If Mermaids Were Real

[Prince Calypso]

seeing as i believe that most if not all mythical creatures are real in one form or another

if mermaids did exsist, would we be looking for creatures like Ariel, the girls from H2O, ect
or would we be looking for something darker and far more beastly like the mermaids in the black lake of Hogworts, she creature, peter pan and POTC on stranger tides.

which mermaid does your mermaid person fall in league with?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Oh, I am very much on the darker, intelligent, animalistic side.

[Mermaid Saphira]

Um...definatley more like an H2O mermaid ;)

[SweeteSiren]

The luminescent aliens from The Abyss.

[Mermaid Photine]

The alien-like mermaids from the newer peter pan. I like thinking of mermaids as something other than human, just that humans personify everything (even toasters, for pete's sake!) to think and express and act like them.

[Mermaid Miel]

I'm more of an ariel/h2o disney-fied mermaid. I'm soo happy in my tail that I am sweet and joyful to every child I meet.
(it's when I am out of my tail that I can be grumpy, bitchy and sulky in my behaivour. :p)

[Gem Stone]

Im a mix between Ariel and the ones from piratesofthecaribbean the carribean. More like the pirates mers but not so man eating and a bit nicer.

[Princess Kae-Leah]

I like to think of mers as purely magical creatures, very different, and generally superior, to humans, physically and morally. In my FictionPress series, "Nerissa Sanderson, The Part-Time Mermaid of Sunshine Valley, CA", which I tend to think of as one of the defining interpretations of mers for me, merfolk call themselves "Sea Nymphs and their Consorts", and they are all stunningly beautiful and handsome, and their bodies are so physically flawless they very seldom get sick, can live for 1,000 years, and don't even need to eliminate bodily waste, odd as that may sound. They are vegetarians and don't need all the same nutrients humans do, the live off of seaberries, kelp, and seaweed and are friends with every creature in the ocean(actually, in my series, all sea creatures living within special areas called the Enchanted Zones are herbivores and don't excrete either, strange, again, as that may sound, but I had to explain how all the sea creatures can live in harmony, when in nature there is a complex food web and most fish do eat other fish). Their society is a peaceful and highly moral one, infidelity and premarital sex doesn't exist in their world, and crime and corruption is very rare. However, mermaids in my series do have the potential to turn into evil, seductive Sea Sirens if they become possessed by Cursed Black Pearls. My "mer-sona" is a typical Sea Nymph, friendly with all sea creatures and wanting to save her friends from being killed and exploited by humans.

[Mermaid Saphira]

^ If they do not mate..may I ask how new mers are made?? :$

[Princess Kae-Leah]

I said PREMARITAL sex doesn't exist, they only mate after they're married, and they mate for life.

[New York Mermaid]

I suppose in my mind all merfolks would look like us in a sense, each different looking as the next merfolk their own unique tails and personalities, with their eyes slightly larger than ours. I also think their hands might have some sort of webbing or shaped differently. I also believe they would be highly intelligent, but I see them more mammal like as dolphins- their able to breed such as and birth live merbabies and mostly migrating as cetaceans do.

[Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!]

Why does it have to be one or the other?

One can be magical and lusty, dangerous and beautiful, gentle and inhuman, feral and cultured, all together. If octopi can change their color and width and texture, why can't a mermaid's appearance and attitude be as changeable as the sea... or as changeable as a human's, for that matter.

In general, though, I lean towards mermaids (and mermen) who are more exotic-looking, as opposed to the strictly barbie-and-ken-like background and appearance of disney's mermaids (and rare mermen). While I don't see the need for shark/piranha/anglerfish teeth or fish eyes (ok, maybe a nictilating membrane to see better underwater), gills, arm or dorsal fins, a dusting of scales on the torso or arms, even coloration and patterns based off sea creatures (skin and hair, especially), but there are some very appealing things about the human form and the human mindset, which should not be overlooked, either for the grim marine creature of the depths, or for the plastic disneyfied princesses.

Besides, if you tried to hug Ariel or her sisters, you'd probably snap them in two. Human (or mer) waists shouldn't be that skinny.

[Prince Calypso]

that's kinda how i view it. i believe mermaids are just magical and beautiful as they can be dangerous. i come pare them to wolves, beautiful to look at, strong majestic, awe inspiring but you wouldn't want to be caught alone with one on the wrong day lol

although i love the look of mermaids in the barbie movies and such i do agree that no mermaid could possible look that dainty and survive in the sea.

i feel that psychically mermaid have a human like appearance, with the human torso, arms, head ect, but with paler and far thicker skin, scatter with scales, fins along the arms, and back, gills slightly wider set eyes, hair that is thicker than human hair and long webbed talon like fingers.

personally i think if you combined the mermaids from Peter Pan, Harry Potter, POTC on stranger tides and add a bit of the magic and wonder from H2O, The little Mermaid and the barbie movies you get closets to the real thing.

