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Cola Pesce, also known as Pesce Cola (i.e., "Nicholas Fish") is an Italian folktale about a merman, mentioned in literature as early as the 12th century. Many variants and retellings have been recorded.[1]

Early literature

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The first known literary mention was by a 12th-century poet, Raimon Jordon of Provencal, who was referred to a "Nichola de Bar" (Nicholas of Bari) who lived with the fishes.[2]

Walter Map recorded a story of "Nicholas Pipe," who appeared like a normal human but had the ability to live under the sea for long periods of time, and would warn ships of storms. King William of Sicily commanded that he be brought to him, but Nicholas Pipe could not live away from the ocean and died when he was captured.[3]

Gervase of Tilbury's version told of Nicholas Papa of Apulia, a skilled sailor who was sent by King Roger of Sicily to explore the bottom of the ocean, and reported seeing trees, valleys and mountains underwater.[4]

Folk versions

[edit]

In a version from Palermo, edited by Italo Calvino, Nick Fish spends all of his time swimming, until his frustrated mother curses him to turn into a fish. He instantly becomes half fish, with duck feet and a frog's throat. He appears to fishermen and warns them of upcoming storms, and also informs them of the marvels found at the bottom of the sea. A king hears of him and summons him, then gives him orders to swim around the island and explore the bottom of the ocean. The king sends him down on numerous dives around Italy. Nick Fish discovers that Messina rests on three columns, some of which are broken, and brings back hot and fresh water from springs in the ocean around Naples. Finally the king urges Nick Fish to explore a bottomless ocean chasm, despite his resistance. He throws his crown into the chasm and orders him to fetch it. Nick Fish reluctantly dives in. Some lentils he was carrying float to the surface, but he never returns.[5]

In another version, a boy named Cola or Nicholas is cursed by his mother to live in the water like a fish. He is interviewed by emperor Frederick II. In order to test his abilities, the emperor drops a golden cup into the sea, asking Cola to retrieve it. Refusing at first, Cola finally attempts the dive and is never seen again. This version is set in Messina, and was recorded there by priests; it spread to Barcelona when the Kingdom of Sicily was under the Crown of Aragon. It was first printed there, in a chapbook dated c. 1600.[6]

Mallorca

[edit]

In Mallorcan, the character is known as Peix Nicolau. Antoni Maria Alcover i Sureda collected several versions. The story has a similar beginning with Nicolau's love for the water and his mother's curse. After becoming a merman, Nicolau explores the sea and eventually wishes to swim the dangerous Saluet between Santa Margarita and Arta, but drowns in the crossing. In other versions, he is sometimes referred to as the king of the sea. Every March he returns briefly to the land to speak to sailors and see what has changed. In contrasting variants, catching sight of him was considered a bad omen; he would summon storms, and looking at his salt-reddened eyes could turn a sailor's hair white.[7][8]

Analysis

[edit]

In 1904, Giuseppe Pitrè published an in-depth study of the tale, finding it to be a popular and well-known tale across Italy and Spain. Different versions of the tale were set in different areas, named different historical kings, and had the king order Cola Pesce to retrieve a cup, ring or crown. In some places in Italy, Nicholas's name was used as a bogeyman to frighten children. There were also stories of a dugong named Nicola. The fish-man of Liérganes, another tale of a man who liked to swim and became part fish, may be comparable.

Pitrè compared other tales of retrieving a king's trinket from the water, including a tale recorded by Pausanias of Theseus retrieving King Minos's ring. Pitrè theorized that the tale was developed from legends of Saint Nicholas of Bari, patron saint of mariners, who was described in many legends as calming storms and aiding sailors. Older inspiration may have come from sea gods like Neptune and folkloric water creatures like the Neck, Nökke or Nykur.[2]

Tale type

[edit]

