Who are mermaids? Do real living mermaids exist in real life: eyewitness stories, photos and videos about mermaids, all the evidence in the world
Question of existence mythical creatures worries people for many centuries. Some are sure that these are fictions, others trust the facts. Let's figure it out together.
In the article:
Do mermaids exist in real life - fact and fiction
Who are mermaids? These are amazing creatures that are described in legends and myths spread throughout the planet. Proof of existence sea creatures can be found in various sources. 
They are all dated at different times. Those who managed to meet mermaids in different ways. Creatures are also credited with various qualities and behaviors.
In Europe we often hear the name “ mermaid" The ancient Greeks preferred the word " siren" The Romans believed that nymphs and Nereids actually existed. This creature was also often called undine.
Sorcerers and magicians believe that a mermaid is a mystical creature, a clot of energy, a spirit of water that comes to the rescue. But this is an incorporeal creature capable of controlling the element of water.
Mermaids found by people in different parts world, differ in appearance from the heroes of books and myths. Scientists suggest that there are several types of them. There is also an opinion that these monsters are not just different from each other, but are located on various stages development.
This confirms the theory that man is a descendant of these sea creatures, because life originated in the ocean. Unfortunately, this version has not yet been proven, so it cannot be taken as an axiom. But a large number of examples in history confirm that sirens actually exist.
Real mermaids exist - shocking facts
If we look at the documents, we will find that in the 12th century in Icelandic chronicles Speculum Regale a strange creature is mentioned. It had the body of a woman and the tail of a fish. They called her " Margigr" Nothing more is known about the fate of this lady.
In 1403 in Holland a situation occurred that was described in the book of Sigault de la Fonda “ Wonders of Nature, or a Collection of Extraordinary and Noteworthy Phenomena and Adventures in the Whole World of Bodies, Arranged in Alphabetical Order" It tells that after a terrible storm on land, people discovered a strange girl. She was thrown out of the water. The Nereid was covered in mud and had a fin instead of lower limbs.
People took her to the city, changed her clothes, taught her how to cook and do housework. How exactly the woman did this, using a fin instead of legs, is not indicated in the source. During the 15 years that the creature spent among people, it did not learn to speak and constantly tried to return to its native element. But this was not successful, and the siren died among the villagers.
15 June 1608 two people who went on a trip with the navigator G. Hudson discovered a living siren in the water. They claimed that she was a charming girl with bare breasts, beautiful black braids, and her lower limb exactly resembled the tail of a mackerel. No one else from the crew saw this creature and cannot confirm the words of the sailors.
Proof that mermaids exist - amazing teen
In the 17th century spanish journalist Iker Jimenez Elizari made a note in the newspaper, publishing the records that he found in the archives of the monastery. They talked about Francisco dela Vega Casare, living in Lierganese(Cantabria).
This young man was distinguished by his ability to swim very well. Legend has it that at the age of 16 the young man went swimming and was sucked into the abyss. People did not find the teenager then.
Some time later, not far from the place where he went missing, sailors discovered unusual creature. It was still the same guy, but with snow-white skin and scales on his body.
On the limbs there were dense membranes between the fingers. The young man did not speak, but only made strange sounds. The creature had superhuman strength, as it took 10 people to catch it.
The prisoner was taken to the Franciscan temple. There, for three weeks, the young man was subjected to exorcism rituals. A year later, the teenager was returned home, his mother admitted that her son was not entirely human. Two years later, the unusual creature ran away and hid in deep sea.
Evidence of the existence of monsters in the 18th–19th centuries
In 1737 Another proof of the existence of mermaids has been published. This time the information was provided by the publisher "Gentleman's magazine". The story took place in England. The fishermen, along with their catch, lifted a strange creature onto the deck and, in fear, beat it to death.
Eyewitnesses claim that the monster made a human groan. When the fishermen came to their senses, they sorted out their catch and realized that in front of them was a male siren. The appearance of the creature was repulsive, however, the monster resembled people. Mermaid Corpse for a long time was shown to visitors to the museum in Exter.
Scot's magazine in 1739 amazed readers with interesting material, which said that the people from the ship “ Halifax"We caught a real Nereid. However, there is no evidence of this fact, since the team was forced to cook and eat the captured creature. This happened near the island of Mauritius. The crew assures that the flesh of these monsters is very soft, similar to veal.