[Alveric]

In my fiction, the Mers were created from a combination of the costumes they wore and what was in their imaginations when the Xanadu Event took effect. This makes for an almost unlimited diversity of types from near feral water-only breathers to the H2O and Disney types. Somehow, nearly all retain their basic humanity and love for each other.

Alveric

[Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!]

Prince Calypso, do you mean "physically" instead of "psychically"?

[merboy78xy]

I loved what She creature did. It made the mermaid both "alien" to human behaviors, yet extremely beautiful and human to look at. (Though I didn't need her to change into a monster at the end).
I wouldn't mind some of the other ideas batted around. extreme fair skin, larger darker eyes, nicitating membrane... love the idea of webbed hands, and I don't mind some scales on other parts of the body. And I'm big into Fins... lots of em!
Other than that. I like them to be wild. natural. beautiful. unique. mutable. changeable. dangerous. seductive. gentle. kind.

[Prince Calypso]

Prince Calypso, do you mean "physically" instead of "psychically"?


yes i did. i think faster than i type unfortunately. thank god there are no grammar Nazis around:thinks:

[Prince Calypso]

my brother just posed an interesting idea to me that mermaid could be anthropomorphic fish who like some other members of the animal kingdom mimic their main food source I.E us.

[koiboi]

hmmm i view mermaids as a classification of Fey, and most fey are terribly beautiful, fickle, generous, lusty, hungry, and as extreme as the elements they personify. Mermaids,Undines, Krakens, etc. personify water and more specifically: the ocean, which can be as gentle as when the tide is out to as severe as a tempest or a hurricane.....plus its a general rule in mythology that if its a female creature it generally just wants to play with you first then eat you I.e. The Sphinx, the Sirens, and most instances of Succubi.

[merboy78xy]

Here's a curious trend I might be noticing... (and this may be "stereotyping" so: no offense meant!!!)
but it seems like the mermen on here tend to like the image of merfolk being somewhat darker/wilder and the mermaids on here tend to see the image of merfolk as lighter and more "fancy-fantasy"...

does that seem an honest observation? (Not that there wouldn't be exceptions to this observation)

[Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!]

hmmm i view mermaids as a classification of Fey, and most fey are terribly beautiful, fickle, generous, lusty, hungry, and as extreme as the elements they personify. Mermaids,Undines, Krakens, etc. personify water and more specifically: the ocean, which can be as gentle as when the tide is out to as severe as a tempest or a hurricane.....plus its a general rule in mythology that if its a female creature it generally just wants to play with you first then eat you I.e. The Sphinx, the Sirens, and most instances of Succubi.

Hey Koiboi, I forget, did you see this thread? It deals with a discussion of whether mermaids count as fey or not.

http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?1084-Mermaids-as-fairies-Yea-or-nay

merboy78xy, that is an interesting take on it. Some of us mermen are gay, though, which takes the question off in a third direction as well. Would straight mermen (or even bi ones) have the same take on wilder mermaids that I do? And what do any bi ladies or lesbian mermaids among us think of the more lighthearted image of mermaids?

[koiboi]

i once read this article about why many of the LGBT community has a preoccupation with mermaids and more specifically the story of the little mermaid. its clear why, say a transgender person would find the story of a mermaid gaining legs and changing her form, especially captivating. but i think gay men identify with the aspect that theres always a price to pay for whomever we love, i dont mean to speak for a demographic or to generalize just stating my own personal observation. I've loved mermaids since i was a child and saw the little mermaid for the first time and performed "part of that world" for any family member that so much as breathed the word "ariel". As i've matured and gotten older, my perspective has shifted. In life theres rarely a clear black/white, good/evil answer but rather an ambiguous yes and no and sometimes neither. it would only make sense that my views of the fantastical would correlate to this belief. Sorry to go on a rant btw everyone. and thanks for the link to the thread

[merboy78xy]

Hey Joy:
true. I am likewise a gay merman... so i can't postulate on that. But it's an interesting thought. Who can say!?
I think I have a leaning toward the wilder look because I have a strong interest and intense studies in Zoology and marine biology, so I see the wildness of nature and love to impose that on the look of what a "wild person" (such as merfolk) would have. Not that I discredit the look of fanciful, sparkly, swirly, fluffy, "pinks and purples", etc. I mean, after all-- as a gay man who has worked for Disney, I DEFINITELY prescribe to my amended addage: "all that glitters IS gold." So I respect those who want a "disney-fied" glamorous look to their merfolk. Nuttin' wrong wit' it.
Koiboi:
Thanks for the tidbit! I never stopped to think of that. It does make a lot of sense! the same reason that the butterfly is a huge symbol for me: Metamorphosis, change, etc. And I named my company Chimaera after the many faceted/changing beast!

