Mermaids have become an icon of both fantasy and popular culture, but even so there is so many misconceptions about how the lgeneds of mermaids arose. Many people are confused about what mermaids are actually like. Quite ofted we are exposed to two seemingly diametrically opposed views of them. On one side, we see mermaids as evil seductresses, using their beauty and songs to lure sailors to their deaths. On the other side we see them as being sweet, loving and playful. But which of these is true? Well in this take, I hope to clear things up and clear up some misconceptions and explore deeper into the myths and legends of mermaids.
First, lets clear up two big misconceptions about mermaids
1. Mermaids don't wear bras ;)
Quite often we see mermaids depicted wearing a variety of bras including seashells, seaweed and starfish. But I can see some problems with these: seashells look really uncomfortable, seaweed isn't exactly hydrodynamic andstarfish extrude their guts and digest whatever they're on D: And why would mermaids need bras anyway? Modesty? Pfff -_- And for support LOL you're weightless underwater. So there will be boobies in this take. If it offends you, you can report it but a better piece of advice: just don't read it ;)
2. Mermaids and sirens are NOT the same thing
This is one of (if not the) most perpetual and annoying misconceptions about mermaids. People view them as malevolent creatures that use their singing voices and beauty to lure sailors to their deaths. But this is blatantly wrong. The creatures that they're thinking of are known as sirens. And sirens are not an evil type or an evil version of a mermaid; their mythological origins are completley different. Even though sirens are often depicted as having the top half of a woman and the bottom half of a fish, in ancient greek mythology, sirens were originally portrayed as having the head of a woman and the body of a bird. It was only during midieval times that they started being depicted with the fish tails.
So where did the legend of the mermaids originally come from?
While our modren perception of mermaids undoubtedly came from many ancient myths and legends, they are mainly based on the nereids.
The nereisds were originally a kind of sea nymph. Nereids were more specifically the 50 daughters of the god ans goddess Nereus and Doris and even though they were descended from devine beings, nereids or nymphs of any kind were neither humans nor dieties but rather were spirits or patron of various things (the oceans, the heavens, the forest etc.). A parallel of a nymph in judeo-christian beleif would be an angel or a demon. The Nereids were all described (like mermaids) of having incomparable beauty and were patrons of the sea and of sailors It was said that they would often help sailors who were lost at sea and could prophesize the coming of storms. They could also have children with humans, in fact Achillies' mother was a nereid. Over time however, the way nereids were depicted in ancient Greece did change.
Between the Archaic and Classical pereiods in ancient Greece (500 BC), the deciptions of nereids did change in several regards.. While before then, they were mainly described as patrons of mariners, after this time they were described as more "patrons of the sea" and more specifially were said to have a profound love for marine animals (specifically dolphins). Also, while before this time they were usually depicted as wearing classic greek attire after their "remodeling" they were for the most part described as being naked. Like before however, they were still described as being very sweet and playful.
Mermaids also have a bit of moon goddess in them
So if the original mermaids didn't have fish tails, where did the fish tails come from? Well the answer is the Assyrian moon and fertility Goddess Atargatis? Wait a second you might ask, why would a moon goddess have a fish tail. Well to the ancients, the moon, sea and female fertility were all connected. The menstrual cycle followed the lunar cycle as did the tides of the sea. This is why she was depicted with a fish tail. The trait became associated with mermaids in Roman times because the nereids (mermaids) were also heavily associated with femininity. It was also around this time that mermaids started to be called "mermaids".
Many of the aspects of mermaids that we're familiar with today stem from Irish mythology
As the legends of the mermaids passed through various cultures, they went thhrough various cultures and were given various names. One of the versions of the mermaid legends that has the greatest impact on how we view mermaids today is that of the Merrows. These myths came from Ireland and Scotland. The Merrows were described ass having all of the familiar traits of a mermaid with beautiful green hair and turquois-colored scales on their tails. Many of the behavioral charecteristics we associate with mermaids today came from the merrows such their kind, innocent, playful, affectionate and curious depostion.
