A mermaid is a mythological creature that lives in the sea. Its head and torso resemble a human whereas its tail is identical to a fish. The term “mermaid” is derived from the words “mere”, which means “sea” in Old English, and “maid”.
The mention of mermaids goes back to a long time ago. About 7,000 years ago, the Babylonians used to revere a merman called Ea, who spoke to them and taught them important scientific concepts. The Greeks honored the same merman too, and they called him Oannes. The ancient Syrian texts mention a mermaid called Atargatis. She was a goddess who had a lower body with fins and a torso like a woman. Atargatis was worshipped for good harvest by the Syrians. Throughout history, a number of stories about similar creatures such as sea nymphs and sirens were also told.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, when explorers and traders started traveling long distances by sea, occasional mermaid sightings by sailors were reported. Famous people who reported that they had seen mermaids included Sir Richard Whitburne, near Newfoundland in 1610; Henry Hudson in 1625 off Nova Zembla; and Christopher Columbus, who saw three mermaids near Haiti. In the 18th century, some people in Borneo claimed to have captured a mermaid. The mermaid was named “Mermaid of Amboina”, and she survived for a few days in captivity. It was earlier believed that dead mermaids would never be found, as the flesh of mermaids rot very fast.
Mermaids have been a part of folklore for ages. The first stories of mermaids appeared in 1,000 BC. In the famous book Arabian Nights, there are stories that mention “sea people”, which may refer to mermen and mermaids. Djullanar is one such sea girl or mermaid who appeared in one of those stories. The Lady of Golerus is a story that originated from Ireland, and it relates a love story between a man and a mermaid. There are a number of fairy tales about mermaids as well, and the most famous one is probably The Little Mermaid, which was written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The touching story narrates the trials and tribulations of a young mermaid who wants to marry a human prince. Other mermaid fairy tales include The Beautiful Girl and The Fish, Fish Lover, The Mermaid and The Poor Fisherman, Sam and The Mermaid, and Melusina.
One of the most famous mermaid cases in the 19th century was the one that involved PT Barnum. He displayed a mermaid named the Fiji Mermaid, which was actually a taxidermal hoax, made of a monkey and a fish tail sewn together. PT Barnum said that the Fiji Mermaid was caught by one of his acquaintances named Dr J. Griffin in 1842. Besides Fiji Mermaid, there were reported sightings of mermaids in Java, British Columbia, and Vancouver in the 19th century as well.
- Common Beliefs about Mermaids
- Mermaid Accounts and Sightings
- Mermaid Sightings UK
- Theories about Mermaid Sightings
Mermaids and mermen have appeared in history and folklore in several cultures around the world. In fact, many people believed that mermaids truly existed until the dawn of the 20th century. It is now proven that mermaids do not really exist, but that does not stop them from capturing the imagination of human beings.
Gallery
- Medieval Mermaids
- Women of the Deep
- Mermaid Images
- Weeki Wachee Spring Mermaids
- First Ever Photos of a Mermaid
- Gallery of Mermaid Images
Written by Michael S. Atwood