[Prince Calypso]

i don't think its all mermen. I've always though mermaids were darker, honestly its only been in the past few decades that they got this girly dainty persona about them

in truth i love all mermaids and view them as a combination of magical and tangible, fairy and beast, human and inhuman.
but for me when i view a mermaid in my mind and think of their nature in general it comes back to the fact they live in one of the harshest and most dangerous environments on earth so i feel that their nature, personas, and physical descriptions would fit this. as well as being magical and beautiful and and colorful and dainty and all that. nothing that live in the ocean is all cuddly. dolphins for all their cuteness are still wild and if encountered in the wild can be dangerous, the same goes for seals, whales, hell even large groups of fish can be dangerous.

[Prince Calypso]

and i don't like the term "dark" or "evil" i prefer the term wild because that's what i think mermaids are wild humanoid creatures.
we don't refer to a wolf as dark or evil if it attacks someone, nor do we a big cat, or shark or killer whale. its their nature

just think of it. a beast with all the intelligence and cunning of a human, all the strength of power grace and predatory skill of the animal kingdom and the magical ability to enchant, hypnotize, control all aspects of water, predict the future, heal and call storms. we are looking at something truly freakin epic

[Mermaid Photine]

I love your thought, Calypso. I think where the word dark comes in is the fact that all of the hypnosis, predatory skill, drowning, and storms will affect the humans negatively. It's awesome for these merfolk, but for us people, it means it is so much easier to get eaten.

[Princess Kae-Leah]

Here's a curious trend I might be noticing... (and this may be "stereotyping" so: no offense meant!!!)
but it seems like the mermen on here tend to like the image of merfolk being somewhat darker/wilder and the mermaids on here tend to see the image of merfolk as lighter and more "fancy-fantasy"...

does that seem an honest observation? (Not that there wouldn't be exceptions to this observation)

I'm a girl, and I 1000% subscribe to the latter interpretation of merfolk, so I think there is truth in your generalization. :) For me, living a mer-lifestyle is about being peaceful and taking care of nature, especially the oceans and its creatures.

[merboy78xy]

I also use the term "dark" to mean mysterious. Not evil. I think that there is beauty and peace in the dark, as there is in the light. Black can be a color that is grounding, nurturing and healing. but the dark also means shadowed, hidden and the unseen/unknown. Not necessarily bad-- just unknown

[Mermaid Photine]

In ancient egyptian beliefs, black is a colour of good and fertility, as it was the colour of the soil by the nile. Colour meaning are all relative to where you happen to be. I believe that in Asia, white is the colour of death. I definitely like your definition of dark better than mine, Merboy. Mine is what the general meaning is. :)

[Amethyst]

My mermaid persona is definitely the H20 sort of mermaid lol I'm a very happy and playful person :)

[Mermaid Momo]

im all for the dark mermaid who lurks in the depts of the oceans watching divers curiously(i probably spelled that wrong) but always ready to go on the defense when needed. they like to play like disney mermaids but again, always on edge. they have a sort of wilder look to them (small all black eyes, thin faces, long and thick sometimes matted hair, long think fingers and really long tails) and the same for merman but they're lanky and thin so they can move really fast in the water. but like octopi, they're made almost completely out of muscle. maybe i'll draw a picture and post it to give you guys more of an idea of what i think a mer looks like. :3

[Prince Calypso]

i once read this article about why many of the LGBT community has a preoccupation with mermaids and more specifically the story of the little mermaid. its clear why, say a transgender person would find the story of a mermaid gaining legs and changing her form, especially captivating. but i think gay men identify with the aspect that theres always a price to pay for whomever we love, i dont mean to speak for a demographic or to generalize just stating my own personal observation. I've loved mermaids since i was a child and saw the little mermaid for the first time and performed "part of that world" for any family member that so much as breathed the word "ariel". As i've matured and gotten older, my perspective has shifted. In life theres rarely a clear black/white, good/evil answer but rather an ambiguous yes and no and sometimes neither. it would only make sense that my views of the fantastical would correlate to this belief. Sorry to go on a rant btw everyone. and thanks for the link to the thread

I LOVE YOU!!!!! you are actually the first person to every really make this connection besides me and my brother

[Prince Calypso]

Hey Joy:
true. I am likewise a gay merman... so i can't postulate on that. But it's an interesting thought. Who can say!?
I think I have a leaning toward the wilder look because I have a strong interest and intense studies in Zoology and marine biology, so I see the wildness of nature and love to impose that on the look of what a "wild person" (such as merfolk) would have. Not that I discredit the look of fanciful, sparkly, swirly, fluffy, "pinks and purples", etc. I mean, after all-- as a gay man who has worked for Disney, I DEFINITELY prescribe to my amended addage: "all that glitters IS gold." So I respect those who want a "disney-fied" glamorous look to their merfolk. Nuttin' wrong wit' it.
Koiboi:
Thanks for the tidbit! I never stopped to think of that. It does make a lot of sense! the same reason that the butterfly is a huge symbol for me: Metamorphosis, change, etc. And I named my company Chimaera after the many faceted/changing beast!

agreed!!