October 31, 1881 It was significant that on this day one of the Boston publishing houses announced the news about the caught corpse of an amazing creature. It was possible to determine that the monster was female. The upper part of its body is identical to that of a human, but everything below the belly is the tail of a fish. This was not the last time when XIX century people found confirmation of the existence of mermaids.
Are there mermaids - a history of USSR times
For a long time this story was not disclosed, and few people could find out the details of the incident. In 1982, combat swimmers were to be trained on the western shore of Lake Baikal. It was there that the armed forces of the USSR found an amazing monster.
The scuba divers had to descend to a depth of 50 meters. People claimed that it was there that they repeatedly noticed strange creatures that reached 3 meters in length and were covered with shiny scales. The nymphs had strange round helmets on their heads. The scuba divers assured that these were not people, since they moved very quickly, without special suits or scuba gear.
The commander of the exercise was sure that the submariners needed to find mutual language with creatures and make contact. To do this, it was necessary to catch one Nereid. The team was well equipped and prepared for the task. The group consisted of 8 fighters who had to strictly follow the instructions.
But the operation was interrupted, because when people approached the creature and tried to throw a net on it, it pushed them to the shore of the reservoir with the power of thought. Due to the fact that this happened abruptly, and there were no important stops during the ascent, everyone involved in the operation fell ill with decompression sickness. Three died within a couple of days, and the rest remained disabled for life.
Strange monsters in the USA
In the United States of America, residents of small towns often encounter similar creatures. Summer 1992 in the village Key Beach(Florida) unusual creatures were seen near the shore that resembled people, but their lower body was like that of seals.
The monsters had large membranes on their limbs. Sirens had huge heads and bulging eyes. When the fishermen tried to get closer to the creatures, they quickly swam away and disappeared into the depths of the sea. After some time, the fishermen took their nets out of the water. They were cut up and the catch released.
Also, a strange exhibit was recently presented in local history museum cities Tombstone. Visitors examined the corpse of a strange object, which, at first glance, strongly resembled a sea cow. But the upper part of the animal’s body was similar to a human’s - arms, shoulders, neck, ears, nose, eyes. Quite well developed ribs were also present.
Greetings! Today I want to talk to you very much interesting topic: Do mermaids exist! On the topic of the existence of werewolves, read this article:
Of course, we have seen them more than once in cartoons, fairy tales, etc. We know from the sources listed above that mermaids are girls with fish tails who live in underwater world. From the cartoon “The Little Mermaid”, as well as from fairy tales, we know that mermaids are quite cute and cute creatures. Is it so? And do mermaids really exist and what do they look like? Let's figure out who they are?
If you believe the legend, then the mermaids are not the dead married girls, or who died from unhappy love, by suicide. They could also be the children of pregnant girls who died and gave birth already in the afterlife. They can also be cursed or unbaptized children. According to myths, mermaids are considered the daughters of Vodyanoy or Neptune. Based on this, we can say that mermaids belong to evil spirits. Mermaids had green color hair, long arms and a fish tail.
What is the legend about mermaids
It is known from myths that mermaids have a specific voice that attracts, hypnotizes, and then carries them into the depths of the waters. Therefore, communicating with them was dangerous. They saved themselves from them by being pricked with a hot needle, as they were afraid of the knee iron.
The main objects for hunting by mermaids were men. They did not attack the children, but rather helped a lost child find his way home. If a person was in trouble, then the mermaids themselves decided, at their own discretion, who to help and who to leave
Mermaids really love to wear bright and beautiful things, they can steal them, or they can simply ask them to wear them. As for their life, they live longer than humans, they are quite vulnerable, but the wounds heal quickly.
As for entertainment. They have a lot of fun. Fishing boats are sunk, nets are tangled, water mills are broken. They are especially dangerous during Trinity week; in the old days it was called “mermaid”. The most dangerous day was Thursday; it was not advisable to go to the river and swim alone.