In his 1961 revision of the international folktale index, American folklorist Stith Thompson grouped this cycle of stories, in the then Aarne-Thompson Index (henceforth, AT/AaTh), as tale type AT 434*, "The Diver and the Princess" and located variants only in Estonia.[9] However, German folklorist Hans-Jörg Uther, in his 2004 revision, reformulated it as type ATU 434*, "The Diver (Cola Pesce)", of the Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index, and singled out the previous Estonian variants as its own oikotype.[10]

According to Estonian scholarship, tale type ATU 434* is known in Estonia as Sukelduja ning kuningatütar ("The Diver and the Princess").[11]

[edit]
  • Friedrich Schiller's 1797 ballad "Der Taucher" ("The Diver") has been pointed out as a possible adaptation of this legend due to its strong similarities.[2] However, Schiller was evidently unfamiliar with the name, perhaps indicating that he had heard a version where the main character was unnamed.[12]
  • Conrad Ferdinand Meyer wrote a sonnet titled "Nicola Pesce", first published in 1882.
  • Robert D. San Souci’s 1997 picture book Nicholas Pipe is based on Walter Map’s version of the story. In the picture book, Nicholas Pipe is a merman who falls in love with a human woman, and she restores him to life with her tears.

See also

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References

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Sources

[edit]
  • "El peix Nicolau" (paper). Revista Sàpiens. Sàpiens Publicacions [Barcelona], núm.131, Juliol 2013, p. 14.ISSN 1695-2014.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Cola Pesce

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Cola Pesce, also known as Pesce Cola or Nicholas Fish, is a central figure in , portrayed as a or exceptional swimmer who embodies the island's profound connection to the sea. The legend recounts the story of a young boy from or , nicknamed for his fish-like affinity for water, who is transformed into a half-human, half-fish creature—often due to a maternal after defying warnings to avoid the depths. Tasked by Frederick II of in the 13th century to explore the ocean floor, Cola discovers that Sicily rests on three marble columns, one of which is crumbling, threatening to submerge the island; in a heroic sacrifice, he takes its place, holding it aloft eternally while occasionally surfacing to report on underwater marvels. This tale, symbolizing resilience, devotion to homeland, and the perils of the Mediterranean, exists in numerous oral and literary variations across . The origins of the Cola Pesce trace back to medieval , with the earliest known attestations appearing in the 12th century, predating its association with Frederick II and evolving from broader Mediterranean myths of sea heroes and divine supporters of landmasses. Folklorist Pitrè documented at least 17 versions in his 19th-century collections, drawing from oral traditions in and , where the story served as a foundation myth explaining Sicily's geological stability amid seismic activity. Later adaptations, such as those by in Fiabe italiane (1956), emphasize themes of curiosity and punishment, while Leonardo Sciascia's interpretations highlight environmental and cultural ties to the sea. The narrative influenced European literature, inspiring works like Friedrich Schiller's "Der Taucher" (The Diver), and persists in modern Sicilian culture through statues, festivals, and , underscoring the island's identity as a maritime crossroads. In scholarly analyses, the legend reflects medieval free-diving professions and hagiographic elements linked to , patron of sailors, blending pagan and Christian motifs.

