One of the biggest mysteries in the world of cryptozoology is a creature half-man half-fish called the Mermaid or a mermaid. Because of a strange character, creature is then more often associated with the mystical rather than science.
Mermaid is a term given to water creature that has a body from the waist up like a woman while the waist down like a fish. Although we have only ever heard of this creature from a collection of fairy tales, the existence of these creatures can be traced in the literature up to 2,000 years ago.
The word comes from the word Mere Mermaid meaning Sea (in Old English) and the word Maid, which means women. So, a creature called the Mermaid is a creature half-man half-fish are female, while the male is called Merman.In fairy tales, these creatures are called like sitting on a rock near the beach, singing, holding a mirror while admiring her own beauty. Singing contain so-called mystical power so that people who hear it will be charmed to death by drowning.In Cornwall, England, there is a stone called the stone as a Mermaid Mermaid is called once sat on the rock and sing to cause a local fisherman named Matthew Trawella died because of it.Mermaid in the culture of the nationsThe first story about these creatures could be traced to the year 1000 BC in Assyrian mythology. Goddess Atargatis, the mother of Queen Semiramis, called falling in love with a shepherd of the mortal man. One day, accidentally, the goddess killing the shepherd.Because sadly, Atargatis attempted suicide by plunging into the lake to take a way a fish. However, he refused to hide the beauty of the lake owned by the goddess. So he just turned it into the fish from the waist down.
The story of the Assyrian may be the basis of the emergence of a legend about the mermaid in the whole world.In his book Curious Myths of the Middle Ages, published in 1884, folklore expert named S. Baring Gould believes that the story of a mermaid and Merman originated from the story of a half fish god or goddess in ancient religions.God of the Chaldean Oannes and the Philistine god Dagon has such a way as Mermaid. God Coxcox and Teocipactli from Baja also has a half-fish form. American Indian legend says even if they were brought out of Asia by man of fish. Of these, perhaps the most famous is the god Triton and Siren Goddess in ancient Greek legend who also has a body half fish.In addition to Europe and the Middle East, the story of this creature can also be found in the mythology in various countries in Africa and Asia.In Africa, a similar creature called Mami Wata Mermaid is believed to cure the sick and bring good luck to those who followed him.
Dugong and Manatee
Most researchers do consider the existence of creatures such as the Mermaid as a hoax. Others consider it a wrong identification. The main suspect is the animal that comes into the class Sirenian, herbivorous aquatic creature that dwells in rivers and seas.Two creatures that belong to the Sirenian include Dugong and Manatee. These creatures have a remarkable adaptation in the sea. Although it looks fat, but in some poses, these creatures can be mistaken as a Mermaid. For example, when they are nursing a baby, they would carry him in the chest so it can be mistaken for a woman's chest by witnesses who watched from a distance.
Although it seems many who agree with Manatee or Dugong identity as a mermaid, but, when we examine the historical record, we can find a variety of testimony that seemed to confirm the encounter with a creature who really like mermaid or Merman (not Dugong or Manatee).
Mermaid sightings in history
In the year 558 AD, mentioned that a mermaid was caught by a fisherman in Ireland. Mermaid was then taken to the village and was baptized by the residents. Not long later, the creature dies.Then, a monk named Ralph Coggeshall never tell if a Merman once caught by the fishermen in Suffolk in 1187. The creature was not able to speak and immediately taken to the village to be examined. Even after being tortured, the creature was still not showing signs that he could speak. Merman was later imprisoned for some time in the castle of Orford. But when the villagers wanted to bathe in the sea, he managed to escape.Still in the 12th century, Speculum Regale of Iceland noted the discovery of a mermaid near Greenland.
"This creature looks like a woman from the waist to the head. His chest also looks exactly like a woman. His arms were long and smooth hair. The neck and head also resembles humans. From the waist down, this creature has a tail like a fish with scales and fins. Creatures This strange looks after the big storm hit. "According to legend Iceland, Merman also been arrested in 1305 and 1329.Encounter with a mermaid is not only experienced by the local fishermen or the lay population.Christopher Columbus called also never met this creature in 1493.Columbus is located off the coast of Haiti when he saw three mermaid tail that emerges from the ocean to the surface. According to him, the third creature was not as pretty as it is often portrayed, even according to him, the third face of the creature looks like a man.Possible Columbus saw three Merman, not a mermaid. But many people who believe that Columbus only saw three fish Mermaids (manatee), water creatures that are often seen in the Caribbean.Another famous explorer, Henry Hudson also been recorded encounter with the Mermaid in 1608.
"This morning, one of our colleagues saw a Mermaid, and she immediately called other colleagues to participate to watch. From the waist up, back and chest like a woman. His body was as large as one of us. When the creature diving into water, they could see the tail that looks like the tail of a dolphin has a pattern like fish mackarel. Our colleagues who witness named Thomas Hilles and Robert Rayner. "In 1614, another famous explorer named John Smith (which we know through the film Pocahontas) also claimed to see the Mermaid. He mentioned that the creature has a beautiful face, round eyes, sharp nose and long green hair. He calls it being "very pretty".Well, this makes us wonder. See, Manatee photos below once again.
If you see such creatures in the sea, Are you going to identify it as a beautiful woman?Is John Smith lying? Or he should immediately make an appointment with an ophthalmologist?