From historical sources It is known that mermaids do not like young girls and old men. And they simply adore young guys and children. They lure them with their hypnotizing voice, and after playing enough, they let them go, or scare them to death. They say that if a mermaid sings, then the person standing next to her can stand and not move for years while she sings. Mermaids have an unearthly beauty, and therefore if a man fell in love with her, he became her eternal slave. A mermaid's kiss is deadly; after her kiss, a person soon fell ill fatal disease, or committed suicide.
Well, who are mermaids, have you found out, but do they exist in real life? This question torments humanity to this day.
Proof of the existence of mermaids in modern times
They say that Columbus, during his voyage, saw three women with tails having fun at sea. Peter the first himself was tormented by the question of the existence of mermaids. And he said that they exist.
Everyone who supposedly met them describes them differently. Some said that they were charming beauties with fish tails. Others, on the contrary, claimed that they were monsters with long fangs.
In one magazine, “Gentleman’smagazine,” an article was published that not far from the British town of Estern, an incomprehensible creature with a human body and a tail instead of legs was caught. Traces from blows with sticks were clearly visible on his body. The event took place in 1737.
A short time later, Scot’smagazine wrote that two mermaids were caught near the island of Mauritius. We roasted it over the fire and ate it. According to these rumors, it was established that the meat of mermaids is similar to veal. Events developed in 1939.
From a Boston newspaper, we learned that in 1881 the remains of female body, according to the description they looked like mermaids, as they had a tail.
The Soviet Union also did not lag behind such events and witnessed the existence of mermaids. The event took place in 1982 on Lake Baikal. When the divers plunged into the depths of the sea, they noticed tall creatures. And they wanted to catch them, but they were immediately thrown to the surface of the water due to a force impulse. Later, as it turned out, all the divers fell ill with decompression sickness. Three could not be saved, and the rest remained disabled.
To the question, do mermaids exist? Modern man most often he will laugh and answer that he stopped believing in grandma’s fairy tales when he was ten years old. However, documentary evidence confirms the veracity of ancient legends.
If we rely on ancient stories and legends, the appearance of mysterious sea creatures is very diverse, as are their names. For example, in Western Europe the name mermaid was used more often. IN ancient Greece sirens and tritons. IN ancient Rome naiads, nereids and nymphs, but among the Germans of the Nix and Balts, strange fish-like creatures were called buzzers and undines. In Scotland, there were also amazing underwater inhabitants and there they were called silks. The French, without ceremony, called the freaks snake tails.
The appearance of mysterious sea inhabitants different descriptions eyewitnesses vary greatly. Firstly, mermaids are not only female, but also male creatures, and secondly, their appearance is described in completely different ways. From adorable beautiful woman with large, elastic breasts, delicate facial features, long silky hair, white skin and a shiny fish tail instead of legs, to a very frightening creature with green hair, a face overgrown with a substance similar to coral, ugly gills starting from lower lip and a nasty tail with disgusting growths on the lower part of the body. The likelihood is that in different parts of the world underwater inhabitants may differ in appearance, exists, exactly the same as the presence of several species that are immediately different not only in appearance, but also are fundamentally different different levels evolution. Some researchers admit that a person can easily be a descendant of mermaids. It’s not for nothing that they say that the Ocean is the cradle of life.
So that everything described here does not seem like another unfounded version or too bold an assumption, let us turn to the attested descriptions of meetings with mermaids. This will give good grounds for thought regarding the answer to the question - do mermaids exist or not?
Mentions of mermaids in history
So, the first mention found in the Icelandic chronicles Speculum Regale dates back to the 12th century. In him we're talking about about a creature half woman, half fish called "Margigr". According to the description, this is an absolutely normal woman, except for a large shiny fin instead of legs. Three centuries later, in the 15th century, in the book of Sigault de la Fonda “Wonders of Nature, or a Collection of Extraordinary and Notes of Worthy Phenomena and Adventures in the Whole World of Bodies, Arranged in Alphabetical Order” there is a mention of an incident that occurred in Holland in 1403.
After a terrible storm destroyed the West Friesland Dam, a woman was found entangled in seaweed and thrown onto a coastal meadow. She was released, brought to Haarlem, dressed, taught to knit stockings and go to church. The woman lived in the city for 15 years, ate regular food, and during that time she never learned to speak. She endlessly tried to throw herself into the sea, but it was clearly not meant to be. She died like a common person on the land.