Mermaids have also become very adept with music
According to Irish mythology, the Merrows had a talent for singing. They may very well have got this from sirens. Even though their origins are completley different, in the midieval period they exchanged some cherecteristics (i.e. the mermaids' tail and the sirens singing). But later mermaids became more and more associated with musical instruments, their favorite being the harp. Like the Nereids of old they mostly lived on their own but would occasionally come ashore in large groups. They also maintain many other aspects of the ancient Nereids.
So what are some modern charecteristics of mermaids?
Even though they're always naked, mermaids still have a sense of style
Although they never wear bras, mermaids still have a varrying sense of style. Most often, they love to decorate their hair with assorted shells an items that they find on the sea floor. Mermaids are also veritiable "packrats" and love to collect objects that seem strange to them. They are especially intrigued by unfamiliar (man made) objects such as treasure from a wreck. Often they'll wear necklaces, bracelets and other jewelry items collected from the ship.
Mermen may vary in the way that their decpicted, sometimes as handsome and other times as ugly.
Quite often we see mermen depicted as the male alternative of mermaids, i.e. handsome young men with a fish tail, but that's only a fairly recent occurance. Remember, the mermaids started off as sea nymphs and all nymphs were female. There isn't any mention of a male counterpart to mermaids until the legend of the merrows. Male merrows were said to have a humanoid shape and a fish tail, but were also said to be grotesque monsters. Becaus of this, female merrows were said to be more attracted to human males. Also, merrow males were said to be more secretive and numerous than the females.
Mermaids are very loving creatures
In most modern folklore, mermaids are said to be very charming, inquisitive and playful. If you jump in the water some of them probbably will get inquisitive and swim over to investigate. They may seem a bit shy at first but will eventually come over. Mermaids also like to play with and tease humans who venture into ther territory. Mermaids spend most of their time but are attached to small family and sometimes they'll sit on the shore and play their song if they're lonley to get an individuals' attention. Some will also fall in love with humans. If they find a human that they love they'll collect items of his and store it in their cavern and peer out at his residence from the sea, hoping to catch a glimpse or better yet, a chance to interract. They're particularly fond of sailors.
Mermaids will readily fall in love and help those lost at sea
Many tales and legends from post renaissance Europe depict mermaids helping sailors lost at sea. The most famous tale of this is Hans Christian Andersens' the little mermaid where the mermaid saves the prince after his ship was destroyed by a storm. She also fell in love with him and had to give up her voice so the sea witch would give her legs. Although, unlike in the Disney adaptation, in the original story she ended up turning to foam at the end :( However, they will lend a helping hand to any kind soul lost at sea :) This is part of the reason that I love mermaids so much, they embody everything that is great about being feminine (namley beauty and kindness) but at the same time they were never the helpless damsel in distress; rather in the story "The Little Mermaid" it was the princess who saved the prince. It just goes to show that being kind and loving doesn't have to mean being a helpless wuss :)
But if you see a mermaid, be careful
While mermaids may pose no danger themselves, if you see one, be wary. They've also been known to be able to forecast the presence of dangerous storms. So if they don't look happy to see you watch out. Of course this makes people ponder the question: are mermaids good or evil in this case? Well are they actually causing the storm or just warning you that it's coming? Who knows? O_o
Mermaids live in all parts and come in a variety of shapes and sizes
Mermaids are generally described as having the upper body of a woman with the lower body of a fish, but there can be a striking degree of variation in these features. On their lower half, some have knees and others don't and while virtually all have a fish tail at the end some may or may not have pelvic, dorsal or anal fins as well. Also while most mermaids are entirley "human" from the waist up some have fish traits on their body including fin elbows and ears as well as webbed hands and even bioluminesence. Variations in the charecteristics that mermaids have depend on what marine enviorment they inhabit. For example mermaids in areas full of seaweed tend to be green while those in coral reefs are usually quite colorful. Also the more bizzzare the creatures that inhabit the area, the more bizzare the mermaids are that live in it.
