sharks have been documented to fatally attack people, pets, boats, and other artificial devices in brackish and fresh water. 3 / 7