Mermaids

A mermaid is a mythological creature that is believed to have started in Assyria in 1000 BC. In their version, a goddess named Semiramis falls in love with a mortal and when she tried to be with him she accidently killed him. In her sorrow she flew herself into the ocean and tried to take the form of a fish, but was unable to completely change. According to this myth, from the waist up merfolk were human in appearance and from the waist down they had a fish tail. Different people gave different descriptions, however. Some people believed they had the head and legs of a human and the body of a fish. In some parts of Europe a mermaid was seen with two tails or even a tail of a serpent instead of a fish.

When most of us hear the word "mermaid" they think of a lovely creature that would not cause harm. However, sailors used to believe mermaids were a bad omen. Mermaids were known to sing to sailors and lure them into the ocean and to their death. From there the mermaid would drag the sailor down to the ocean floor where the merfolk lived. It was even believed that when she tried to save the sailor's life, she would accidentally crush him to death.

The Greek version of the myth says that when Thessalonike (Alexander the Great's sister) died, she turned into a mermaid. In this legend when a sailor would come in contact with her, she would ask one question. "Is Alexander the king alive?" The sailor was to reply by saying, "He lives and still rules." If the sailor did not then Thessalonike would become very angry and in her rage, would transform into a Gorgon and destroy the ship.

Everyone had their own idea about the mermaid though. The Japanese believed they would become immortal if they feasted on the flesh of a mermaid. Also, in Europe, mermaids even granted wishes if you could catch one.

It is believed that when a sailor thought he was seeing a mermaid he may have actually been looking at a mammal called manatees. These animals carry their young much in the same way humans do and if a sailor was looking at it just right, it would resemble a type of humanoid.

The legend of the mermaid has been kept alive throughout the centuries thanks to the help of some well thought out hoaxes. People would use paper mache or even parts of a dead fish to piece together what may look like a mermaid. P.T. Barnum, in the 19^th century, created a fake mermaid to display in his museum. He named his creation the Feejee Mermaid. In 2004, after the tsunami, pictures began circulating around the internet of mermaids that had been found in Fiji. They were all fake.

Though these creations aren't real mermaids, there is a birth defect that has adopted the name "Mermaid Syndrome." Sirenomelia is a congenital disorder and is very rare. This occurs when a child's legs are fused together and also having reduced genitalia. Unfortunately, due to kidney and/or bladder complications, the child rarely lives more than a few days. In fact, there are only three known survivors of this disorder.

You see mermaids everywhere in our common day culture. From the "Chicken of the Sea" emblem to Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" it's easy to see that the mermaid is a well-known universal symbol.