Split tail?

[Mertara]

Has anyone ever thought about doing a split mermaid tail? Which is basically each of your legs as its own mermaid tail? It could look really cool, even though its an alternative tail. Also I just realized this should have gone in costume taill discussions, WOOPS! :X
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[MerEmma]

That would be...pretty cool. You'd basically just need scale print leggings (like Mahina offers?) and separate fins to decorate.

[Mertara]

yeah you could do it any way you wanted, and just use flipper fins instead of a monofin. Just another variation on mermaid tails!

[MerAnthony]

That is different.I never really thought of something like that.

[Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!]

Kinda reminds me of the classic depictions of tritons.

[SeaGlass Siren]

kinda reminds me of the starbucks mermaid. i might actually do this since i cant swim in a proper tail ;_; i need both legs

[Mermaid Saphira]

I would love to give this a go, I do have a ton of purple fabric leftover and a set of swim-fins.
Either way, if anymer tries it please share! I want to see :)

[SeaGlass Siren]

it'd be kinda like swimming with pants on, no?

[Mermaid Saphira]

Pretty much. lol

[MermaidBrittany]

The reason I like mermaid tails is because its something totally different then humans with legs. So while it can be made to look fishy, to me it will still be legs and simple swim fins :/ But thats my opinion.

[Mertara]

kinda reminds me of the starbucks mermaid. i might actually do this since i cant swim in a proper tail ;_; i need both legs

Yes it's an artwork from dA that is meant to be the starbucks mermaid ;)

[Mertara]

it'd be kinda like swimming with pants on, no?

I don't think it would be like swimming in pants any more than swimming in a tail is like swimming with a long skirt on XD

[MermaidBrittany]

I don't think it would be like swimming in pants any more than swimming in a tail is like swimming with a long skirt on XD

Then how would it work?

[Tasha Mermaid]

Personally not something i like......fish and sea mammals do not have 2 tails so i think a mermaid with 2 tails would seem a little out of place.......that being said, if someone was to decide to mae one i would love to see how it turns out :)

[Mertara]

Then how would it work? it would be just like a tail, just on each leg, and with flippers instead of a monofin, or at least that's how I envision it.

[Mertara]

Personally not something i like......fish and sea mammals do not have 2 tails so i think a mermaid with 2 tails would seem a little out of place.......that being said, if someone was to decide to mae one i would love to see how it turns out :)

Yeah I do not know if there is a fish somewhere that's double tailed, but then again mermaids are *already* a made up thing, so I'm ok with taking it one step further. I also think reverse mermaids are fun! (fish body, human legs). I'm a nonconformist XD

[jvry8c]

sounds like a cool idea. Alot of classical depictions of mermaids show them with split or double tails. I would say go for it! :D

[Mertara]

yeah
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[jvry8c]

I wonder if you could make twin tailed "pants" (for lack of a better term) using silicon. The only difficulty i see in doing the split tail design would be hiding the contort of your heals and making both legs look very fish like. btw are those supposed to be "hip fins" like the little mermaid has on the images you posted?

[MerEmma]

^ I literally thought of using silicone half a second before you posted that. xD

[SeaGlass Siren]

Well there are fish that have mutations so maybe split tail is just a mutation

[MermaidBrittany]

I still find it would be like pants and swim fins :/


Well there are fish that have mutations so maybe split tail is just a mutation

And really?? Could you post a pic please? That would be cool, I can't find one. I am really interested in genetics, esp with marine life :P

[Mermaid Lorelei]

The Ryukin is one type of fish known to have double-lobed caudal fins. There are other multiple other fish with this type of caudal fin, too.

http://www.aquariumfish.net/images_01/ryukin_red_02.jpg

[MermaidBrittany]

The Ryukin is one type of fish known to have double-lobed caudal fins. There are other multiple other fish with this type of caudal fin, too.

http://www.aquariumfish.net/images_01/ryukin_red_02.jpg

And is that considered a mutation?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

It can be considered a mutation, but it has become a healthy, well-bred strain that is recognized as a sub-species of sort.

[MermaidBrittany]

It can be considered a mutation, but it has become a healthy, well-bred strain that is recognized as a sub-species of sort.

Ok cool, thank you for the explanation :)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

No problem. :3

[Naomi Indigo]

Or what about a tail that joins your legs, but splits at the feet with separate flippers that merge at the ankle area? Or a monofin that can split partially, via snaps and velcro?

[KitKat]

pff, funny you should mention that, i literally JUST finished making [dry versions] of this exact thing for my school's spring musical! they were 6 pairs of scaly silver spandex leggings with lavender fairy organza ruffles at the ankles. they needed some mermaids to do synchronized swimming moves in the background of a scene :P they worked pretty well, but they looked kinda like disco dancers imo [mostly because of their hot pink bikini tops lol] i can probably find some pictures somewhere if anyone wants them
but yea i think that's doable! i think it would take some extra effort to make them look really fishy tho. and maybe you could cut the individual flippers into better fluke shapes the same way you cut monofins? hmm

[Mermaid Lily_Pad]

I found these two and thought they came close to what you are looking for. I have no idea if you could swim in them, but who knows.

