As far as creatures go, most wouldn’t think a mermaid would be a part of that group. However, the mermaid we think of today thanks to Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale, The Little Mermaid (1836), isn’t the mermaid known throughout history. When you think of a mermaid, you often think of flowing hair, a beautiful face -and body for those who are looking – accompanied by gorgeous fins. They’re often flitting around in the waters of the deep, playful, kind, and friendly to human. But, let’s take a brief look at what mermaids used to be like.
Mermaids can by linked back to ancient mythology. The oldest known myths are thought to be of Syrian origin around 1000 B.C. The Syrian goddess, Atargatis, took a dive into a lake. She ended up taking the form of a fish. The transition from goddess to fish didn’t completely take over her great beauty. She was allowed to keep the top human half of her body and the bottom of her took the form of a fish.
Once again, looking at ancient mythology we see a possible connection to mermaids in the tales of Aphrodite. The Greek Aphrodite and the Syrian Atargatis are considered counterparts, so it may not be too unusual that we find the mermaid in her tales as well. Although Aphrodite is rarely seen depicted in her mermaid form, there are thoughts that her mermaid mythology is what led to her role in the mythology of Pieces.
Now we get to the part where mermaids aren’t very kind creatures. They begin with Homer’s epic, “The Odyssey.” The sirens in Homer’s epic are thought to be mermaids. Although, they differ SO MUCH. As we go through legends of that time, mermaids (sirens) would sing to men who were either on their ships or on the shores, in apparent safety. Their song and unmatchable beauty would hypnotize the men so they would come to them and either drown, be eaten by other creatures of the sea, or come to the fate of death somehow.
Although mythology still showed mermaids as dangerous creatures, Anderson’s version of a mermaid changed the way we all viewed them. They also became creatures thought to have immortal powers that could do thing like cure the sick, or grant wishes, or even share their immortality with those who sought them out. It’s amazing how our view of a “creature” can change into a magical being, but still one worthy enough for a Creature Feature.