Shony was a death bringing demon who reigned in the waters of the North Sea in the folklore of the ancient Scottish fishermen.
Appearance
Although this creature was not commonly seen, Shony appeared as a man of large stature, a thick shag of hair covering his head, and a ridge of fins adorning his spine.
Behavior
Shony was greatly dreaded by all those who had any dealings with the sea, be it fishermen or sailors on trade vessels. When seamen fell overboard, no one tried to save them for it was believed that Shony 'maun hae its nummer,' that is Shony must have his annual quota of souls. He kept them imprisoned in his castle made of jagged coral on the ocean floor. If by chance a drowning man was given help, Shony would take the rescuer's life and leave the drowning person to die on his own.
Yearly sacrifices were made to Shony. These consisted of selecting a person from the crew, slitting his throat and throwing the body overboard. Viking shipbuilders reddened the keels of their boats by binding a victim on the logs upon which the boat was rolled to the water. They hoped that Shony would be appeased by the sight.
Shellycoat
In later times, Shony was given the new name of Shellycoat, and he was sighted mainly off the east coast of Scotland. He seemed by this time to have taken on a less crude nature and became more of a prankster, mimicking the shrieks of a drowning man. When anybody swam out to save him, he burst into gales of laughter and dove underwater. Sir Walter Scott wrote that when Shellycoat appeared on the shore
'he seemed to be decked with marine productions and, in particular, with shells whose clattering announced his approach. From this circumstance he derived his name.'