[NorthernPearl]

merboy78xy, that is an interesting take on it. Some of us mermen are gay, though, which takes the question off in a third direction as well. Would straight mermen (or even bi ones) have the same take on wilder mermaids that I do? And what do any bi ladies or lesbian mermaids among us think of the more lighthearted image of mermaids?

Lesbian mermaid here. :) My imagining of mermaids is somewhere between the lighthearted and the darker visions of them, or rather... includes both, I guess. I'm still figuring out what I imagine mermaids would be like if they were real, but thus far my tentative opinion is that there would be variation among the mer just as there is in the human world. Not to say that I think it'd just be a watery version of our world - I think different culture, environment, and physical makeup would shape them collectively and individually in a different way than we've developed. But every time I try to imagine a mer-world of all dark-and-mysterious mer, I see the exceptions, the mer who run opposite to that image. And the same happens when I try to imagine a mer-world of the more lighthearted slant; I see the exceptions, the mer who hang back, run contrary to their culture, who seek the deeper and sometimes less pretty mysteries.
So I don't know. Maybe I'll come back to this thread a while from now and have a different answer, but for now my imaginative stab in the dark would be toward a complex mix. Which I'm not sure answers the question at all. x) But I tried? :)

[NorthernPearl]

Oh! And one other little thing that was rolling around in my brain today after I'd skimmed this thread last night. One of the things that I think appeals to me on a subconscious level about mermaids is that they thrive in an environment capable of taking human life. I think some part of me is really attracted to the mermaid myth because as a girl alone in a cold sea, I'm drowning. But when I change that scene to make myself a mermaid, I'm not drowning - I'm just swimming. It's just a perspective shift, but it changes things from failure and doom to function and life and peace.
Now that I type that out, I'm not sure it will make sense or seem relevant to anybody else. (Which I promise is okay. :) ) But I did find it interesting when it surfaced in my thoughts today.

[Mermaasai]

Did any of you see Avatar?
I just watched it again since seeing it in theaters once when it came out. So gyaddern visually stunning..

Having grown up in a very tribal environment and surrounded by a hunter/gatherer people group, I loved how Avatar portrayed the indiginous peoples.

I think of mermaids/men very similarly to this movies people group as well as my people, the Maasai.

Hunter/gatherer peoples with strong ties to their tribe or pod.
With history abounding and stories that leak back as far as their own primordial beginnings. A natural respect for their home and environment because of how delicate their eco system is.

They are different, they have a mindset that isnt like ours because their environment is different, their food source, their daily dilemmas, their belief systems, and their social constructs.

But they are the same. They love, they feel deeply and passionately. They hate and have anger and vengeance as well as deep sadness and empathy.
They love their children, they love their family, they interact on a deeply personal level and share their weaknesses and strengths to combine into a healthy and functional pod unit.

They war with each other and come together in great need or sorrow.
They are as diverse as we are, with differing social rules in different areas and pods.
There are vegitarians and carnivores, human sympathizers and human hunters, deep sea dwellers and coastal sun bathers.
They have princess' and prince's as well as hunters and warriors.

Some migrate, some stay in one general area, or move according to food availability.

I also like to think of them as able to change their sex in neccessity as a Rana Rugosa frog can trigger chemical changes that activate the genes that can recreate their reproductive organs, the frogs can still have the same sex chromosomes(ie: XX for females) and change their gender without the sex chromosomes changing to XY.. (its complicated), which would bring mers a bit closer to an amphibeous relation.
In this way genetically male or female mers can reproduce with same sex mers (technically) and there is still the ability for more "conventional" relationships between male and female. (its all about love, baby)
Its just an idea.. I just like the idea of a mated pair of mers able to have beautiful little splashing merkin of their very own regardless of their gender.
Its all a very touchy idea I know.. its just kind of a thought i had after watching discovery channel..

Any way, those are my thoughts ^.^ Its a very big blue world so there is room for all sorts of differences and opinions.

[Prince Calypso]

Did any of you see Avatar?
I just watched it again since seeing it in theaters once when it came out. So gyaddern visually stunning..

Having grown up in a very tribal environment and surrounded by a hunter/gatherer people group, I loved how Avatar portrayed the indiginous peoples.

I think of mermaids/men very similarly to this movies people group as well as my people, the Maasai.

Hunter/gatherer peoples with strong ties to their tribe or pod.
With history abounding and stories that leak back as far as their own primordial beginnings. A natural respect for their home and environment because of how delicate their eco system is.

They are different, they have a mindset that isnt like ours because their environment is different, their food source, their daily dilemmas, their belief systems, and their social constructs.

