Merfolk

A mermaid (from the Middle English mere in the obsolete sense 'sea' + maid(en)) is a legendary aquatic creature with the head and torso of human female and the tail of a fish. The male version of a mermaid is called a merman; the gender-neutral plural is merfolk. Various cultures throughout the world have similar figures. Much like Sirens, mermaids in stories would sometimes sing to sailors and enchant them, distracting them from their work and causing them to walk off the deck or cause shipwrecks. Other stories would have them squeeze the life out of drowning men while trying to rescue them. They are also said to take them down to their underwater kingdoms. In Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid it is said that they forget that humans can't breathe underwater, while others say they drown men out of spite.

The Sirens of Greek mythology are sometimes portrayed in later folklore as mermaid-like; in fact, some languages use the same word for both creatures. Other related types of mythical or legendary creature are water fairies (e.g. various water nymphs) and selkies, animals that can change from one block into another type of any form of creature. (cited from Wikipedia)

Mermen are mythical male legendary creatures who are human from the waist up and fish-like from the waist down, whose consorts were their female counterparts, the more commonly known mermaids. In Greek mythology, mermen were often illustrated to have green seaweed-like hair, a beard, and a trident.

The actions and behavior of mermen can vary wildly depending on the source and time period of the stories. They have been said to sink ships by summoning great storms, but also said to be wise teachers, according to earlier mythology. A merman, like a mermaid, attracts humans with singing and tones. (cited from Wikipedia)

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Description


Merfolk have, for centuries, been described as having the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish. Their skin color varies from caucasian all the way to shades of green and their hair is described as being dark colored and sometimes seaweed-like.

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Theory


Legends of these half-human, half-fish humanoids have circulated for millennia, even as far back as 5,000 B.C.[1] It has been widely suggested or implied that manatees or dugongs could be behind the myth of the mermaid. These large aquatic mammals are notable for the way in which they carry their young, cradled in their arms much as a human would carry a baby. It is possible that sailors seeing these unfamiliar beasts for the first time, would assume that they had in fact stumbled across some sort of humanoid species, and consequently spread their accounts of the sightings through their homelands on their return from voyages. It has even been posited that the traditional image of a mermaid with long flowing hair could be attributed to manatees breaking the ocean surface underneath patches of seaweed, and giving the unfamiliar observer the impression of having long hair. (cited from Wikipedia)

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Merfolk Sightings


* The Deerness mermaid: Probably the most famous of the mermaid sightings in Orkney took place over a few summers around 1890.

At this time there were a series of sightings of a "creature" that came to be known as "the Deerness Mermaid".

A regular visitor to Newark Bay in Deerness, the mermaid went on to achieve considerable fame, with hundreds of eyewitnesses swearing to the validity of their encounters. From documented reports, it appears that the mermaid stayed some distance from the shore, so exact details are vague.

But one account does provide a good description of a sighting and, as you will see, it was a far cry from the archetypal storybook mermaid:

"It is about six to seven feet in length, has a little black head, with neck, a snow white body and two arms, and in swimming it just appears like a human being. At times it will appear to be sitting on a sunken rock, and will wave and work its hands."



* The Hoy sea woman: Another mermaid encounter was reported in 1913, detailing multiple sightings of a mermaid in the deep waters off the south-eastern coast of Hoy.

In this case, the crew of a Longhope fishing boat, at the creels by the Old Man o' Hoy, claimed they had witnessed a mermaid rising from the water of the Pentland Firth.

The creature, they said, rose to a height of three feet above the waves and was described as being like a lady with a shawl draped around her shoulders.

In total, they saw the mysterious sea-woman three times, although the account makes no mention as to whether she frequented the same stretch of water, or whether the encounters had taken place in different locations.
(cited from Orkneyjar)

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Merfolk Movies


(all movie descriptions cited from Netflix.com)

Little Mermaid

  (1976)
The great Danish fairy tale writer, Hans Christian Anderson, created a timeless masterpiece with his oddly magical love story The Little Mermaid. A beautiful young mermaid is allowed to spend her birthday at the top of the sea and look at the Earth for the first time. When a storm strikes and the mermaid witnesses a ship wreck, she saves a handsome young prince from drowning.

Splash

  (1984)
Oscar winner Tom Hanks stars as workaholic Allen Bauer, who's convinced he can't fall in love … until he's rescued from a boating accident by the woman of his dreams -- a mermaid named Madison (Daryl Hannah). But if the world discovers Madison's secret, it will be sink or swim for the duo. Ron Howard directs; Eugene Levy and John Candy co-star. This special edition includes original auditions, a making-of special and an audio commentary.

Guinea Pig: Mermaid in a Manhole

  (1988)
In this disturbing feature from producer Satoru Ogura's gruesomely graphic horror series, an art teacher stumbles upon a dying mermaid in a sewer and brings her home. Unable to help her, he can only watch as she slowly dies -- but before she expires, she tells him how to improve his artwork. Police later arrest the man for brutally dismembering a young woman, and the only words the almost-comatose killer can mutter are "beautiful" and "mermaid." Extras include the bonus feature He Never Dies.

The Little Mermaid

  (1989)
Join Ariel, Scuttle, Sebastian and all of their friends (and foes) in Disney's instant classic. Winner of two Academy Awards (for Best Score and Best Song), this colorful adventure tells the story of impetuous mermaid princess Ariel, who falls in love with the very human Prince Eric and puts a lot on the line for the chance to end up in his arms. Memorable songs and characters will enchant your whole family.

She Creature

  (2001)
Angus (Sewell) and Lillie (Gugino) befriend a wealthy old sailor, who shows them his deadly prize: a real, live mermaid held captive in a tank. Eager for fame and fortune, Angus and his crew steal the sea creature and sail for America. Nothing can prepare them for the horror that awaits them as their boat drifts further and further out to sea.

Mermaid Forest

  (2005)
Having inadvertently eaten mermaid flesh 500 years ago, Yuta has achieved his dream of eternal life. But after losing so many of his loved ones to the natural course of aging, he's grown discontented and wants to become mortal once again. Setting out to find another mermaid in hopes that she can tell him what to do, Yuta meets Mana, an immortal girl looking to become human, and they set out on their quest together.

Aquamarine

  (2006)
Think Splash redux! Two 12-year-old lasses (Emma Roberts and pop icon JoJo) get more than they bargained for when they discover sassy mermaid Aquamarine (Sara Paxton) lolling at the bottom of their beach club's pool. Before you can say "fish out of water," the finned beauty develops a crush on a boy who works at the club and recruits the girls to help her capture his heart in this family comedy directed by Elizabeth Allen.

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Other Merfolk Sites


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