ORIGIN
They are of World mythology, meaning that they have legends from all over.
FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED
The first stories of them appeared in Ancient Assyria ca. 1000 BC. In these stories, the Goddess Atargatis transforms herself into a Mermaid out of shame as she accidently killed her human lover.
APPEARANCE
They are typically depicted as being very beautiful with very long flowing hair. The upper half of their body is that of a human woman whilst the lower half is that of a fish. Some have been described as being monstrous in size.
GENDER
Female (males are called Merman).
ALSO KNOWN AS
Mere (sea) and Maid (girl/young woman) or Merewif (both from Old English), Ceasg (Scottish), Merrow (Gaelic)
REPELLED BY
They don’t appear to be repelled by anything. There may be curses or spells that can either keep them at bay or help to capture them. It is said that if you capture one then she is your slave as long as you keep her away from the water from which she came.
MAGICAL POWERS/SKILLS
They are not universally known as having any magical powers. They appear to be either immortal or able to live a lot longer than a human. They use singing to lure in unsuspecting humans so that may be as far as their powers stretch.
HISTORY/ABOUT
They are legendary aquatic creatures who appear in the folklore of many cultures. Sometimes they are depicted as perilous creatures, often being associated with shipwrecks, storms, floods and even drowning. They can also be portrayed as benevolent, giving people luck or even falling in love with a human. In British folklore they often appear as unlucky omens (foretelling disaster). As well as being an unlucky omen, they are also said to lure sailors to their death by singing to them. In some cultures they are regarded as semi-divine aspects of the Goddess. The Medieval church held them as the emblem of lust, vanity and the spiritual perils of women and sexuality.
CAN BE FOUND
They can be found anywhere in the Ocean. They are also able to swim up rivers to freshwater lakes.
TALES
The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson is probably the most popular tale. In a popular Greek legend, Thessalonike, Alexander the Great’s sister, turned into a Mermaid after she died. She would determine the condition of the sea based on if a sailor would answer a question correctly. There are several tales featured in One Thousand and One Nights. In the Cornish village of Zennor, there is a 600 year old chair bearing the image of a Mermaid. An early 19th century Chinese book called "Jottings on the South of China" contains 2 stories and there is also a 15th century compilation of quotations about a Mermaid.
ANY SIGHTINGS?
Stories from sailors have been recorded all through history, even as recent as the 20th and 21st centuries in Canada, Israel and Zimbabwe. Christopher Columbus reported seeing them whilst exploring the Caribbean. In August 2009, dozens of people on the Israeli coastal town of Kiryat Yam, witnessed a Mermaid leaping out of the water and doing tricks. In February 2012, work on 2 reservoirs near Gokwe and Mutare in Zimbabwe, stopped when workers refused to continue due to being hounded by Mermaids.
SIMILAR CREATURES
Merman, Siren, Ondine