In the 17th century, the navigator G. Hudson left an entry in the ship's log, in which he described amazing creature, seen off the coast of the new world. He wrote that one of his crew members suddenly noticed a mermaid overboard. The observer immediately called his comrade and they looked at the creature for a long time. According to their description, it was a woman with bare breasts, long black hair down to her shoulders and a fish tail speckled with black dots like a mackerel. The names of the sailors who observed the mermaid: Thomas Hills and Robert Raynar. Date: June 15, 1608.
Mermaid teen
In the same century, the Spanish journalist Iker Jimenez Elizari published in one of the publications of that time records found in the archives of the church. They talked about the young man Francisco dela Vega Casar, who lived in Lierganes (Cantabria), who stood out among the inhabitants for his excellent ability to swim. According to the source, at the age of 16 the young man left hometown and went to study as a carpenter in Las Arenas. In 1674, while swimming, he was picked up by a wave and carried out to sea. All searches were in vain.
In February 1679, near the Bay of Cadiz, fishermen caught a strange creature. The creature looked like a tall young man with pale skin and red hair. It had scales along its back and along its belly. There was a brown membrane between the fingers. The prisoner growled, roared and resisted so much that 12 people could barely restrain him. The creature was sent to a Franciscan monastery, where he spent three weeks, during which an exorcism was performed on him. In January 1680, he was taken to Cantabria, where the mother of her son, who had disappeared several years earlier, admitted strange creature your child. For another two years, the sea creature lived in the village, eating raw meat and fish, and in 1682 he managed to escape. He dived into the sea waters and was never seen again.
Mermaid's tail
In the 18th century, or more precisely in 1737, the Gentleman’s magazine published an article about a creature caught near the English city of Exter. The fishermen, having lifted it onto the deck, saw a salmon-like tail in the nets and, having figured out what was what, they beat the prey with sticks. When the catch began to groan in agony like a human being, the fishermen unraveled the nets and discovered a male mermaid. The upper part of the body was completely human, except that the nose was slightly flattened, not like a human's. The corpse was exhibited in Exter for a long time as an exhibit.
Another edition of Scot's magazine in 1739 published an equally interesting article that the crew of the ship Halifax caught several mermaids off the coast of the island of Mauritius, fried them and ate them. Team members claimed that the mermaids’ meat reminded them of tender veal.
In the 19th century there were also several high-profile cases involving mermaids. Here's one of them. On October 31, 1881, one of the Boston newspapers wrote that the corpse of a creature partially similar to a human was discovered on the shore. The head and body of the corpse were clearly female. The facial features, eyes, nose, teeth, arms, breasts and hair were all human, but everything below the deceased’s waist resembled a fish’s tail.
And the 20th century was no exception. Not only have they not stopped writing about the existence of mermaids, but on the contrary, the number of such cases has only increased.
Mermaids were also found in the USSR
One of the most interesting and high-profile cases of that time became known only recently when the secrecy was lifted. The armed forces of the USSR had a chance to meet with representatives of the water depths in 1982 on the western shore of Lake Baikal, where training sessions for combat swimmers of the Trans-Baikal Military District were held.
When scuba divers dived to a depth of 50 meters, they more than once had to come face to face with creatures more than three meters tall, as if clad in some kind of shiny clothes. The heads of the creatures seemed to be hidden under spherical helmets, but at the same time, the strangers had neither scuba gear nor any other equipment for breathing under water, while they swam at high speed and clearly observed the actions of our combat swimmers.
The commander-in-chief of the exercise decided that it was worth getting to know his mysterious “colleagues” better and ordered to catch one of them. A special team of seven experienced scuba divers and an officer, armed with a thin and durable net, was assembled. However, at the moment when the hunters tried to throw a net on one of the strangers, a certain powerful force impulse instantly pushed the entire group to the surface of the lake. As a result of a sudden ascent without the necessary stops for decompression, all members of the team fell ill with decompression sickness. Three died a few days later, the rest remained disabled.