There is much speculation about how mermaids reproduce
But basically there are two and a half main schools of thought
1. They reproduce like marine mammals with copulation and birth
2. They reproduce like fish where the female lays them and the male fertilizes them
2.5. They reproduce like fish but are hermaphrodidic; i.e. they can both lay eggs and fertilize them, which would explain the lack of "mermen"
But they definatley do breastfeed (otherwise why would they have boobies). However, that would make them a mammal (MAMMal=>MAMMary) and I guess it's possible for a mammal to be hermaphrodidic and it would also explain the apparent lack of mermen :P
Regardless of how they reproduce, they are very fond of children
Because of their playfullness and innocence, mermaids love children and concurrently children are fascinated by them. They love to tell children stories about life under the sea and here about stories about life on land. They love to play with children in the shallow waters and are protective of them against marine predators. They also love to crawl ashore and play in the sand and sing with them as well.
Mermaids love the full moon
As I mentioned before, mermaids are part moon goddess and are particularly fond of the moon. They become particularly active when the moon is full. Quite often they'll congregate in large groups, some of which will dance underwater while others come ashore and sing in the moonlight. Some are said to undergo various changes (but not like werewolves haha). Sometimes their hair will turn white or blue,their skin becomes radiatnt and their eyes and part of their tail begans to glow
Mermaids are also somewhat amphibious
First to answer a nagging question: do mermaids breath air or water. Well they have the upper body of a human and since the respiratory organs are on the top, they breathe like we do. i.e. they have lungs and breathe air. They are simply holding their breath underwater. They can snooze underwater for a short period of time as some seals can, but if they want a long slumber they will come ashore. Also, they have the capability of turning their tail into legs so they can walk on land. But these legs are only temporary and can only last for so long. That's why when on land, mermaids always take baths to grow back their tale.
Their homes are in danger D:
Seriously, the oceans are being overfished at an alarming rate. A few hundred years ago, whales were said to be so abundant that when ever a sailor looked out at the sea he or she was bound to see a whale blowing a spout. But now they're hard to find. And it's not just whales, fish stocks are being over exploited, so horrible is it that many marien biologists predict that by 2048 the oceans will be empty. On top of being over exploited, the oceans are under threat from pollution. Mecury in some places is so abundant that when the fish are consumed, it causes neurotic impacts on the consumer. There is a huge sea of plastic trash in the North Pacific and the oceans are under threat from acidification from the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This is especially harmful for organisms that use calcium carbonate skeletons like corals. As I said before, mermaids are the spirits of the ocean and love all marine creatures but right now their home is in danger. You can do your part to protect it :)
As it happens, my wife has an account on GaG. Her avatar is a mermaid seated on an anchor. Who better than a mermaid for @GraySailorsBride ?
This is her avatar pic. It is a picture taken of a cast iron anchor that my wife bought while we were on vacation in California earlier this year. We got it at a little shop right near the beach, how appropriate. https://i.imgur.com/imG7L3P.jpg
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xXiTacoXxGuru
+1 y
What about the mermaid-esque creatures in Asian and African mythology? Those exist too. ;-;
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4465loveyou5577
+1 y
This take was just explaining where our perceptions in the West come from, I'm currently working on one about mermaids from around the world :)
xXiTacoXx
+1 y
\^o^/ Woot~ I'm gonna be creepin' on ya' takes. owo
Wow, very interesting!! Hope you do more of these with different creatures 😊
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BluemaxMaster
+1 y
I love sailing. My wife hated sailing. Perhaps she was jealous?
Before I would leave for a daysail, if it wasn't too early, I would say, "Bye. I'm off to flirt with mermaids." To which she would roll her eyes.
My girl students often LOVE mermaids, some of them confessing they want to grow up to be mermaids.
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Bluemax
+1 y
Oh, if you want a really scary story about a mermaid and a sailor, look up Night Gallery, Linerman's Catch. The end of that scared me out of my skin!
TadCuriousMaster
+1 y
Thanks so much for this fun and interesting myTake. I applaud you for adding that important message at the end about what is happening to our oceans. There's so much that's mysterious about mermaids. How could a lonely sailor NOT fall in love with one or more of them and yet. . . how could they ever consummate their union?
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4465loveyou5577
+1 y
well he could fertilize her eggs :P
ChocoLadaGuru
+1 y
Nice MyTake, Mermaids are one of my favorite mythical characters
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