But they are the same. They love, they feel deeply and passionately. They hate and have anger and vengeance as well as deep sadness and empathy.
They love their children, they love their family, they interact on a deeply personal level and share their weaknesses and strengths to combine into a healthy and functional pod unit.

They war with each other and come together in great need or sorrow.
They are as diverse as we are, with differing social rules in different areas and pods.
There are vegitarians and carnivores, human sympathizers and human hunters, deep sea dwellers and coastal sun bathers.
They have princess' and prince's as well as hunters and warriors.

Some migrate, some stay in one general area, or move according to food availability.

I also like to think of them as able to change their sex in neccessity as a Rana Rugosa frog can trigger chemical changes that activate the genes that can recreate their reproductive organs, the frogs can still have the same sex chromosomes(ie: XX for females) and change their gender without the sex chromosomes changing to XY.. (its complicated), which would bring mers a bit closer to an amphibeous relation.
In this way genetically male or female mers can reproduce with same sex mers (technically) and there is still the ability for more "conventional" relationships between male and female. (its all about love, baby)
Its just an idea.. I just like the idea of a mated pair of mers able to have beautiful little splashing merkin of their very own regardless of their gender.
Its all a very touchy idea I know.. its just kind of a thought i had after watching discovery channel..

Any way, those are my thoughts ^.^ Its a very big blue world so there is room for all sorts of differences and opinions.


i really like and agree with this idea.
i think the aliens from Avatar are a great example of how mermiad culture and scioty would possiblly be.
i also love the idea of mermaid being amphibious. idk why but is just clicks with me a bit more

as fore mermaid sex and gender i get what your saying and it's a very different and epic view of things.
personally i think mermaids since they live in a predominantly female culture, that the males are bore in two groups.
first group is your stereotypical mermen, big, muscler and aggressive.
second grouplare hermaphroditic or inter-sexual males born with both working sets of sexual organ, who besides being a bit more masculine in appearance don't look that much different than their female counterparts


this allows the population to be maintained because males can become pregnant too
i believe the culture would an opposite in ours in that they would a predominantly female, females would the majority and males the minority

[Coradion]

Let's see if merfolk were real... well for me I would have highly vascularized tissues in my mouth and a modified swim bladder/lung so surface breathing would be possible. I do like the darker, predatory appeal. The ocean is a harsh place and I feel intelligence and an almost wrathful approach is often needed for larger animals especially. To support the amount of food needed for the colder waters opportunistic feeding upon other animals would almost be a must. I do like the POTC mermaids in not only their actions, but their morphology. Most tails I've seen are truncate or lunate which is more characteristic of slower moving and reef fish. The POTC mermaids had heavily forked tails similar to many predatory pelagic fishes. My tail would be forked for swimming quickly and chasing down food, to look like a Ken doll is ideal as seen in POTC luring large prey items to their demise is advantageous in a potentially low food environment. I would most likely stalk and hunt divers.

[Nemefish]

2264

maybe like this but darker :P

[Nykur]

I believe I have read that mermaids are beautiful but vicious, and the males are more ugly looking but with a more gentle nature then their opposite gender.

[Prince Calypso]

I believe I have read that mermaids are beautiful but vicious, and the males are more ugly looking but with a more gentle nature then their opposite gender.

see i read the same thing somewhere but then a while back and i can't remember where there was another idea posed
that the reason most people don think they're are attractive male mermaids is because most of the male population is indistinguishable from their female counterparts

[Mermaid Photine]

see i read the same thing somewhere but then a while back and i can't remember where there was another idea posed
that the reason most people don think they're are attractive male mermaids is because most of the male population is indistinguishable from their female counterparts
This was the idea in the Spiderwick Chronicles. They made a book of all the creatures (the art is incredible) and there was a section on merfolk. It's also the idea for Irish mers, I think.

[Kanti]

Like this! :'>


2294

[Prince Calypso]

i think that's a gorgon or a naga but the picture is still Sway Epic .
I'm think something more like this
2296
this is basically what i consider the quintessential MerMan to look like
dominant and large and different from his female counterpart in every way

2297
this(ignoring the breast which i just noticed) is the quintessential hermaphroditic male
smaller and and far more effeminate. he is no less dangerous then his male or counterparts and can easily hold his own with the aggressive females

[Mermaid Rillia]

I would probably look something like the H2O mermaids, but be exotic like the POTC mermaids.

Mermaids are a part of nature. Nature is exotic, and wild. I would expect mermaids to have somewhat wild traits.

