The Apotamkin is a Native American mythological sea creature. Pronounced ah-boo-dahm-kin, the sea monster lurks along the coast of Passamaquoddy Bay near the mouth of the St. Croix River between Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick. According to the Maliseet and Passamaquoddy legends, this mythological sea monster is said to cast spells on Native Americans who stroll along the beach as well as drag unsuspecting people, especially young children, into the water and devour them.
This myth may have served the purpose of teaching children the importance of obedience. The Apotamkin was said to have a “huge appetite” for “children who misbehave.” Such stories would have compelled fearful children not to venture to unknown areas without their parents (Krensky 2007, 20).
The name Apotamkin has a myriad of alternate spellings: Aputamkon, Appodumken, Appod’mk’n, Apodumken, Abbodumken, Apotampkin, Apotumk’n, Aboo-dom-k’n, Apotamkon, Apoatamkin, Aboumk’n. They all refer to the same mythical sea creature in the Northeastern United States. There are many different descriptions of this mythological monster. Some claim that the Apotamkin is a red-haired humanoid with large, sharp teeth used to consume young children and other innocent passersby. Others claim that the Apotamkin has long, red hair and the body of a fish. In fact, the Journal of American Folklore (1888) claims that the Apotamkin “corresponds to our idea of a mermaid, if we have any” (229–230). The reddish tinted hair tends to be the most common feature of the Apotamkin in Passamaquoddy Bay. Also, many believe the Apotamkin was once a human woman who was transformed into a large sea serpent.
Although the myth involves savage deaths and a malevolent beast, the Native American mythical sea monster functions as a nursery fable, a benevolent bogeyman cautioning children not to wander too far from their parents, especially on the beaches and in the ice during the wintertime (Rose 2001, 24). Additionally, the Passamaquoddy tribe believes that the Apotamkin is a useful monster, as it prevents accidental injury or even death among their children. It “protect[s] children from falling through weak ice and other disasters” (Malinowski 1998, 225).
However, there has been a misunderstanding of the true Apotamkin myth in the past decade. Due to the popularity of the Twilight novel series by Stephenie Meyer and the subsequent Twilight movies, non–Native Americans have come to view an Apotamkin as a vampire, since Meyer used the term in her book. Nonetheless, Meyer is not incorrect. Meyer’s view is based on the tales of tribes of the Pacific Northwest—where the Twilight series is set—rather than the Northeastern United States. Although Meyer’s creature is not a sea monster, the Pacific Northwestern legend is very similar in that it serves as a precautionary tale to children, warning them that the beast will snatch those who go too far into the forest.
There are a few differences between the two myths, however. The major difference is that the Apotamkin of the Pacific Northwest is a tall, apelike creature with orange-brown hair covering the whole body. They say the cry of the Apotamkin in the Pacific Northwest can “cause a heart to freeze” and seeing one will make you have a “heart attack or stroke” (Maberry 2006, 19).
Kevin Hawk
See also Big Water Snake of the Blackfoot; Chessie; Hudson River Monster; Igopogo; Ogopogo; Sharlie/Slimy Slim; Whitey
Further Reading
Krensky, Stephen. 2007. The Bogeyman. Minneapolis: Lerner.
Maberry, Jonathan. 2006. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us. New York: Kensington.
Malinowski, Sharon, ed. 1998. The Gale Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes: Northeast, Southeast, and Caribbean. Vol. 1. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale.
Rose, Carol. 2001. Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth. New York: W. W. Norton.