Residents of the USA also found mermaids
In August 1992, an equally interesting incident also occurred. A group of fishermen from the village of Key Beach (Florida), a kilometer from the coast, noticed “half-humans, half-seals” lying on the water with large human-like heads, large eyes and long arms ending in webbed hands. The creatures, noticing the approaching longboat, swam to the side, made a circle around the ship and went into the depths. An hour later, the fishermen pulled out the fishing net and found that it was cut in several places. Another strange meeting of people and mysterious underwater inhabitants occurred several years ago. The local history museum in the town of Tombstone, located in the southern part of the United States, has a large glass display case. In it there is a creature very similar to a sea cow, exterminated by people about 150 years ago, only the upper part of this creature is very similar to a human.
Round eyes, nose, ears, neck, shoulders, hands - everything is like a person’s. The chest has well-developed ribs, which means that the creature breathes atmospheric air. The lower part of the object is an ordinary fish tail. Even if a person does not want to believe in the existence of mermaids, this exhibit proves that mermaids exist. In addition, local fishermen claim that such mermaids are periodically caught in their nets, but they, considering them mutants, throw them back.
From everything described above, it becomes clear that, most likely, mermaids exist. It is not known who they are. Perhaps a species that develops in parallel and evolves along with humanity. After all, the oceans today have been studied much less than space. Man is looking for intelligent beings outside the galaxy, and it is possible that they have always been near us, we just don’t want to believe in them. It is quite possible that there is a diversity of species among them. This fact may well explain why there is such a difference in the descriptions of these creatures. Perhaps someday a person, having begun to conquer the depths of water, will discover that he is not alone and his brothers in mind have always been nearby, he just had to stretch out his hand.
Most people are well aware of the story of the little mermaid Ariel thanks to the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen and the cartoon by Walt Disney Studios. However, mermaids in East Slavic folklore- the phenomenon is not so cheerful and joyful and is associated with “wrong” death. By the way, they didn’t have any tails.
"Wrong" death
U Eastern Slavs, like many other peoples, it was believed that the dead were divided into two categories: those who died a “correct” and an “incorrect” death. Actually, the “correctly” dead are those who died a natural death, having lived the prescribed period. Suicides; babies killed by their mothers; unbaptized; died as a result of an accident; those who were cursed by their parents; sorcerers (those who made friends with evil spirits), etc. - died “wrongly”. Such people do not end up in the “other” world, they “live out” life (in this, by the way, there is a difference from the Christian understanding of “wrong” death, where a suicide committed a terrible sin, and death as a result of an accident does not mean anything “like that” leads). Everyone who died “wrongly” is dangerous to the living, they cannot be buried in the usual way and unworthy of commemoration. Such dead people become mermaids, kikimoras, ghouls and various minor demons.
In science, the “wrong” dead are called “hostage” or walking. It is curious that ideas about such dead people were formed among the Slavs in ancient times, but are still preserved in a slightly modified form. By the way, very old people were also treated poorly, since they believed that they were “eating up someone else’s age,” because it can’t just be a matter of good health, there is definitely witchcraft involved, as a result of which the witch/sorcerer feeds on the life force of flowering plants, living people, and even cream from milk.
Who are called mermaids?
So who becomes a mermaid? The girl who died a “wrong” death; unbaptized or born dead child; rarely - a man, if he dies during Rusal Week (after or before the Trinity holiday). But still, as a rule, this is an engaged girl who drowned or drowned because of love. In this sense, Andersen's fairy tale about the little mermaid Ariel is surprisingly readable. After all, she sacrificed herself for the sake of her lover and became sea foam, in addition gaining a soul. As they say now: “broke the system.”
Origin of the word "mermaid" - serious question. Among scientists there are different opinions on this score, but more or less popular in this moment says that this word originates from the ancient festival of roses - rosalia, which was dedicated to the souls of the dead. At the same time, the image of a mermaid developed in the life of the ancient Slavs. But the Slavs, depending on the region of residence, called this creature in other words: “shutovka”, “devil”, “vodyanika”, “loskotukha” (from Ukrainian “shlopat” - “tickle”), “mavka”, “kupalka” ", "kazytka" (from the white "kazychut" - "tickle").