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[Naomi Indigo]

What if there was a "mitten" style fin? That has potential to look really cool

[Mermaid Muir]

I think that maybe you could do it in two parts? Like have the legs be like wetsuit bottom and then modify a pair of flippers to look like fins? I think any design would look cool though

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Do one like the real She Creature tail where it is together for the butt, thighs and calves, and split where the ankles and feet are. That would look super awesome!

[Echidna]

I always think she creature if I hear split tail.
although it might look more like a seal in the end if you just split from the ankles down.

not sure if you could replicate the "original" two-tailed medieval mermaid look, given the posture she's usually shown in
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there's also the merfolk you see in "Dagon".
while in the first scene, the mermaid is shown with a pretty white classical tail, her true appearance has split limbs:

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that could be achieved with two separate, long and thin snaketail sleeves.
Half tempted to make one now :p

[Aziara]

I really want to make a walking mermaid costume with scale tights and frilly stuff at the bottom to hide my feet. Nothing swimmable, I just think it would be fun for ren faires and such.

[PearlieMae]

Do a google search or a flickr search for 'mermaid parade' and you'll get hundreds of ideas!

[Mermaid Kassandra]

That's such an amazing idea! If someone realizes a tail like that I really want to know how it turns out :)
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[Josephine Boone]

I just started designing a legs/split tail costume for dancing! Do we mers have a hive-mind thing going on??? :D I love seeing all the different ideas!

[Rivertee]

I echo the thoughts here awesome idea...difficult but awesome...it would also help some people to bridge the gap in evolution from humans to mermaids if it starts with us having two tails that evetnually become one.

[Lostariel Telrunya]

I'm actually warming up to this idea now... You do need to be careful though, if you are planning on using something wider than traditional swim fins on each foot, you might end up knocking your feet against each other, and that may lessen the effect of the tail-limbs. Another thing I've kind of always wanted to try was a tail where one foot is on top of the other. I have a bone disorder, so it's REALLY hard for me to keep both feet right side-by-side, but when I do the dolphin kick in the water, my left foot always goes on top of the right foot. That way, you could have a much thinner section near the fluke, and it would look a bit more like the mermaids with the tiny fish skeleton in that area. Another thing you could do with that is have the separate limbs, but attach them at the fluke, and somehow have a hole going right through the 'tail'!

[Little_Orca]

Split tail mermaids, though classical and some are beautiful, represent women of ill repute / ladies of the night / soiled doves... So keep that in mind. ;)

[Mermaid Curls]

I want to do an two-legged mermaid for Dragon Con some time. I envision the use of latex or silicone appliances and body paint. I would like to be skinnier to do this though. As for swimming, I have fins for scuba, so I am thinking of spandex leggings with fin extensions to cover the dive fins. I am learning to sew so I may have to pursue this. There was an episode of the tv show Grimm that featured two legged mermaids.

[Raayvhen]

@Orca, I never knew that! How interesting!

[Echidna]

Split tail mermaids, though classical and some are beautiful, represent women of ill repute / ladies of the night / soiled doves... So keep that in mind. ;)

This is a notion solely applied from the Christian church, and it's probably due to the fact the suggestive "holding 2 tail ends up"-pose is reminiscent/similar to much older depictions of the love and fertility goddess Inanna/Ishtar/Astarte
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who is holding up her skirts in the same manner, and anything related to female beauty, seductiveness, and physical love is evil in the Christian worldview.

[Aziara]

This is a notion solely applied from the Christian church, and it's probably due to the fact the suggestive "holding 2 tail ends up"-pose is reminiscent/similar to much older depictions of the love and fertility goddess Inanna/Ishtar/Astarte
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who is holding up her skirts in the same manner, and anything related to female beauty, seductiveness, and physical love is evil in the Christian worldview.

Maybe to some, but have you ever read Song of Solomon? All three things you mentioned in that last sentence are praised within the context of a marriage.

[Raayvhen]

Exactly. Also, there's a newer movement in the Christian community working towards ending sexual shame.

(unrelated to mermaids, but here's a great resource on what I was talking about. http://www.thankgodforsex.org/)

[Nana]

I think having two tails looks kinda stupid. But thats just my way of thinking.
It kinda ruins the beautiful silhouette typical of a mermaid.

But no idea why nobody has done that so far.. might end up looking good.