[MermaidRaegan]

Homoflexible Mermaid speaking! One of the things that makes mermaids so attractive to me is the Amazonian view that I have of them. I see them loving culture and art, prizing intellect and philisophy, while also being dark, passionate, feirce, and at times primial and animalistic. I think of refined warriors who would be able to survive with ease in a harsh marine environment, who can also be playful, loving, and gentle. Kind of like a great cat: they can roll around on the jungle floor and purr like a house cat, but they'll rip you to shreds without regret if you threaten them or their kin. Perhaps this makes me rather sterotypical, but I love the idea of strong, independent females. And of course, the males would be quite the same way. ;3

I also seem them being beautiful in an alien sort of way. Lots of extra fins, gils, different eyes for underwater sight, etc, who also love to adorn themselves in ways that would both bind them to the individual culter of their pod while also setting them apart as an individual.

[Prince Calypso]

Homoflexible Mermaid speaking! One of the things that makes mermaids so attractive to me is the Amazonian view that I have of them. I see them loving culture and art, prizing intellect and philisophy, while also being dark, passionate, feirce, and at times primial and animalistic. I think of refined warriors who would be able to survive with ease in a harsh marine environment, who can also be playful, loving, and gentle. Kind of like a great cat: they can roll around on the jungle floor and purr like a house cat, but they'll rip you to shreds without regret if you threaten them or their kin. Perhaps this makes me rather sterotypical, but I love the idea of strong, independent females. And of course, the males would be quite the same way. ;3

I also seem them being beautiful in an alien sort of way. Lots of extra fins, gils, different eyes for underwater sight, etc, who also love to adorn themselves in ways that would both bind them to the individual culter of their pod while also setting them apart as an individual.


i swear i love your brain!!!
every time you post it's like we are on the exact same wave length its crazy
i agree with this view of mermaids whole heartily. having been raised by strong black women who i consider the closest things to Amazons i will ever have the pleasure of meeting, this idea hits close to home for me.

[MermaidRaegan]

The feeling is mutual Princy. ;) My Mama raised me on the attitude of "Trust no Man, Fear no B***h!" so I love the idea of mermaids who can have loving mates and families but don't need a merman to take care of them and who won't hesitate to cut a shark who gets too close to their merbabies.

[MermanJesse]

Whaddaya mean, "if"?

Whether or not this is real, ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0piC75vbKgk )

I think anything is possible!

[Kanti]

@ Calypso: Yea! It's a naga guy! I love how his face is a bit warped though and his hair is tentacles~
I love those designs you posted too, though! I love how they're "fish" all over. It looks awesome!

@ Jesse: that video is very interesting, but I've only watched so much of it right now xD

[Prince Calypso]

Whaddaya mean, "if"?

Whether or not this is real, ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0piC75vbKgk )

I think anything is possible!


OMG I cant wait til this airs on tv this month!!!

[Gem Stone]

i just watched it begining to end, and if its true and they exsist then i don't want to know anymore. i don't want to meet one, i don't want to see one, i don't one to like me. if this is true, then we(humans) will end up putting them in zoos, cages, food, slavery, or even extinction. if its true, i want them to stay hidden.
on the other hand, it is really convienent that ALL of their research was confiscated. just saying. not doubting but definately throwing it out there. although i love their tails!

[Kanti]

xD The documentary was really cute, but it seemed like they could've done more to make it more
believable.

I think it already aired, Calypso. I think it was aired last year when Animal Planet had a "myths"
week where they made a couple other fake documentaries like this. They had made one about
dragons that I remember being pretty nifty too.

[Spindrift]

I think it was aired last year when Animal Planet had a "myths"
week where they made a couple other fake documentaries like this. They had made one about
dragons that I remember being pretty nifty too.


Yeah I have the dragon one on DVD. I thought it was pretty awesome. Dragon's World: Fantasy Made Real is the name in the US. In other countries it is called 'The Last Dragon'. There's a wiki on it: http://dragonsworld.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon%27s_World:_A_Fantasy_Made_Real_Wiki
As well as several Facebook pages. Here's the Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Dragon_%282004_TV_series%29

[Kanti]

I wonder why it's named differently in the US?
Maybe they're scared people from here are so stupid they might actually thing it WAS the "Last
Dragon" xD

[Mermaid Rillia]

Hahaha Kanti. I liked the documentarty. It was almost believeable. unfortunately the only real thing is the bloop recording. but it could very well be true. Even to go as far as how they evolved. all good possibilities.

[Mermaid Karin]

Im a mix between Ariel and the PotC mermaids.

Ariel because I love collecting stuff, and I am far away from the person that I fell in love with and would give anything to be where they are. <3 And I have a really strict demanding dad xD that loves me of course.

Pirates of the Caribbean because I am somewhat dark and vengeful...and I like eating.. << LOL

[Mermaid Karin]

Whaddaya mean, "if"?

Whether or not this is real, ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0piC75vbKgk )

I think anything is possible!

dawww. D: it said the video isnt available anymore. </3 is there another way i could find it?

[Mermaid Aurora]

I think there doesn't have to be a strict good/bad, darker/lighter, fantasy/vicious line with all mermaids. I think they'd be like humans. Some are good, some are bad, some are fairy-tale like and some are bitchy and kick-ass. I think it just depends on the mer!

