I don't know what you'd call something like this, what word best describes him, all I have are stories. I'd like some more, if you have them. What do you call a being (if I'm right in assuming it is one single being) that appears at numerous times throughout human history, to many different cultures in a culturally relative form, and performs an inarguably similar function: to carry away a misfortunate few individuals caught in a watery mishap? A category is what we need for him. A neat little box we can file away all of our stories in.
A ghost or spirit seems the least likely. Of a human, anyhow, although I suppose it's not out of the realm of imagination that a particularly malevolent spirit would choose to spend ages plying the world's waterways in search of helpless children and drunk fishermen to snatch up and carry away to who-knows-where. A demon? I don't know enough about that sort of thing to make a judgement either way.
The word cryptid seems to mostly cover the remnants of once more prolific species, shrunken genetic pools scraping by at the ever-fuzzying border between civilization and true wilderness.
Ultraterrestrial is a term I discovered more recently. I suppose it might fit. The Boat Man chooses where, when, and to whom he will appear, has evaded any search into where he takes his victims and where he comes from. Ultraterrestrial, I believe, might also suggest that he may be as old, or older, than mankind.
Extraterrestrial? Seems unlikely, unless for the last few millenia an alien race has been camoflaging themselves to go on human-fishing outings. Intruiging, but feels pretty far off the mark.
Any input?
Interesting
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