The Legend

Core Narrative

The legend of Cola Pesce revolves around Nicola, known as , a fisherman's son from whose fascination with the sea defined his youth. From an early age, Cola spent his days swimming and diving in the turbulent waters of the , often staying submerged for hours and emerging with treasures from the depths, such as colorful corals or rare shells. His mother, exasperated by his obsession and neglect of his duties on land, cursed him in a moment of , declaring that if he loved the sea so much, he should become a fish and live there forever. The curse mysteriously took hold, granting Cola the ability to breathe underwater and transforming him into a half-human, half-fish being, forever known as Cola Pesce. Word of Cola's extraordinary abilities reached King Frederick II of , a ruler renowned for his intellectual curiosity and scientific inquiries. Intrigued, the king summoned Cola to his court in and tested him by tossing a golden cup into the churning waters of the . Cola dove in effortlessly, navigating the dangerous currents and whirlpools, and returned triumphant with the cup intact. Emboldened by this feat, the king pressed Cola to describe what lay beneath the waves. Cola explained that he had discovered rested upon three colossal marble columns at the sea floor: the first stood firm and unblemished, the second bore deep cracks but remained stable, and the third lay shattered, endangering the entire island's foundation. Doubting the tale, King Frederick II demanded concrete evidence and ordered Cola to dive once more, this time armed with a and to record his findings. Cola descended into , confirming the precarious state of the columns, where a mysterious licked at the base of the intact one, threatening further collapse. Realizing the imminent peril to , he inscribed a urgent message on the slate: the broken column could no longer support the island alone, and without intervention, the land would sink into the . Entrusting the slate to a loyal companion fish, Cola sent it surfacing to the king while he positioned himself beneath the fractured pillar, using his strength to hold it aloft and avert disaster. He never resurfaced, dooming himself to an eternal vigil in the depths. Rooted in the dramatic landscape of the , the legend ties Cola's sacrifice to local phenomena, such as the violent whirlpools of and , which are said to arise from his unending struggle against the crumbling column. This narrative encapsulates the people's deep connection , portraying it as both a perilous force and a vital sustainer of their world.

Key Motifs and Symbolism

The motif of the transformation in the Cola Pesce legend underscores humanity's intrinsic bond with world, particularly the , portraying it as a realm of both irresistible allure and inherent peril. Cursed to become half-fish, the embodies a liminal existence between human curiosity and aquatic instinct, symbolizing the tension between terrestrial life and the mysterious depths that have long defined Sicilian coastal identity. This dual nature reflects broader themes of as a consequence of excessive passion or transgression, where the grants extraordinary abilities while exacting a permanent cost. Central to the legend is the symbolism of the three columns supporting , which serve as a cosmological emblem of the island's fragile equilibrium amid forces. These pillars represent the foundational stability of the order, with the intact columns evoking resilience and the broken one signifying vulnerability to cataclysmic events such as earthquakes and volcanic activity, deeply resonant in 's seismically active landscape. The protagonist's role in propping up the failing column transforms personal sacrifice into a mythic act of communal preservation, akin to archetypal figures bearing cosmic burdens. The maternal motif introduces a poignant conflict between familial bonds and heroic destiny, where the mother's dooms her son to aquatic , yet his ensuing feats elevate filial into selfless for the greater . This tension highlights themes of parental clashing with individual agency, ultimately resolved through the hero's redemptive that transcends personal loss for societal salvation. Underwater exploration and retrieval quests in the tale function as metaphors for the pursuit of concealed wisdom and submerged treasures, with dives for lost artifacts like goblets or rings symbolizing the revelation of esoteric hidden beneath the surface of reality. These episodes evoke rites of and divine proof, paralleling ancient myths where submersion yields transformative insights at the risk of eternal entrapment.

Historical and Literary Origins

Medieval Accounts

The earliest recorded reference to a figure resembling Cola Pesce appears in the work of the troubadour Raimon Jordan (fl. c. 1178–1195), in his poem where he compares his unquenchable desire to that of "Nichola de Bar," a man who lived among the sea's for an extended period, aware that surfacing to land would mean his death. The original Occitan text evokes this aquatic existence: "Aitai astr'ai cum Nichola de Bar, / que si visques lone temps savis hom fora / qu'estet lone temps mest los peixcos e mar / e sabia quei morria qualqu'ora," portraying Nichola as a wise yet doomed inhabitant of the deep, tied irrevocably to the sea. A more detailed narrative emerges in the (c. 1180s) by , an English courtier, who describes "Nicholas Pipe" as a dwelling in waters, capable of surviving submerged for months or even a year without surfacing, and known for warning sailors of impending storms. King William II of Sicily, intrigued by tales of this figure, commanded his capture and transport to court; however, separated from the sea, Nicholas withered and died en route, underscoring his dependence on the aquatic realm. This account emphasizes Nicholas's hybrid nature—human in appearance but fish-like in endurance—and his role as a prophetic sea-dweller, without any mention of a transformative . Gervase of Tilbury, in his Otia Imperialia (c. 1215), offers another variant, recounting how King employed "Nicholas Papa," a skilled Apulian diver, to plumb the ocean depths near . Nicholas descended multiple times, emerging with vivid reports of submerged mountains, vast cities inhabited by fish, and terrifying sea monsters that guarded the underwater world, providing the king with extraordinary insights into the sea floor. Unlike later versions, this tale focuses on exploratory dives and marvelous discoveries, portraying Nicholas as a heroic rather than a cursed being. These medieval accounts represent proto-forms of the Cola Pesce , featuring name variations on "Nicholas" (de Bar, Pipe, Papa) that evoke of , a associated with maritime protection, but they lack the full narrative elements of a maternal curse or the motif of supporting Sicily's columns from later . Such literary fragments prefigure the tale's crystallization in 19th-century collections, where oral traditions expanded these motifs.