[Mermaid Morgann]

I remember my mother once asked if the mermen here used split tails like in this thread and I began to wonder how one could make that. It could be interesting to see a tail with split flukes, but maybe not necessarily the entire body of the tail. It could be a solid tail until either the knees or the ankles and then branch into two tails with two distinct flukes. It would look like an interesting mutation if done that way, but also a bit less "human" in appearance. I'm now tempted to fetch my sewing machine and try that out.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

My husband (and merwrangler) and I have talked about doing a split tail design for him. Personally, I think it could be very interesting.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Split tail for the parts that make merbabies and full tail for the rest of the "legs".

[Aziara]

I remember my mother once asked if the mermen here used split tails like in this thread and I began to wonder how one could make that. It could be interesting to see a tail with split flukes, but maybe not necessarily the entire body of the tail. It could be a solid tail until either the knees or the ankles and then branch into two tails with two distinct flukes. It would look like an interesting mutation if done that way, but also a bit less "human" in appearance. I'm now tempted to fetch my sewing machine and try that out.
Sounds like the She-creature tail. I'd love to see someone do this.

[Lostariel Telrunya]

This is a notion solely applied from the Christian church, and it's probably due to the fact the suggestive "holding 2 tail ends up"-pose is reminiscent/similar to much older depictions of the love and fertility goddess Inanna/Ishtar/Astarte
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who is holding up her skirts in the same manner, and anything related to female beauty, seductiveness, and physical love is evil in the Christian worldview.

caltuna, I would happily argue with your statement about the Christian church. And please, please do not take any of this personally, I just really like arguing about a lot of things...

Quick Note: I know you may not understand why I believe some of the things I believe in, but if you are to talk about what the Christian church believes in, I will tell you from that perspective. You don't have to believe in anything I say, this is just so you understand the viewpoint we are coming from.

Anything about female beauty is against our beliefs? (Yes, I go to a Mennonite church) I'm not sure where your info, but if you do know about where our beliefs come from, can you tell me where it says that female beauty is evil in any part of the Bible at all? And while you may not agree with me (which is fine, this is just what I believe), God created females to be beautiful. I believe we were created as creatures who were made out of pure and unfading love. Would you spend months and months on the perfect mermaid tail, and when you are finally finished with it, refuse to wear it or show it off? Would you really make something that you are passionate about and then shut it away?

And really? Physical love? (I do apologize if the following paragraph makes anyone feel uncomfortable, please skip if it does) As a Christian, I believe God made us with a perfect design. I personally believe that, when God created people, he wanted us to feel as close to the amount of love for others as he has for us. He made us with the chance to find someone who we love more than anything else in the world, but even that isn't nearly as close to what God feels for us. God created sexuality so that we could have both an emotional and a physical love between ourselves and our spouse. He wanted us to feel that intimacy. In Genesis, it talks about how God created a perfect world, with the animals Adam and living together and tending to each other. This was a time when there was no evil in the world. Then Adam said he needed a companion, and God made Eve. A woman. That looked like a woman and had the same anatomical structure as any women you would think of today. This was still when there was no evil in the world. God had created man and woman to be perfect, to share a connection. And, just like Aziara said, the Song of Solomon expands on what love should look like. This book includes all of the topics you listed, and there is nothing whatsoever that says it is evil or against my religion.

I'm sorry if I came on a bit strong, I'm really cranky right now and I feel like debating something. Once again, please do not take it personally.

[AniaR]

Cataluna every once in a while you cross the line a bit with your opinions. Gotta watch that when it comes to issues like race and religion. I come from a world famous feminist and Catholic university . and while women have always been oppressed that's not to say femininity has not been celebrated in varying ways or that sex is always seen as a bad thing. You could spend your life studying Christianity and other religions and barely touch the tip of the iceburg.

I don't think we need to get into a big religious debate but there's been a few threads now where its been derailed by blunt opinions being shared that really are a bit extreme and don't apply. As a fellow siderailer I'm giving you the heads up.

[AniaR]

Women were oppressed and sexuality was oppressed long before the church was born. Pretty harsh to blame it all on that.

[Tail-LessMermaid]

I think a split tail could potentially be really cool and possibly a way for beginners to practice swimming before wearing a regular tail. The only thing I'm thinking about, as someone else had mentioned, is if you make two flukes that they might get in the way of each other. Maybe designing the flukes to extend more diagonally and setting a flipper in only half of the flukes would work? (I'm tempted to sketch it and show you what I mean. I'm also pretty tempted to attempt to make one)

[Lostariel Telrunya]

Another thing that would work, which might not be a 'true' split tail, is if you made a regular tail, but have the ankle part free and make a symmetrical fluke that has a division at the end so you can still swim in the regular one-tailed fashion, but kind of flick the two halves around. That would be a really cool effect. I also imagine you would get kick-butt turning from that! :)

P.S. Sorry about derailing the conversation a bit there, I know there are threads for those topics, I just had to speak my mind.

[Aziara]

Here's a tail that splits at the ankles:http://www.pinterest.com/pin/451908143829770766/

[Lostariel Telrunya]

Well in my opinion, that one is kinda ugly, but yes, that's the general idea :)