[LittleAmy]

For my part, I think true mermaids will be like in the serie Supernatural.

She can be what you want (a hot girl for exemple) and talk about what you like to do what she want about you. But, if you look in a mirror or you break the charm, she look like a “monster” with basical animal instincts.

[LittleAmy]

I think there doesn't have to be a strict good/bad, darker/lighter, fantasy/vicious line with all mermaids. I think they'd be like humans. Some are good, some are bad, some are fairy-tale like and some are bitchy and kick-ass. I think it just depends on the mer!

If you read the mythological text about them, they eat human flesh in general.
A lion protecting a lamb is really really rare.
But it's my opinion :)

[Mermaid Fenicia]

I'm more like the H2O-mermaids/Ariel but really not that slim. I'm a chubby mermaid (and that's why people hate me as a mermaid :()

[deepblue]

I tend to see mermaids as a type of fae, as someone else mentioned. But as with any race of beings, personas differ and there isn't one way they'll interact although generally, they're not going to be pleasant to encounter. As creatures of the sea, knowing what kind of fish-eat-fish world the oceans harbor, they're not angels or devils. Survivors. I do not in any way find myself able to accept the stories of mer kingdoms and heirarchies.

As for me, if this was all real, perhaps I'd have evolved the ability to live in both deep sea and rise to the surface on occasion. I'm the deep sea, animalistic, intelligent and wary mermaid type.

[LittleTreasure]

If mermaids were real... Well since I don't tend to think of mermaids being real this is a toughie. I like to think we're living the fantasy of being a mermaid, not being a (maybe bad) imitation of something that's really out there...that way I can still be a 'real' mermaid... :p did that make any sense?

Anyway. If we were all real merfolk, I think that:

Since we're all different shapes, sizes, colors, etc., those would be a reflection of where our ancestors were born, like us. Our skin color would be an adaptation to our need for the nutrients we get from sunshine, depending on where and how deep we nested in the water, and the foods we ate - aka if we didn't need as much from the sun, we'd be a darker shade. Our tail colors would be a reflection of our everyday environment, as a form of camouflage or as a warning to stay away, and maybe we could change our tail/skin color to protect ourselves, like some octopi can do.

Some of us could have adapted fishlike teeth depending on the food we have access to. Some of us have different hunting methods, and some of us don't hunt at all - we are gatherers and possibly even grow our own food somehow. Even our fin shape would denote our lifestyle - how fast we need to go and how active we need to be. Mers with bulkier bone structures or heavier bodies might be using that to live in a cold, harsh environment. More willowy mers would be living in warmer waters.
We'd have to have adapted the anatomical means to breathe and live in a deep, watery, high pressure environment as well, of course.

Since I love music so much and love the idea of 'sirens' and singing mers, I think we'd need biosonar like dolphins have. I don't know exactly how the anatomy would work but we'd be able to communicate with each other - essentially like singing - through the water and use it to locate food and 'read' our environment since some of us would live very deep or in murky waters. We'd also have the anatomy to be able to come up out of the water and sing, to attract food (curious humans) or whatever.

[deepblue]

Since I love music so much and love the idea of 'sirens' and singing mers, I think we'd need biosonar like dolphins have. I don't know exactly how the anatomy would work but we'd be able to communicate with each other - essentially like singing - through the water and use it to locate food and 'read' our environment since some of us would live very deep or in murky waters. We'd also have the anatomy to be able to come up out of the water and sing, to attract food (curious humans) or whatever.

I love the idea of having sonar. I wonder if we'd have to evolve a melon-forehead to be equipped for this, or could the sinuses we have right now work for that? The creatures with the most amazing sonar seem to have huger melon-heads or larger heads in general. Botos and sperm whales, for instance. :) Since the absolute use of sinuses is debatable, I like to think (with no science behind it whatsoever) that our sinuses are the remnants of our ancestors' sonar ability.

[Merman Dan]

How about merfolk with color-changing tails? Some fish have different coloration between juvenile and adult, while others differ from male to female. Others darken their colors at night.

[MermaidMisty]

On msn.com right now, the news on the front page (it's rotating between 7 different stories) is mention of the documentary and links to some clips. That's all I've seen of it so far, but it seems incredible. :)

[merboy78xy]

Hey Little Amy, what episode of Supernatural had a mermaid in it? do you know?

[Merman Craig (Delphinar)]

I believe that they're more like the ones from little mermaid and H2O. I believe that I'm one of those creatures.

[deepblue]

^If you believe that, how can you explain that you don't end up with sprouting a tail when you are in water? I'm not challenging you, but asking for clarification. I don't believe mers exist in the physical world. If they exist at all it's like the fae, between the worlds.



