Myths, Meanings & Sightings [+ Mermen & Water Spirits

Mermaids and mermaid-like water spirits appear in the myths and stories of cultures around the world. In fact, they are so ubiquitous that it begs the question: “Are mermaids real?” In this guide, you’ll learn all about mermaids, mermen, and water spirits. Plus, you’ll learn about past and present-day mermaid sightings, which may make you question your own views about whether these creatures are myths or real…

What is a mermaid?

 

Early 18th century depiction of a mermaid in watercolor by Samuel Fallours, Ca. 1706-1712.

The answer to the question – What is a mermaid? – may seem obvious to some. However, once you begin to study the history and lore of mermaids, you’ll learn that the definition of a mermaid is not so easily defined.

For example, in popular culture, a mermaid is generally described as a beautiful woman with long, flowing hair who, from the waist-down, has the body of a fish. She lives in the ocean and can breathe underwater, occasionally making an appearance above the surface. She also happens to be a seductresses who plays music and sings.

However, according to different legends, there are mermen too. Furthermore, not all mermaids are lovely and nice. In fact, some may be seductive at first, but then they become destructive, as in causing shipwrecks and turning people into slaves. Or, they can be downright monstrous, as in drowning people and eating them. We’ll explore both the lovely and malevolent mermaids in a bit. But first, the obvious question:

Are mermaids real?

Artwork: Oleskalashnik.

The answer to this question is a matter of opinion and timing. To ancient seafarers, mermaids were certainly very real. In fact, here are some documented cases of well-known historical figures who were convinced they saw mermaids:

Mermaid Sightings by Christopher Columbus

In January 1493, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus wrote in his ship’s log:

“On the previous day [8 Jan 1493], when the Admiral went to the Rio del Oro [Haiti], he said he quite distinctly saw three mermaids, which rose well out of the sea; but they are not so beautiful as they are said to be, for their faces had some masculine traits.”

Did the admiral of whom Columbus wrote actually see mermaids? Modern-day marine biologists theorize that what he saw were actually manatees or dugongs. However, we may never know for sure…

Christoph Fürer

16th century depiction of a mermaid. Engraving of a two-tailed mermaid used as printer’s mark by the heirs of Petrus Ravanus in Venice. Ca 1550. Source: Grammaticae institutiones.

In November of the 1565, German Senator Christoph Fürer von Haimendorf of the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg in the Roman Empire wrote about seeing the skin of a mermaid while visiting Tura, Egypt on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land:

“In this Citie wee saw a Mermaids skinne taken there many yeares before, which in the lower parts ends Fish-fashion: of the vpper part, onely the Nauill and Breats remaine, the armes and head being lost.”

Henry Hudson

In 1608, English explorer Henry Hudson and his crew also reported in their ship’s logs that they had seen mermaids. One such sighting occurred off the coast of Norway, near the Lofoten archipelago. The explorers were searching for the elusive passage that could help British merchants reach Cathay (modern-day China) via a route above the Arctic Circle. Hudson (or his first mate) wrote:

“The fifteeiith, all day and night cleere sunshine ; the wind at east ; the latitude at noone 75 degrees, 7 minutes. We held westward by our account 13 leagues. In the afternoone the sea was asswaged ; and the wind being at east we set sayle, and stood south and by east, and south south-east as we could. This morning, one of our companie looking over boord saw a mermaid, and calling up some of the companie to see her, one more came up, and by that time shee was come close to the ship’s side, looking earnestly on the men : a little after, a sea came and overturned her : from the navill upward, her backe and breasts were like a woman’s, as they say that saw her ; her body as big as one of us ; her skin very white ; and long haire hanging downe behinde, of colour blacke : in her going doAvne they saw her tayle, which was like the tayle of a porposse, and speckled like a macrell.’ Their names that saw her, were Thomas Hilles and llobcrt Rayner.”

Richard Whitbourne

In 1610, the mariner, colonist, and writer Richard Whitbourne wrote about seeing a mermaid, as did his fellow sailors, in St. John’s Bay in Newfoundland. According to Whitbourne, the mermaid even tried to climb into several boats, terrifying Whitbourne and the crew. He wrote:

“Now also I will not omit to relate something of strange Creature, which I saw there in the yere 1610. in a morning early, as I was standing by the Riuer side, in the Harbor of Saint Iohns, which very swiftly came swimming towards me, looking cheerfully on my face, as it had bin a woman: by the face, eyes, nose, mouth, chin, ears, necke, and forehead, it seemed to be so beautiful, & in those parts so wel proportioned, hauving round about the head many blue streaks, resembling hair, but certainly it was no haire.

[The mermaid came] swifly toward me, where at I stepped backe; for it was come within the length of a long Pike, supposing it would haue spring aland to me, because I had often seene huge whales to…But when it saw that I went from it, it did theropon diue a little vnder water, & swam towards the place where a little before I landed.

Shortly thereafter, the mermaid swam up to a boat in the harbor and put both its hand vpon the side of the Boat, and did striue much to come int to him, and diuvers others then in the same Boat; where at they were afraid, and one of them strucke it a full blow on the head, whereby it fell off from them: and afterwards it came to other Boates in the said Harbour, where they lay by the shore: the men in them, for feare fled to land, and beheld it.”

