A mermaid (Art by Tanmay Mandal)
| “ | These mermaids aren't from the Saturday mornin' cartoons, mate. Sailors call 'em sea ghouls or devil fish. Dreadful in hunger for flesh of man. Best cling to your soul, old son, as mermaids be given to take the rest, to the bone. But look on the sunny side up o' things! Depends on how well ya treat 'em! | „ |
| ~ John Constantine |
Mermaids, also known as Havfrues or Sea Maidens, are legendary aquatic creatures with the upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Males are called Mermen or Tritones. Among the Merfolk, they are arguably the most famous and well-known.
Description[]
Mermaids are usually depicted as amorous and beautiful humanoid females with the lower body of a fish. However, there are some merfolk that display more monstrous appearances, resembling a more accurate yet mutated hybrid of an aquatic creature and a human. These mermaids usually reside in the deepest depths of the ocean such as the Mariana Trench, taking on the appearances of the eldritch alien marine life that resides there like the angler fish. It is believed that these particular mermaids have assumed such monstrous appearances in order to adapt to the cruel and harsh environments of the dark and deep seas much like the normal deep sea marine creatures.
Mermaids, like all merfolk, can also come in a variety of different appearances with the lower half of their physiology taking on the appearance of common aquatic creatures down to their very color schemes as well. Some of these mermaids have even been shown baring tendrils of octopi or even that of a sea mammal like an orca or a dolphin at the lower portion of their bodies. They are capable of metamorphing their tails into human legs while laid upon the rocks of the shore in order to draw in wanton sailors. While most of these marine humanoids can be as large as humans, most mermaids and merfolk are seen being much larger than regular humans.
The aesthetic appearance of Mermaids also varies according to the other species present all over the world. The best known sea maidens were known as Sirens, and it is in Greece that we find the winged Mermaids who terrorized the sailors with their bewitched songs. In Africa are the Miengu, which unlike the common Mermaids, are known for having beautiful flared teeth. Japanese Ningyo are considered less amorous than all other aquatic creatures mentioned, but they are known for their delicious flesh. Despite it all; Mermaids, Sirens, Miengu and the Ningyo all share their seductive charm, even if nothing has ever taken away their monstrous side that has fascinated and frightened the collective imagination of thousands of people around the world.
Overview[]
Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including the Near East, Europe, Africa and Asia. The first stories appeared in ancient Assyria, in which the goddess Atargatis transformed herself into a mermaid out of shame for accidentally killing her human lover. While it is unknown where they truly originated from, among the two prevailing theories is that they were either the race of Hyperboreans that fled to sea after the destruction of their kingdom or were created by the angel Rahab to serve as his assistants; this is also attributed to Triton or his father Poseidon. It is said that early Hyperboreans would be transformed into merfolk by Rahab after death as at the time the Hyperboreans carried no concrete faith or religion pertaining to God.
Mermaids are sometimes associated with perilous events such as floods, storms, shipwrecks and drownings. In fact, it is said that Scrimshaws crafted in the image of a mermaid would unleash a curse unto unfortunate sailors. The sailors would then begin to go mad until they kill themselves by drowning, only for the mermaids to then drag them into the depths to devour them. In other folk traditions, or sometimes within the same tradition, they can be benevolent or beneficent, bestowing boons or falling in love with humans. However, tales of mermaids falling in love with a mortal is rare as the merfolk hold animosity towards mortals with some even seeing them as nothing but food. A mermaid falling in love only happens when the mermaid sees one who is pure of heart and means no harm unlike others they usually encounter in the open sea.
Throughout history, both humans and mermaids have come to worship deities who take the form of half man half fish, though there have also been other deities worshipped by mermaids due to their associations with the element of water and the sea. Mermaids would also come to worship or be in the service of Rahab, the angel of the deep. As stated before, they were said to be once humans who were turned into mermaids by Rahab after death, mainly at sea. As such, the merfolk of Rahab are in a sense considered to be spirits of the sea, and moreover, it is likely they grew malevolent and carnivorous after Rahab's fall from grace for his extreme attempts at "saving" Hyperborea. Another variation is that these mermaids, who became the spirits of the deceased, would target humans who sinned and leave the virtuous alone which could explain why mermaids in several legends are described as being drawn to virtuous but would devour the wicked as they dragged them to the depths. Several modern religions, including Hinduism and Candomblé (an Afro-Brazilian belief), worship mermaid goddesses to this day.
Sub-Species[]
Siren[]
Mermaids are most commonly associated with the mythological Greek Sirens. They lured errant sailors off course and even onto rocky shoals, much like their cousins, the Sirens, beautiful, alluring half-bird, half-women who dwelled near rocky cliffs and sung to passing sailors. The Sirens would enchant men to steer their ships toward the singing, and the dangerous rocks that were sure to sink them.
Jengu[]
The Jengu are another race said to be beautiful, fish-woman like figures with long hair and beautiful gap-teeth. They live in rivers connecting to the sea and bring good fortune to those who worship them. They can also cure disease and act as intermediaries between worshippers and the world of spirits. For this reason, a jengu cult has long enjoyed popularity among the Duala peoples of Africa.
Ningyo[]
Regarded as less beautiful than the other mermaids, Ningyo are Yōkai from Japan. They have the mouth of a monkey and teeth resembling a human's or fish. They have shimmering golden scales and a quiet voice. Despite the pleasant taste of the flesh from these mermaids, beliefs are held that catching a Ningyo would be synonymous with misfortune.
Kuli-ana[]
A Mesopotamian fish-woman, who was one of the many monsters slain by Ninurta, the powerful god of war, weather and agriculture.
Trivia[]
- Mermaids are believed to cry pearls instead of tears which they then store in shells. Any human who discovers the shells containing these pearlized tears of a mermaid are wracked with grief, leading them to commit suicide by drowning.
- Two variants of Mermaids are recognized by the Federal Bureau of Control. One are described as spirits of the early Hyperboreans becoming Mermaids by Rahab after death, and the other are those who evolved into aquatic beings.
- Mermaids, among most other Merfolk, are known to hunt other marine creatures for food. However, their hunting grounds would often be in the range of human fishing lanes and their habits lead to sailors or fishermen discovering their activities.
- In the 19th century, there have been photographs of large sharks and fish stabbed with wounds inflicted by a spear, with the spear or knife tip even being left behind, jabbed into the flesh of these fish. In more extreme cases, fishermen would accidentally catch Mermaids in fishing nets while these Mermaids were hunting said fish. This would result in the Mermaid massacring the fishermen and leaving or the Mermaid cutting itself free.
- In various languages and cultures, the terms "Mermaid" and "Siren" are indistinguishable; for this reason nicknames are often invented in cultures to make them distinguishable. For example, sometimes the Mermaid is identified as Havfrue or Sea Maiden. In other cases, although less rare, the Siren is instead identified as Nixia or Sea Enchantress.