Late 19th- and Early 20th-Century Folklore Collections

In the early , Sicilian folklorist Giuseppe Pitrè significantly contributed to the documentation of the Cola Pesce legend through his comprehensive 1904 publication Studi di leggende popolari in Sicilia e nuova raccolta di leggende siciliane, which dedicated the initial 173 pages to an in-depth analysis of the tale, building on his earlier late 19th-century collections of oral traditions. Pitrè's work marked a pivotal effort in transitioning oral traditions into written form, drawing from extensive fieldwork in to compile and compare variants that preserved the story's core elements, such as the protagonist's transformation and underwater feats. Pitrè documented multiple Sicilian variants, notably those originating from and , where Cola Pesce, often depicted as a skilled diver cursed by his mother, interacts with Frederick II and supports the island on three submerged columns to prevent its collapse. In the version, Cola retrieves treasures from the sea depths, while the telling emphasizes his eternal vigil beneath the island, reinforcing themes of sacrifice and maritime peril. These collections highlighted the legend's embedding in local , with Pitrè identifying at least seventeen versions that underscored its widespread appeal across . Pitrè's scholarship extended to tracing the tale's dissemination beyond Sicily, noting its popularity and adaptations in mainland and , where similar motifs of underwater guardians appeared in regional anthologies. This identification bridged isolated medieval references to broader , influencing subsequent compilations like those in early 20th-century Italian regional studies. His efforts were emblematic of Romantic nationalism's cultural revival in post-unification , where collectors like Pitrè sought to safeguard vernacular narratives against modernization, fostering a sense of national identity through preserved folk heritage. Building on such 19th-century foundations, Italo Calvino's 1956 anthology Fiabe italiane (translated as ) adapted a Messina-inspired variant, portraying Cola as a cursed diver who retrieves a crown from the sea, only to vanish while upholding the island's stability. Calvino's retelling, sourced from earlier compilations including Pitrè's, standardized the narrative for modern audiences while retaining its melancholic essence.