In 1531, a so-called Merman caught in the Baltic Sea and immediately sent to Sigismund, King of Poland, and these creatures are then exhibited to the whole palace officials. These creatures are only able to survive for 3 days.In 1560, a fisherman from the island called Ceylon Mandar in 7 animals caught Merman and Mermaid. This event was witnessed by a Jesuit monk named M. Bosquez, a doctor who worked for local authorities.Bosquez then perform a thorough examination to 7 creature, dissected it and found that the creature has internal and external structures that resemble humans.In 1755, Erik Pontoppidan, bishop of Bergen who is also a naturalist, published a book entitled New Natural History of Norway, in which tells about events Merman sighting which was witnessed by three sailors from the ship on the coast of Denmark, near Landscrona. The sailors swear if they do not lie.In 1785, William Munro, even reported Mermaid sightings are very similar to the tales that often we watch. Munro story might have inspired the character of a mermaid that often we watch in movies.
"My attention fixed on a figure that resembles a naked woman sitting on a rock, staring at the open sea. Like he was combing his long hair and thick. He is still in the stone was 3 or 4 minutes."In 1830, a mermaid was found on a beach called Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
"The top of its body resembles the body of a child aged 3 or 4 years. But the big chest like a grown woman's chest. His hair was long and shiny while his skin white and smooth. The body resembles the bottom of the salmon, but do not have scales."According to records Gadelica Carmina, the creature was still alive when first found, but the villagers tried to catch it in a way to stone, so he killed it. Village elder named Duncan Shaw then made a little coffin for him and give Christian burial to the creature's way.It seems hard to imagine that the villagers provide such a burial ceremony for a manatee or dugong.On June 4, 1857, two fishermen from Scotland also claimed to see the Mermaid. They write in Shipping Gazzette:
"On Thursday June 4, 1857, we were ready to go catch a fish. When we were four miles from Port Charlotte, it was about 6 pm, we saw a strange object at a distance of 6 yards. The object that has a shape like a woman with a large chest. His face was beautiful and long hair over her shoulder. The creature appeared in the water and stared at us as he shook his head. We watched it about 3 or 4 minutes. "Mermaid sightings other quite famous occurred in 1917.In that year, a ship named Leonidas sailed from New York to Le Havre in France. In the journey, the crew witnessed the ship mermaid-like creatures were swimming alongside the boat for six hours. Occasionally the creature's head appeared above the surface of the water, each time for about 15 minutes so the crew could see the ship seems clearly. The creature was said to have long hair black with a body half human and half fish. All the crew agreed that the creature is the mermaid.Certainly it would be very difficult to say if the number of crews used boats in the sea can not distinguish between Manatee and the Mermaid.
What is the evidence that the creature is named Mermaid really exist?PT Barnum, one of the famous entertainer, ever claim to have the carcass of a mermaid on display to get the money later. Carcasses Barnum's known as the Feejee Mermaid. Later, his mummies known as creations by combining the results of several animal limbs.Since then, many mummies Mermaid stored around the world suspected of being creations of the artists. Some have been proven as a hoax, although few have yet proved also suspected as a result of the creation of the artists.Here are a few examples feejee mermaid creations are quite famous.
In addition to the mummy that has been proven as a hoax, there is another mummy who can not be confirmed as a hoax. For instance, mummy Mermaid below.This mummy was found in the so-called Filipinos in 2003. Then, in 2004, re-circulated photo of this creature and called found on the beach after a tsunami hit Asia in December 2004. The creature in this photo is suspected as a hoax because the actual carcass was never found.
Although the legend of the Mermaid is more popular in Europe, but in Japan, the story of the mermaid is also not a stranger. In some temples there, saved some of the mummified mermaid is trusted by the owner as authentic. Even so, of course, many believe that these mummies are also creations just like mummy owned by PT Barnum. But unfortunately, none of these mummies have ever studied seriously.
Mermaid mummy is stored in the temple Zuiryuji in Osaka and received by the temple in the year 1682 from a dealer.
Mermaid mummy is stored at the headquarters of the Shinto religion in Fujinomiya at the foot of Mount Fuji. 170 cm tall and 1,400 years old have been called. Legend has it that this past Mermaid Prince Shotoku in Biwa lake around 1,400 years ago. Mermaid was told the prince that he was once a fisherman who was then cursed to be a mermaid. Before he died, he asked the prince to make a temple and keep his body in the temple. If the mummy is indeed the creation, Is human creations mermaid mummification has been going on since 1,400 years ago?
Between Hoax and cryptid
The scientists or experts Crytozoology has long sought to identify the true identity of the Mermaid. If this creature is just a hoax, why would a record of such creatures are scattered in various parts of the world and has even been started since thousands of years ago?Is the testimony of the sailors nor the villagers that occurred in the span thousands of years can be summed up as a hoax?If it was not a hoax, what the creature is actually a mermaid?Although most researchers agree with the theory of manatee or dugong, but most agree that a mermaid might Cryptozoolog is a kind of sea creature that became extinct, although they also could not determine the identity of the creature in question.While some researchers have not reached a conclusive proof, some people have more confidence that the Mermaid is a mythical creature. This may explain why such creatures are more popular in ancient religions. In Africa, a magician who has repented of his magical activities had testified that a mermaid had been feeding when she was small. In other words, a mermaid who meant was magical mystical creatures that are obviously not into the realm of Cryptozoology.
(Wikipedia, hubpages.com, mermaid-williambond.blogspot.com, pinktentacle.com)