Mermaid image
The mermaid looks like this: no fish tail, white (the color of mourning in Ancient Rus') clothes, long flowing green (like sedge) or light brown hair and a flower wreath on the head (this is how they buried unmarried girls). They do not have a fish tail - this is a phenomenon characteristic of Western European legends and refers to the sea people about whom we wrote. The East Slavic image of mermaids was complemented by beauty, a pale face, cold hands and eyes closed, like a corpse, and an almost transparent body. Some beliefs say that they are as tall as trees. A less common popular image of a mermaid emphasizes her belonging to evil spirits: scary, ugly, overgrown with hair, hunchbacked, potbellied, clawed and with long, saggy breasts.
Mermaids usually live at the bottom of reservoirs, so children were warned not to go near wells. Mermaids are usually dangerous to people, although not always like any devilry, are able to turn into animals and objects used in human life. A mermaid kills a person by tickling him to death, but she can also bite, strangle, and pinch. Ideas about the activities of mermaids on land vary radically: either they harm the human economy, or they guard the livestock and help the crops grow well. By the way, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin did not invent the mermaid sitting on an oak tree himself. People said that during Mermaid Week, mermaids settle in forests and especially love oak and birch trees. The love of mermaids for vegetation, especially trees, is a distant echo of the belief that trees connect the world of the living and the other world. For a young man (mermaids are especially fond of them), certain death is certain if he sits down to swing with such a mermaid on a branch or swing. And whoever the mermaid kills becomes a mermaid himself.
There is only one salvation for the one who gets to the mermaid - folk beliefs They say that you can pay her off: give her fabric or ready-made clothes so that she can cover herself or cover her child. The mermaid can even reward for such virtue supernatural ability or give a magic item.
– a universal symbol, because references to them can be found in the folklore of all countries of the world. The appearance of the mermaid is associated with the symbolic expression of some inner need of men. An unattainable seductress, attractive and voluptuous, and at the same time cold and elusive. Her eternal youth and beauty, magic voice and the art of seduction will always ensnare helpless sailors.
Mermaids are mythological creatures that live in bodies of water (ponds, lakes, seas, creeks, etc.). Mention of them exists in the folklore of many peoples of the earth.
In some places, the mermaid is a water spirit. The Slavs believed that girls who drowned from unhappy love or betrothed brides who died before the wedding became mermaids. The mermaid is usually depicted as a woman with long flowing greenish hair and a fish tail. However, it can have a pair of legs and a pair of tails, which in turn can be not only fish.
She sings wonderful songs, and often also plays the harp. It is not for nothing that the mermaid is a symbol of singing women, personifying the beauty of the sight and sound of water. They were often depicted with certain objects in their hands. Most often with a mirror, which symbolized the moon influencing the tides and thereby increasing the power of the mermaids.
Living in water, mermaids only occasionally come ashore to comb their beautiful hair with a golden or copper comb. At this time, you can sneak up on her and snatch the comb. According to legends, having taken away any item from a mermaid, she is obliged to fulfill any of your wishes in exchange for the item. Mermaids are capricious, capricious and powerful, just like the rivers in which they live. They can do good, but they can also do harm.
There are also cases where mermaids take revenge very cruelly, having been deceived or somehow offended. Local legends say that one day a mermaid gave a certain young man gold, silver and diamonds that she collected on a sunken ship. He accepted the gifts, but gave some of the jewelry to his girlfriend.
But what’s even worse is that he did not meet with the mermaid the promised number of times, which caused her jealousy and anger. One day the mermaid swam up to the young man’s boat and directed it to the nearest cave, saying that all the treasures ever lost in this bay were there. At that moment the young man fell asleep. When he woke up, he found himself chained to a stone with gold chains so that he could only reach a pile of diamonds at the entrance to the cave. And although he now possessed treasures, he remained an eternal prisoner because of his own greed.
According to some legends, a mermaid is fallen Angel, whose food is living flesh. With singing and wonderful music, she lures sailors into her nets. And here this image is mixed with equally famous sirens. If, which happens very rarely, this method of attraction does not work, she relies on the unique smell of her body, which no man can resist.
Having caught and tranquilized her prey, she tears it into pieces with sharp green teeth. Therefore, the sailors considered the mermaid very bad omen. After all, this meant that whoever saw her would soon drown in the sea.
The Slavs believed that in the mermaid week following Trinity, mermaids emerge from the water in human form, run through the fields, swing through the trees and can tickle those they meet to death or drag them into the water.
