Mermaids

INTRODUCTION
Who doesn't love mermaids? They are like princesses, except of the sea. They are lovely and enchanting. But where does this myth of half-humans and half-fish creatures come from? The common term mermaid combines two words: mer which comes from the Latin mere (sea) and maid, which is medieval English for a young woman. Therefore the term is misleading because it assumes that all merriens or merfolks are female. .

HISTORY OF MERMAIDS
Merriens or merfolks have a long history in human consciousness. There have always been humans associated with the sea; this is especially true of sea nymphs in Greek mythology. However, merriens are more than just sea-dwelling humans with mystical powers (see: nymphs). Merriens are aquatic creatures who are believed to be half-human and half-fish, representing a consolidation between humans and the creatures of the water. Though merriens are trans-cultural (exist in many cultures in some form or the next), the earliest known version of a merrien came from Assyria circa 1000 BC. Atargatis, the mother of Assyrian queen, Semiramis was a goddess who loved a mortal shepherd but ultimately killed him. Ashamed, she jumped into the water to take the form of a fish, but the waters would not conceal her divine beauty, transforming her into a mermaid instead. Another popular early tale suggested that Alexander the Great's sister Thessalonike turned into a mermaid after she died.The story of merriens are also popular in Arabian Nights tales.

PORTRAYAL OF MERRIENS
Physically speaking, merriens look like fish and humans combined. They have the upper body (above the torso) of a human and the lower body (below the torso) of a fish. This means they have a fish tail with fins and scales. The faces of merriens have been portrayed very human-like in contemporary flicks, especially those meant for children, such as the Disney flick, The little Mermaid (1989); see (Ariel)left. This is also true of the live action comedy, Splash (1984) where the pretty mermaid was played by actress Daryl Hannah. Often times, merriens in flicks and literature are females. In films and literature, the story usually follows an alienated female merrien who has wandered away from her colony in the bed of the sea, and either falls in love with a human male or becomes an object of fascination for a young girl. Sometimes also, merriens are captured or kidnapped by cruel humans for show and tell. In some cultures, merriens are a sign of bad luck. In British folklore, merriens, like Sirens, often kidnap, drown or kill humans. Often, seeing a merrien was a sign that a storm was coming or a ship would sink. Mermaids were especially portrayed as seductesses who lured men to their doom.

CHARACTERISTICS OF MERRIENS
Merriens are said to beautiful voices. Their singing is known to cast spells over anyone who hears it. Their speaking voices can be somewhat trick, however. Often, Merriens have difficulty communicating in human languages. In the movie, Splash (1984), the mermaid Madison tries to say her name in her original language and instead cases glass and glass-made objects to shatter. Mermaids are often portrayed sitting on a rock, singing and either combing their long locks or looking into a mirror, or both. It is unclear where the association with mirrors and combing her hair comes from. However, like her enchanting voice, the mirror or comb is often considered magical. Merriens may also have the ability to heal or cure illnesses. Mermaids are said to inherit their beauty from Aphrodite means means 'foam of the sea' as she rose from the sea. The image of a mermaid combing her hair while she holds a mirror in her hand are symbols of Venus/Aphrodite, who is also symbolic of the planet Venus responsible for vanities.

MERRIENS IN REAL LIFE
Is there such a thing as a real life merrien? Well,many people believe there isn't. However, there have been carcasses (see across) recovered from the sea said to be merriens. Unlike the media-friendly depictions, however, these real-life merriens are not attractive, and likely wouldn't be very friendly. Moreover, there are people who surfer from sirenomelia. It is called mermaid disease. See side photo of a child suffering from sirenomelia, a condition that causes the legs to fuse in a fish-like manner. As far as we know, these people are not exceptional swimmers.

A real life merrien discovered off the coast of the Phillipines, 2005? The merrien allegedly washed up after the 2004 tsunami.The claim has been rejected.

Images like these claiming to be real merfolks are often unverified and when put under scrutiny tend to be fake.