Regional Variations

Sicilian Traditions

In Sicilian culture, the legend of Cola Pesce has been preserved through oral transmission, particularly in coastal cities like and , where it forms part of the island's rich repertoire. Giuseppe Pitrè, a pioneering 19th-century folklorist, documented over 17 variants of the tale collected from storytellers across , noting how the adapted based on local dialects and emphases in these urban centers. These oral accounts, passed down among fishing communities, highlight Cola's transformation into a half-man, half-fish figure and his eternal vigil beneath the sea, serving as a thread that connects generations to 's maritime heritage. Local beliefs in intertwine the legend with the island's geography, especially the perilous waters of the , where whirlpools and strong currents have long been associated with ancient myths like and . In the tale, Cola dives into these treacherous depths to retrieve lost objects for King Frederick II, revealing the three columns supposedly upholding , one of which is damaged and held by him to prevent the island from sinking. This motif explains seismic activity and volcanic unrest, such as earthquakes near and eruptions of Mount Etna, as signs of Cola's straining efforts to maintain balance, reinforcing beliefs in the sea's dual role as nurturer and destroyer. Monuments in eastern commemorate the legend, embedding it in the physical landscape of coastal towns. In Catania's Republic Square stands a bronze statue of Cola Pesce, sculpted by Giuseppe Pellegrino in 1981, depicting the figure in his underwater vigil; nearby, University Square features candelabras adorned with motifs from . While no dedicated annual festivals are recorded, events in Sicilian coastal communities, including Palermo's districts, continue to invoke the legend during gatherings that celebrate maritime traditions and resilience against the sea's dangers. In the 20th century, particularly after , the legend played a key role in bolstering Sicilian identity amid reconstruction and cultural revival. Italo Calvino's 1956 collection Fiabe italiane included a Palermo-sourced version, helping to canonize the tale in national literature while emphasizing regional pride. Writers like further analyzed its symbolism in works exploring Sicily's , portraying Cola as an emblem of sacrifice and endurance that resonated with postwar narratives of island autonomy and survival.

European Adaptations

The legend of Cola Pesce spread beyond through Mediterranean trade routes and the multicultural influences of Norman in the , where diverse Norman, Arab, Greek, and Latin traditions facilitated the exchange of across . Early literary mentions, such as in Gervase of Tilbury's Otia Imperialia (c. ), reflect this Norman courtly context, blending local Sicilian motifs with broader European narrative elements. A prominent appears in Mallorcan as Peix Nicolau, a cursed boy transformed into a half-human, half- being who aids mariners by providing underwater navigation charts. In this variant, collected by folklorist Antoni Maria Alcover i Sureda in the early , Nicolau's mother curses him with the words "Mal tornis peix!" (May you turn into a !) due to his obsession with , leading him to dwell in an underwater palace while occasionally surfacing to share knowledge of sea dangers. Sightings of Peix Nicolau are regarded as ill omens for sailors, signaling impending misfortune at sea, and are said to cause terror akin to encountering sirens. This tale alters the Italian core by emphasizing Nicolau's role as a benevolent yet eerie sea guardian rather than a heroic pillar-supporter. Spanish connections are evident in Catalan folklore, where Peix Nicolau shares similarities with tales of exceptional sea-divers who navigate treacherous waters, such as crossing the to map underwater perils for King Roger II. Documented in Joan Amades' Costumari Català (1950), these narratives highlight Nicolau's feats in charting routes between and , reflecting shared Mediterranean mariner lore. Faint parallels exist in Basque folklore with itsaslamiak, sea-dwelling lamiak (nymph-like figures with fish tails) who inhabit coastal waters and influence maritime fates, though without the diver-hero emphasis. Further European variants include Estonian parallels classified under tale type ATU 434* ("The Diver and the King's Daughter") in the Aarne-Thompson-Uther index, where a skilled diver retrieves treasures from the sea depths, echoing Cola Pesce's exploratory dives but framed around royal quests rather than geological secrets. In French Breton folklore, faint echoes appear in legends of water spirits like the mari-morgan, who lure seafarers to their doom, preserving motifs of human-sea transformation amid Celtic maritime myths.

Analysis and Interpretation

Tale Type and Classification

The legend of Cola Pesce is classified under tale type ATU 434* ("The Diver (Cola Pesce)") in Hans-Jörg Uther's revised Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index of , which catalogs international folktales based on shared narrative structures across cultures. This designation highlights core motifs such as the protagonist's transformation into a fish-like being, royal quests involving underwater retrievals of objects like goblets or columns supporting the earth, and the hero's ultimate sacrificial disappearance to prevent catastrophe. In variant indexing, Giuseppe Pitrè's 19th-century Sicilian collections number as part of his broader catalog in Fiabe, novelle e racconti popolari siciliani (volumes 1–4, 1870–1871), where it appears as a key in volume 4, often referenced as tale 43 in modern compilations drawn from his work. Comparatively, over 20 documented variants exist across , from Sicilian cores to adaptations in French, Spanish, and Northern Italian traditions, conserving essential elements like the diver's devotion to the sea and structural support for landmasses despite local embellishments in quest details or heroic origins.