Therefore, during this week it was forbidden to swim, and when leaving the village, it was necessary to take wormwood with you, which the mermaids were supposedly afraid of. When meeting a person, she asks: “Wormwood or parsley?” If the traveler answers: “Wormwood,” the mermaid answers in disappointment: “Spit and leave!” and disappears. If the answer is the word “Parsley,” then the mermaid joyfully exclaims: “Oh, you darling!” and tries to tickle the unfortunate man to death.
Mermaids do not like girls and young women, and when they see one in the forest, they attack her, tear off her clothes and drive her out of the forest with branches. On the contrary, mermaids persistently flirt with young guys, try to overturn fishermen’s boats or different ways lure the swimmer to the depths.
If mermaids (one or more) pester a person, then you need to look at the ground and not look at them. If this does not work, you should prick at least one mermaid with a needle or pin, which the wary villagers always carried with them. Then the entire crowd of mermaids rushes into the water with a scream, where their voices are heard for a long time.
With the establishment of Christianity, a new legend appeared in the legends about mermaids. Now they were described as beings who passionately desired to gain a soul in order to experience the feelings of earthly love.
Christians believed that a mermaid could receive a soul only when she promised to leave the sea and dreams of returning there someday and settling on land. This led the mermaid to cruel internal conflict, since for a being who is only half human, such a life is not possible. Having turned into a human, they immediately look for their betrothed.
But marriages with them, who remain mysterious creatures somewhere deep down, are usually short-lived. The conclusion of such a marriage is always associated with some condition, and when the condition is violated, they immediately disappear. Known for the touching and sad story, written in the 6th century. It tells the story of a mermaid who visited daily a monk from the holy brotherhood of Jonah on a small island near Scotland.
She prayed for a soul, and the monk prayed with her to give her strength to leave the sea. And although the mermaid passionately loved the monk and really wanted to have a soul, she was unable to betray the sea. And, in the end, crying bitterly, she left this island forever. They say that the tears she shed turned into pebbles, and to this day the gray-green pebbles of the coast of Iona are called “the tears of a mermaid.”
Of course, the most popular stories about mermaids were among sailors. Previously skeptical Christopher Columbus noted during his first voyage that he saw three frolicking mermaids off the coast of Guiana. Over the course of long months of sea voyages, sailors suffered from boredom and, perhaps, that’s why they saw mermaids almost regularly.
The famous English traveler Henry Hudson describes his meeting with a mermaid as an ordinary incident. In his diary for June 15, 1625, there is an entry that one of his crew, looking overboard, saw a mermaid. The top, from her navel and back, were like a woman's; very white skin and flowing black hair. When she dived, they saw her tail, similar to the tail of a brown dolphin, covered with spots like a mackerel.
Although mermaids were supposed to be cruel and depraved, sailors were confident in their tenderness and purity. The desire to catch the mermaid was so great that the sailors saw the heroines of their passionate dreams everywhere. One author once noted that it was human imagination from the oceanic depths that gave birth to these beautiful, mysterious and dangerous sea goddesses.
Beginning with mid-19th century century, belief in mermaids has noticeably weakened. When steamships replaced sailing ships and sea voyages became much shorter, sailors began to talk less and less about being seduced, seduced and teased sirens. However, mermaids were not completely forgotten. In 1900, in the north of Scotland, landowner Alexander Gunn met one of them. When he and his dog were trying to save a sheep stuck in a crevice, he raised his head and met the gaze of a mermaid leaning on a nearby reef.
She had long wavy golden red hair, green eyes and arched eyebrows. She was extraordinarily pretty. It's hard to say who was more amazed - Gunn, the mermaids or the dog. However, the dog was the first to give vent to her feelings. Whining and tucking her tail, she rushed behind the farmer. Gunn saw that the mermaid was scared, but she was still angry and quickly dived into the water.
There were so many rumors about mermaids that over time, the inevitable fakes in such cases began to appear. The first of them were made from monkeys, which were attached with fish tails. Of course, now many people can sincerely say that they really believe in the existence of mermaids. However, mermaids have acquired a certain pseudo-reality.
The legends about them are so widespread and fascinating that mermaids, creatures of the human subconscious, have turned into an eternal symbol.
