The Mermaids Story...

Are Mermaids Real????

Source: Google

Mermaids

Are the mythical creatures that were initially created as the personifications of the water deities of ancient civilizations. They were celebrated as the bringers of life and fertility because of the sea endless supply of food, and also as forces of great nature power and destruction.

The most common 

Cause of constant sighing of mermaids during the centuries was manatees (sea cows). Their mermaid-like appearance caused sailors to mistake them when viewing them from afar. Even Christopher Columbus reported seeing ugly and fat mermaids on his first voyage to America.

Mermaids 

Are presented in almost every culture across the world as beautiful women who have fish tails as lower half of their bodies (sometimes snake tails), long hair and beautiful voice that can mesmerize or hypnotize men who hear it.

Modern view of mermaids 

Was shaped by Hans Christian Andersen 1836 fairytale "The Little Mermaid" which describes how mermaid princess gave up her voice for a chance to be together with prince that lived on the land. Original story did not have happy end, which was changed in very popular animated movie made by Disney.

Some of the powers of the mermaid

Are immortality, seeing the future, telepathy and hypnosis.

Modern day view of mermaids 

Is often mixed with sirens, who are much more aggressive and dangerous creatures.

Sirens 

Are often attributed with the powers of destruction, ability to gather storms, lure sailors in the death, lead ships to crash into rocks, cause insanity and conjure fog.

Sirens are

Vengeful and carnivorous mythical creatures from the Greek pantheon of goods. Even thought they were often presented as flying creatures, Greek myth of water sirens became very popular in the Europe.

The most famous deities 

That carried the form of mermaid were Assyrian goddess Asteart, Greek Triton and Aphrodite, and African deity MamiWata. They all represent beauty, fertility, danger of seduction, force of nature and destruction.

The most famous local folktales 

About mermaids is Guam's Sirena, and Brazil's Iara.

Mermaids are the female members 

Of the underwater race of merfolk. Males are called mermen, and are supposedly ever more shy and secretive than their female counterparts. In almost every story about them they never come to the surface to the ocean.

The most used weapons of merfolk 

Are tridents made of whale bone or coral, sharp shells, octopus-ink darts, and shark teeth.

In modern popular culture

There are four types of mermaids. Traditional mermaids that can only live in the sea, skin sheading mermaids that can walk on the land for the short periods of time (most common in Irish folklore), shape-shifting mermaids that can change to the human form at their wish, and entirely human form merfolk that can live on both land and sea (popularized in the Persian collection of folktales "One Thousand and One Nights").

Mermaids and sirens represent 

Very important parts of pirate mythos. During the golden age of the piracy, mermaid sightings reached their peak and many stories about them entered into folklore of Central America.

Mermaids can today 

Be seen in many corporate logos and official seals. Sirens were also inspiration for naming the "sirenia" order of water dwelling herbivorous mammals.

Sirens and mermaids 

Are well represented in modern day pop culture, media and arts. They are the often included in fantasy books and movies and songs are written about them regularly.