Blackbeard, John Smith, and Mermaids

“Capt. Teach alias Black-Beard” from A General History of the Pyrates:to Pyracy. Ca. 1724. Engraved by Benjamin Cole. Source: Daniel Defoe, and Charles Johnson.

Other stories claim that the 17th century pirate Blackbeard, otherwise known as Edward Teach, wrote in his log that he wanted his crew to avoid sailing into certain waters because they were known to be “enchanted with merfolk.” However, proof of this journal entry has never been found.

In addition, the 17th century explored John Smith (whose life was saved by Pocahontas) supposedly saw and described mermaids. One quote says that Smith described mermaids this way:

“… swimming with all possible grace near the shore. The upper part of her body resembled that of a woman…she had large eyes, rather too round, a finely-shaped nose (a little too short), well-formed ears, rather too long…and her green hair imparted to her an original character by no means unattractive…[but] from below the waist the woman gave way to the fish.”

However, the John Smith story has been debunked. The first evidence of it appeared in an article written a couple of centuries later by Alexandre Dumas. (Dumas was the author of the classics The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo.)

While today, most people view mermaids as mythical creatures, there are still stories of mermaid sightings in recent history. You can read more about those in the section on modern-day mermaid sightings below. But first, let’s go back in time a little more to the first mermaids in recorded history…

Mermaids Myths and Legends

From Images of Goddesses of the Sea. Source: Mexicano 101.

Mermaid-life creatures have appeared in the mythologies and folklore of cultures around the world for as long as we have had written history. And we can only assume that their stories go back much further than that.

Origins of the Mermaid

Some anthropologists believe the origins of mermaid myths began with a foundational creation myth that many cultures around the world share. That is that the Earth was once covered in water, which we know scientifically to be true. Another creation myth shared by multiple cultures is that a great flood covered the world with water. Thus, people and other creatures having fish-like aspects may have originated with these myths.

Mermaids in Mesopotamian Mythology

The Mesopotamian cultures, which included the Sumerians, Assyrians, Akkadians, and Babylonians, wrote of deities who had mermaid-like qualities. Two of the most well-known were Oannes and Atargatis.

Oannes

Depiction of the merman-like deity Oannes. Source: Austen Henry Layard: Niniveh und seine Überreste London 1854.

In the 3rd century BC, a Babylonian priest named Berossus wrote about a deity called Oannes. According to Berossus, Oannes was part-man and part-fish and he emerged from what is now the Persian Gulf.

Oannes was accompanied by the apkallu. The apkallu were demi-gods who were also semi-aquatic and described as part-human and part-fish. Both Oannes and the apkallu were the emissaries of the god Enki, who ruled water, wisdom, and creation. Because of this relationship, Oannes and the apkallu brought wisdom and the arts to the people.

Atargatis, the Mermaid Goddess

Relief of Atargatis and the shepherd she loved, Hadad. Ca. 100-256 AD. Source: Yale University Art Gallery.

The ancient Assyrians had another deity who may have been the inspiration for future mermaids. According to the legend, the beautiful goddess Atargatis fell in love with a mortal man who was a shepherd. Unaware of the impact of her powers and beauty, Atargatis accidentally killed her lover.

Overcome with grief, she threw herself into a lake in hope she would die or at least turn into a fish. But her beauty was so powerful that only part of her became a fish and the rest of her maintained her human-like beauty.

Atargatis came to be known as a goddess of fertility and love. And she was associated with both fish and doves.

Jullanar of the Sea in 1,001 Arabian Nights

By the 8th century, water spirits were still very much a part of Middle Eastern culture. In the tale “Jullanar of the Sea” in the book of stories 1,001 Arabian Nights, a childless sultan purchased a beautiful slave girl for his harem. However, she refused to talk and only looked wistfully out to sea.

Over time, the sultan earned her trust and she eventually became pregnant with his child. Once pregnant, she shared her story with him. She told him she was a creature of the sea and that she had been a princess who was raised in an underwater kingdom. However, a quarrel with her family drove her to leave the sea and climb onto land to seek refuge.

Jullanar and the sultan had a son and, like his father, he fell in love with a sea princess. There is far more to this tale, which involves a sorceress and fire worshippers, but we’ll leave that for another time…

Mermaids in Greek Mythology

As a seafaring culture, the ancient Greeks had many stories about creatures who lived in the sea. To begin, they wrote of a goddess named Derketo who was most likely a manifestation of Atargatis. The Greeks described Derketo as having the head of a woman and the body of a fish.

Naiad Water Nymphs

There were also the naiads, who were water nymphs. Inhabiting lakes, rivers, and streams, the naiads were beautiful, fun-loving, and benevolent. They were also known to live for a very long time, so they were sources of universal wisdom.

Triton, the Greek Merman

Perhaps one of the most famous mermen in history was the Greek god Triton. The son of the god of the sea, Poseidon, and his wife, Amphitrite, Triton was depicted as human from his waist up and fish from his waist down. Triton lived in a golden palace with his parents in the ocean’s depths. From there, he controlled the waves. In addition, he was very musical, blowing a conch shell like a trumpet.

Mermaids and Sirens

Odysseus tied to the mast of his ship to withstand the music of the…