Here's a question. If mermaids are real, physical beings, how do you think they'd react to humans who pretend to be them? Somehow I don't think they'd see it as flattery. If you think of humans who see others pretending to be what they aren't, it's never a pleasant interaction.

As for Supernatural, there was an episode that featured their version of a Siren. Season 4 Episode: 14 "Sex and Violence"- if you know the show at all, you know that they use myths and urban legends in a fast and loose manner, a sort of 'This demon is what that myth was actually based on, and they got it wrong.' I do love the show, but haven't seen it in a long time.

http://www.supernaturalwiki.com/index.php?title=Sirens

[Merman Dan]

I don't believe mers exist in the physical world. If they exist at all it's like the fae, between the worlds.

Ahh... but some of us are quite adept at "almost seeing things out of the corners of our eyes". The curtain between worlds is ephemeral, at best.

[deepblue]

And some of us can see it, period. That doesn't make them physical beings in the sense of current understanding of what a corporeal being is.

[LittleTreasure]

I love the idea of having sonar. I wonder if we'd have to evolve a melon-forehead to be equipped for this, or could the sinuses we have right now work for that? The creatures with the most amazing sonar seem to have huger melon-heads or larger heads in general. Botos and sperm whales, for instance. :) Since the absolute use of sinuses is debatable, I like to think (with no science behind it whatsoever) that our sinuses are the remnants of our ancestors' sonar ability.

Here's a silly thought: What if the melon-forehead part was in our chest or something? You know how when you're at a loud concert, you can feel the music in your chest? I think that might work out okay... :p Maybe it could be a somewhat thin layer of stuff just on top of the ribcage. We could recieve the sonar with that and also transmit it? Maybe by some kind of humming? I don't know XD I'm just trying to avoid us having melon heads in my mind.

[Mermaid Momo]

Here's a silly thought: What if the melon-forehead part was in our chest or something? You know how when you're at a loud concert, you can feel the music in your chest? I think that might work out okay... :p Maybe it could be a somewhat thin layer of stuff just on top of the ribcage. We could recieve the sonar with that and also transmit it? Maybe by some kind of humming? I don't know XD I'm just trying to avoid us having melon heads in my mind.
Have you ever experienced a Taiko drum performance? When the drums are beaten, you can litterally feel it loud and clear in your chest and you can hear it echoing off of the walls and anything else around it. It's a really cool feeling because it's like you'r sorrounded by 100 drums buy it's only a few.

[Mermaid Miel]

Here's a question. If mermaids are real, physical beings, how do you think they'd react to humans who pretend to be them? Somehow I don't think they'd see it as flattery. If you think of humans who see others pretending to be what they aren't, it's never a pleasant interaction.


I Actually think that if mermaids were real, the way Humans would respond to us would be more interesting.

We'd have more Mermaiders who are members of a cult that demands you dress like them in order to please some pagan sea-god,
A similar Cult that declares dressing like mermaids to be Heresy(maybe Pagan. maybe Pseudo-Christian)

There would be Marine-Biologists, Linguists and Diplomats Working overtime together to get (and keep) a channel of communication open. Governments more worried about beach/border security.
There would be huge advances in underwater breathing technology, till all we need is those little mouth pieces that are in Starwars. And maybe not even then.

If Mermaids do eat humans, the next time one of us goes to the local pool then Children would beRunning away from us instead of mobbing us.

But If they are human-friendly, then we might be able to swim with them.

Like the Mythological Selkie, Would we be capable of Inter-breeding? If so Mixed couples would face Prejudice and Legal Persecuetion before it slowly slowly becomes accepted, Generations later.

The Human-Mer race would become more environmentally focused, but would still spread with entire cites being built underwater.

[LittleAmy]

Hey Little Amy, what episode of Supernatural had a mermaid in it? do you know?

Season 4 episode 14 if I remember correctly ;)

[Mermaid Crystal]

I prefer the h20 look but they can easily hurt you plus they are shape-shifters.

[merboy78xy]

I like this idea that I read once:

The word Supernatural is moot. If something exists in the universe (whether angel, fairy, magic, ghost, mermaid, unicorn, god, etc. etc.), then it is a natural part of the universe and therefor NOT SUPERnatural.

I like that. It means that even the things we don't see or don't know about yet (that actually exist), are natural.

[Mermaid Annariea]

i think merfolk would be curious and somewhat playful, but mostly distrustful towards humans, with a wild, quickly changing temprament as a reflection of their ocean habitat. the females would be beautiful and seductive, as would the mermen, and theyd use it to their advantage against humans. i also agree with little treasures comment, and a few others. also, merfolk would probably be fey creatures.

[Patches]

I completely and totally agree with OP. I've always thought that too.

[Sea Specter]

I imagine that back in the day they would be man eaters, but people would enslave them and make them fish. And eventually from the brutality they would stop eating man and start eating seaweed, especially if they were starved on the job. In modern society I suppose they would be like normal people though, from all they've been through