Cultural and Mythological Connections

The legend of Cola Pesce exhibits strong ties to Christian , particularly through associations with of , the patron saint of sailors and mariners. Giuseppe Pitrè, in his seminal 1904 study La leggenda di Cola Pesce, proposed that the tale evolved from medieval legends surrounding , who was frequently depicted in miracle stories as calming stormy seas and protecting seafarers, motifs that resonate with Cola Pesce's aquatic prowess and role as a guardian of . This connection is further supported by scholarly examinations of the cult of , where the saint's protective attributes over water and navigation mirror the folk hero's dives, blending saintly intercession with local traditions. The protagonist's , Nicola (a of ), reinforces this linkage, evoking the saint's role in safeguarding maritime communities during the medieval period. Pagan influences underpin the legend's deeper mythological layers, drawing parallels to ancient Mediterranean sea deities and heroic narratives. Scholars trace elements of Cola Pesce's man-fish hybridity and repeated descents into the sea to archaic transformations in Ovid's Metamorphoses, where humans morph into aquatic beings or hybrid creatures, often with divine connotations, suggesting a survival of pre-Christian mythic structures in Sicilian oral traditions. Additionally, the tale echoes Greek myths, such as Theseus's retrieval of King Minos's ring from the sea—a feat celebrated in Bacchylides' odes and ancient vase iconography—portraying the dive as a heroic test of prowess and a symbolic passage through watery realms akin to those governed by Poseidon. This motif extends to broader concepts of underwater kingdoms supporting landmasses, reminiscent of Atlantis lore in Plato's accounts, where submerged worlds and divine interventions stabilize the earth's foundations, adapting pagan cosmogonies to Sicily's volcanic and seismic geography. Archetypally, Cola Pesce's narrative embodies the hero's sacrificial journey, aligning with universal patterns of descent and renewal that underscore human boundaries and environmental guardianship. The protagonist's final dive to prop up the island's pillar represents a cathartic , evoking the regenerative symbolism of the ancient Diver (5th century BCE), where immersion in the signifies transition from mortal life to an eternal, supportive role in the cosmic order. This structure highlights themes of resilience against natural forces, positioning the legend as a cultural for over precarious landscapes, with the as a liminal space bridging human endeavor and divine or mythic equilibrium. Such interpretations, advanced by folklorists like Giovanni Battista Bronzini, emphasize how the tale's enduring appeal lies in its fusion of personal sacrifice with collective protection, resonating across Mediterranean traditions.

Cultural Legacy

Literary and Artistic Representations

The legend of Cola Pesce has inspired numerous literary adaptations in European literature from the late , often emphasizing themes of heroism, the sea's mysteries, and human limits. One prominent example is Friedrich Schiller's "Der Taucher" (The Diver), published in 1797, which reimagines the diving motif central to the Cola Pesce tale as a perilous challenge issued by a king to retrieve a golden goblet from a , culminating in the diver's tragic descent into the abyss. This poetic work, drawing directly from medieval accounts of the Sicilian legend, became a cornerstone of , influencing subsequent explorations of the sublime and the unknown in literature and music. In the , Swiss Conrad Ferdinand Meyer contributed a titled "Nicola Pesce," first published in 1882 as part of his collection Gedichte, portraying the protagonist's tragic heroism through vivid imagery of his underwater sacrifices to support Sicily's foundations. The poem highlights Cola's devotion and inevitable doom, framing him as a mythic figure bound by fate to the sea, and reflects Meyer's interest in historical and legendary motifs drawn from Italian . This concise yet evocative piece underscores the legend's enduring appeal in , blending classical form with emotional depth. A later literary retelling appears in Robert D. San Souci's children's book Nicholas Pipe (1997), illustrated by and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, which adapts the 12th-century account from Walter Map's into a about a merman's love for a and his underwater feats. The emphasizes themes of interspecies romance and bravery, using accessible and colorful illustrations to introduce younger audiences to the legend's core elements, such as the protagonist's fish-like abilities and his role in stabilizing the island. Visual representations of Cola Pesce emerged prominently in 19th-century Sicilian art, where painters and sculptors captured the diver's iconic pose of holding the island's tilting column amid turbulent waters, symbolizing regional identity and resilience. Such works blend folkloric elements with , portraying Cola as a half-human guardian of the sea; for instance, depictions emphasize his muscular form and the interplay of light filtering through ocean depths to evoke wonder and peril. These artistic interpretations reinforced the legend's cultural significance in during a period of national unification and regional revival.

