Origin of mermaid legends

[Echidna]

Found an interesting book excerpt about the true origin of mermaid legends.

You can read the original article on
http://www.womanthouartgod.com/mermaids.php

WARNING for all those who think mammaries are an inappropriate sight, or are in a place surrounded by people who do,
there are topless pictures.

[deepblue]

I love this article, and I can totally see his point. :)

I appreciate you taking the time to post the whole thing with images. :D


Also- it might need a NSFW warning- these gals are topless, which shouldn't matter and it disgusts me that it does in so many places, but it's NSFW.

[Echidna]

Also- it might need a NSFW warning- these gals are topless
...
the mermaids of legends were topless, or nude.
Why? Because the women who inspired the legends dive topless.
I included the diver images because they bring the point of the article across-
they DO look like they were the source of the legends.

I must say I'm a bit disappointed that the first response to an article highlighting mermaids are REAL is a complaint because of two exposed fat layers.
I know you didn't mean it in a bad way, deepblue, but still.

Ironic: no one complains about the other fat layers men and women frequently display, which are in no way more or less sexual than the two in question.

Even more ironic: most complaints of this sort come from the US.
Guess which country of the world has the biggest porn industry?

[Mermaid Momo]

Think of it this way: some of us may be looking at this site at school or at work. And say I clicked on this thread at school and happened to scroll down and Whoa! Boobs. I may not have a problem with it, but my teacher and my school most certainly will. A nsfw warning will let me know that this would be a thread best looked at at home where some bare breasts won't get me in trouble.
it is a very thought out article too.

[Mermaid Annariea]

nsfw, as draggersprez said, is just a way to tell people "hey, there's something in here that your boss/teacher might not like! read at home!"

regardless of whether or not you feel as though boobs are "offensive" (which they aren't), this should be labelled nsfw. i don't mind boobs. but my boss would.

it's not a bad thing.


ANYWAYS, this article was awesome :D

[Echidna]

sure, np.
Will edit post.

[Mermaid Oshun]

very interesting post Caltuna!

[Gem Stone]

that was an awesome article.

[Echidna]

It's certainly another perspective.
However, nothing in mythology is ever simple.
One must realize that "mermaids" is a general term that was loosely applied to all sorts of (more or less) humanoid creatures, some of which clearly cannot be inspired by harmless sponge divers.

I like to divide "mermaids" in two categories;
1- "harmless", humanoid ones, friendly to fishermen and sailors (these were inspired by diving women)

2- dangerous sea creatures, who often wear their humanoid form just as a disguise;
they often kill and/or eat humans, or sink their ships with magic powers.
These belong to some dark fae category, which can NOT be inspired by divers,
even though over time, people might have mixed up the two categories.

Example:
The Legend of Thessalonike There exists a popular Greek legend which talks about a mermaid who lived in the Aegean for hundreds of years who was thought to be Thessalonike. ...
When Alexander died, his grief-stricken sister attempted to end her life by jumping into the sea. Instead of drowning, however, she became a mermaid passing judgment on mariners throughout the centuries and across the seven seas.
To the sailors who encountered her she would always pose the same question:
"Is Alexander the king alive?", to which the correct answer would be "He lives and reigns and conquers the world".
Given this answer she would allow the ship and her crew to sail safely away in calm seas.
Any other answer would transform her into the raging Gorgon, bent on sending the ship and every sailor on board to the bottom.

^^
Now, this magical creature wearing a human disguise couldn't have been the historical Thessalonike, who lived a long prosperous life before sadly being assassinated by her own unworthy son.
Neither could possibly some divers have inspired the idea of scaled, winged, fanged sea monsters with magical powers and the ability to shapeshift into a beautiful woman.
("Mermaids" in Greek today is, interestingly enough, "Gorgones").

So, yeah.
As much as people might try, you just can't explain everything scientifically :p

[SeaGlass Siren]

i think i read this o-o;

[Echidna]

Just found a picture of Atargatis, the first known mermaid:

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from this image, as well as the legend that states her human legs were under her tail, it's pretty obvious this was a diving woman with some kind of costume/swimming device.

By the way, thousands of years before Atargatis surfaced , mermen were already known.
Oannes had a similar device that he dropped when he walked on land.

[Mary Marine]

Ooo, I may have to get this book!

[Echidna]

Found a site with pictures of Japanese "mermaids" that are several hundred years old

http://pinktentacle.com/2009/12/19th-century-mermaid-illustrations/

as stated, some of these creatures were 10m long, while others were just a couple inches.
So probably fish/water creatures misidentified?

I always thought that the Kappa, a Japanese waterdemon, was just a (now extinct) giant salamander.
The description of how it could walk onto land with short stubby legs and would sometimes swallow fowl or small children certainly fits!

In that strain, there are historical pictures of waterpeople/mermen which are clearly based on giant and colossal squid!
So yes, it's all real ;) :p

[Echidna]

If you just squint a little...

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The guy on the left is also how in Europe, the ubiquitous Wassermann was depicted. :O

[SeaGlass Siren]

His legs are sexy.