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Mermaids across cultures -

Greek mythology contains stories of the god Triton, the merman messenger of the sea. And several modern religions including Hinduism and Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion, worship mermaid goddesses to this day.

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Manatees might have inspired merfolk legends -

Some researchers believe that sightings of human-size ocean animals such as manatees might have inspired merfolk legends. Manatees have a flat, mermaid-like tai, and two flippers that resemble arms.

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'The Little Mermaid' -

The majority of people are most familiar with the Disney version of 'The Little Mermaid' (1989), but the somewhat sanitized version is actually based on the 1837 fairy tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen.

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Mermaids in Syrian mythology -

One of the earliest depictions of a mermaid comes from Syrian mythology. Atargatis was a half-woman, half-fish deity of the ancient city of Hierapolis-Bambyce in Syria.

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Christopher Columbus claimed he saw mermaids -

The explorer described the creatures to be “not half as beautiful as they are painted.” It's likely that what Columbus saw in 1493 were actually manatees!

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Aquamarine gemstones -

Sailors once believed that aquamarine gemstones came from the tears of mermaids. They also thought these would protect them from drowning, which wasn't the case...

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Some believe the people of Atlantis turned into mermaids -

Fictional or not, the sunken city of Atlantis has fascinated people for centuries. There are even speculations that the citizens adapted to their surroundings and evolved into merfolk.

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Mermaids were once considered marine animals -

People from the Middle Ages believed mermaids were as organic as fish, even when they were seen as mystical creatures.

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A cliff in Germany is named after a mermaid legend -

Legend has it that a beautiful girl named Lorelei waited for her lover on a rock at the Rhine River. When he never came, she jumped off a cliff and her spirit was claimed to have stayed on the rock, with her body becoming half-fish.

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The Babylonian water god -

Oannes, the Babylonian water god, is one of the earliest recorded instances of a half-human, half-fish. He used to come to the shore to teach language, arts, and sciences before returning to the sea at night.

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A mermaid supposedly converted to Catholicism in the 1600s -

One story dating back to the 1600s claimed that a mermaid entered Holland through a dike, and was injured in the process. She was then taken to a nearby lake and soon nursed back to health. She eventually learned to speak Dutch and converted to Catholicism.

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A mermaid’s singing could lure sailors to their death -

One superstition required sailors to put wax in their ears to block a mermaid’s singing. Otherwise, the sailors would have the urge to swim with the mermaids and sink to their deaths.

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Merfolk terrified Blackbeard -

Edward Teach, an English pirate famously known as Blackbeard, was known to steer clear of areas where he believed merfolk lived. He did this when he sailed across the West Indies.

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Mermen -

Though not as well known as their female counterparts, mermen have an equally fierce reputation for summoning storms, sinking ships, and drowning sailors.

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Mermen -

One especially feared group, the Blue Men of the Minch, are said to dwell off the coast of Scotland. They look like ordinary men, from the waist up, except they have blue-tinted skin and gray beards.

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Hoaxes -

Many people have tried to capitalize on mermaid beliefs, by profiting off hoaxes. One famous case is of P.T. Barnum (of the famous Barnum & Bailey Circus), who in the 1840s created a mermaid craze in New York. Known as the Feejee mermaid, it was the upper half of a dried monkey sewn to the tail of a fish.

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A mermaid's kiss -

Sailors once believed that if you kissed a mermaid, you would grow gills. This would allow them to breathe underwater. Imagine that!

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Captain John Smith documented seeing mermaids -

Even Captain John Smith of Jamestown said he saw a mermaid that was graceful and attractive. But again, this was most likely a manatee...

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It’s still unclear how mermaids reproduce -

Since they're mythological creatures, it's still unclear how they reproduce. Either they procreate in their human form, or, similar to fish, mermaids produce eggs that the mermen can fertilize. Or maybe there's some other method.

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Immortal and telepathic -

Legend has it that mermaids were both immortal and telepathic. Some sailors also believed they could see the future, which is why they were never captured.

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Alleged mermaid bones in Japan -

The skeletal remains of a mermaid, which was allegedly washed ashore in 1222, are on display at the Ryuguji Temple in Fukuoka, Japan.

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Sirens are not mermaids -

There's often a mix-up between sirens and mermaids. Sirens are often portrayed as monstrous predators, with sharp teeth and fierce eyes, and always ready to attack humans.

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The Japanese merfolk -

Japanese legends have a version of merfolk called kappa. Said to reside in Japanese lakes, coasts, and rivers, kappas are green, human-like creatures with webbed hands and feet. Children are warned not to go near water at the risk of being pushed in by them.

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The mythical African water spirit -

Throughout West, South, and Central Africa, the mythical water spirit called Mami Wata was once worshiped for her ability to bestow beauty, health, and wisdom. Mami Wata is often portrayed as a mermaid with a snake.

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Merfolk are vegetarians -

There are still debates about whether merfolk eat seafood or not. Merfolk diets would depend on where they live, so that’s why a few scientists believe some only eat kelp and seaweed.

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Mermaids in Newfoundland -

Sir Richard Whitbourne, an English author, colonist, sailor, and discoverer of Newfoundland, claimed to have seen several mermaids in the New World.

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The aquatic ape theory -

In 1960, British biologist Sir Alister Hardy proposed a new theory to explain some anomalies of human evolution. Our lack of fur, big brains, and subcutaneous fat are just some traits that led Hardy to propose that humans descended from marine environments. Known as the aquatic ape theory, it still remains largely controversial and lacking in evidence.

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Modern mermaid spotting -

Modern mermaid reports are very rare, but in 2009 news reports claimed that a mermaid was seen off the coast of Israel in the town of Kiryat Yam. The town's tourism board offers a US$1 million reward for the first person to photograph the creature.

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The mermaid mockumentary -

In 2012 an Animal Planet special, 'Mermaids: The Body Found,' seemed so realistic that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration received enough inquiries of people believing the program. They had to issue a statement denying the existence of mermaids!

Sources: (Live Science) (History Extra)

See also: Iconic places that (probably) never existed 

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