Contemporary Influence and Depictions

In the 21st century, the legend of Cola Pesce has inspired various forms of modern literature and media, particularly in Sicily, where it serves as a metaphor for environmental stewardship. A notable example is the 2011 documentary film Colapesce is Back, directed by Salvo Manzone, which reimagines the myth through the lens of a Sicilian environmental activist's diary, addressing waste management crises in Palermo and promoting zero-waste strategies as a contemporary call to action akin to Cola's sacrificial dive. Similarly, Italian singer-songwriter Lorenzo Urciullo, performing under the stage name Colapesce, draws direct inspiration from the folktale for his indie music career, adopting the name to evoke the figure's underwater heroism and releasing albums that blend Sicilian mythology with modern themes of identity and place. In children's literature, a 2023 illustrated adaptation of Italo Calvino's version, Cola Pesce: Una fiaba di mare, featuring artwork by Simona Mulazzani, revives the story for young readers, emphasizing the boy's affinity with the sea in a colorful, accessible format published by Mondadori. The legend also plays a role in Sicilian tourism and education, enhancing regional identity and cultural engagement. Official tourism resources highlight Cola Pesce as a symbol of Sicily's deep connection to the sea, particularly in , where guided tours of the often reference the tale during boat excursions and diving experiences that explore the area's mythical underwater landscapes. In educational settings, the story is integrated into classrooms through puppet theater adaptations to teach about Sicilian , history, and environmental themes like the island's seismic vulnerabilities. Recent digital adaptations in the have further popularized the legend online, often with ecological interpretations amid growing concerns over sea-level rise. Animated shorts, such as the 2020 Colapesce directed by Italian animators, retell the for children and families, portraying Cola's transformation and sacrifice as a of human impact on marine ecosystems. Podcasts and channels dedicated to Mediterranean , including audio adventures like the 2020 Colapesce: An Audio Adventure by Trinacria Productions, adapt the story with original soundscapes to engage global audiences, sometimes linking Cola's underwater labors to modern climate challenges. Post-2000 scholarly works have contributed to a revival of Mediterranean folklore studies, positioning Cola Pesce within broader discussions of cultural heritage and digital preservation. Researchers have examined the legend's evolution in contemporary Italian literature and visual media, such as in analyses of hybrid identities in gothic Mediterranean narratives, highlighting its relevance to environmental humanities. Initiatives like the iHeritage digital platform archive oral variants of the tale, facilitating access to Sicilian storytelling traditions and supporting efforts to document endangered folklore in the region.

References

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  32. http://www.epinoia-prod.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Dossier_Colapesce-is-back_ENG.pdf
  33. https://recentmusic.com/artist/2KX2VLr3Eu6sn6EtxzCtvf/
  34. https://www.visitsicily.info/en/myths-and-legends-in-sicily/
  35. https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstreams/d3aeb7e7-62ee-496c-83cd-f6cb1b1b06e2/download
  36. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXfA1jSxvpM
  37. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0V7pewmAxg
  38. https://www.opengravesopenminds.com/sea-changes-2025/session-speakers-and-abstracts/
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