The skeleton of a
creature half human and half fish, which scientists say is more than 4,000
years old, has been found on the coast of China. Its discovery, imbedded deep
in a sandy shore, has revived the old question of whether mermaids have ever
existed. This skeleton is accepted in some quarters as conclusive proof that
there were such creatures, long famed in the lore of many lands.
The strange relic which
has come to light after centuries had a head, shoulders and arms like those of
a woman, as proved by the formation of the bones and skull. The lower half of
the body became petrified, and in all respects was like the tail of a fish,
with several fins. On the head and the upper portion of the body a shriveled
skin was found, similar to that of an Egyptian mummy. If further proof were
needed, it would seem to be supplied by a few strands of hair on the head.
Dermatologists have decided that this was once flaxen and grew abundantly (“Mermaids
Really Lived, Scientists Believe,” Fort Wayne [Indiana] Journal-Gazette, May
27, 1917).
Legends
Mermaids, sometimes also called sirens, are mythical
creatures who supposedly live in the seas around the world. Their top half
looks like a beautiful woman with long hair, and from the waist down, they have
the body of a fish.
Sailors and fishermen have told stories of seeing
mermaids for centuries; the first sightings were made in Assyria around 1000BC.
The popular image of a mermaid is sitting on a rock, admiring her beauty in a
mirror.
Some mermaids were benevolent creatures, granting
wishes to sailors who helped them. But to many seafarers seeing a mermaid meant
bad luck, an omen of a storm or shipwreck. There are also tales of the
mermaids' enchanting song enticing sailors onto rocks where their ships were
smashed to pieces.
“The upper portion of
the creature was about the size of a well-fed child
of three or four years of age, with an abnormally developed breast.
The hair was long and glossy, while the skin was white, soft and tender.
The lower part was like a salmon, but without scales” (The Carmina Gadelica).
of three or four years of age, with an abnormally developed breast.
The hair was long and glossy, while the skin was white, soft and tender.
The lower part was like a salmon, but without scales” (The Carmina Gadelica).
“My attention was
arrested by the appearance of a figure resembling an
unclothed human female sitting on a rock extending to the sea, apparently in the
action of combing its hair. It remained on the rock three or four minutes after I
observed it, and was exercised during that period in combing its hair, which was
long and thick. I has a distinct view of the features, being at no great distance
from an eminence above the rock on which it was sitting, and the sun brightly
shining” (William Munro, Schoolmaster circa 1785. The Times).
unclothed human female sitting on a rock extending to the sea, apparently in the
action of combing its hair. It remained on the rock three or four minutes after I
observed it, and was exercised during that period in combing its hair, which was
long and thick. I has a distinct view of the features, being at no great distance
from an eminence above the rock on which it was sitting, and the sun brightly
shining” (William Munro, Schoolmaster circa 1785. The Times).
Classic
Theories
Changes in temperature above the sea surface have
been thought to cause distortions on sightings of porpoises or sea cows. The effect
of warm air moving over cold air causes a refraction of the light rays and
could explain some of the sightings, but the detail included in reports cannot
be dismissed by the same effect. Geord Steller, in 1741, thought that
mermaids were no more than sea-apes following the alleged discovery of such a
creature in the Gulf of Alaska. Alister Hardy’s theory, that man evolved
from aquatic apes rather than upright creatures, may connect with this idea yet
insufficient evidence exists to substantiate this theory.
Fiji
Mermaids
The Fiji mermaid came
into Barnum's possession via his Boston counterpart Moses Kimball, who brought
it down to Barnum in late spring of 1842. On June 18, Barnum and Kimball
entered into a written agreement to exploit this "curiosity supposed to be
a mermaid." Kimball would remain the creature's sole owner and Barnum
would lease it for $12.50 a week. Barnum christened his artifact "The Feejee
Mermaid". In Barnum's exhibit, the creature was allegedly caught in 1842
by a "Dr. J. Griffin." Griffin was actually Levi Lyman, one of
Barnum's close associates.
Though many people
believed Barnum's claim, the Fiji mermaid was actually the torso and head of a
baby monkey sewn to the back half of a fish and covered in papier-mâché.
Japanese Mermaids
Two women, Mary King and Etsuko Shimabukuro traveled
across Japan for Look Japan.com. In their travels they found a temple
housing the remains of what is thought to be a real mummified mermaid. The
corpse is kept in Karukayado Temple at Hashimoto City, Wakayama-ken. The
mermaid was carried by a traveling entertainer named Chisato during the Heian
Period (794-1185). The corpse is thought to be 1,400 years old. It is 65
centimeters long and weights 300 grams. The creature appears to have had fangs
and the priest in charge of the temple believes that mermaids were prevalent
off the shores of Japan until the 17th century.
While it is considered the oldest existing false
mermaid mummy, most specialists consider it to be carefully connected bodies of
monkey and fish tail.
Indian
Mermaids
Sometime in the beginning of 2005, the following email
begins circulation, accompanied with very characteristic picture of mermaid
found after the devastating tsunami.
This is the picture
of a mermaid allegedly found at marina beach (CHENNAI) last Saturday. The body
is preserved in the Egmore museum under tight Security. Mermaid is called as
KADAL KANNI in Tamil which is an imaginary Creature described in stories, with
the upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish).
Unfortunately, the
text proved to be false and the images fake. These images were in fact already
circulating well before the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, and all
three photos were previously alleged to have been shot in the Philippines. Here
one of the pics.
Malaysian
Mermaids
The following image is one of the set of pictures,
which have been circulating via email, forums and blogs since 2006. They
supposedly show a strange mermaid-like creature found washed ashore of one
Malaysian island.
In this case, the hoax originator is known. Artist
Juan Cabana created this 5 foot long mermaid using a human skeleton and
covering the entire corpse with real fish skin. The fins and teeth are also
authentic and derived from fish. Mr. Cabana has sold this mermaid and other
creations via eBay auctions under the name "SeaMystery". According to
information previously available on the auction website, the winning bid for
the mermaid was recorded at $1,550.00 US.
Juan Cabana admits that other people took his photos
and used them to create stories of finding this mermaid in various locations
around the world, including Malaysia.
Born
Mermaids
Milagros Cerron is currently the only
"mermaid" in the world. She has a rare syndrome called sirenomelia;
at birth her legs were fused together from trunk to heels. For months doctors
worked to expand tissue in her legs and abdomen to prepare for her
leg-separation surgery. The prognosis was good — Mili had all the bones and
structures of normal legs, and she might walk one day. However, her internal
organs could not grow properly because of her deformity. With Mili having only
one functioning kidney and the threat of infection constantly looming, time was
running out.
Doctors suspect that the baby’s malformation was the
result of a strange genetic disorder. However, superstitions abound, including
the fear that her condition was caused by an evil spirit that inhabits a local
lake.
Prior to the surgery, doctors inserted silicone
tissue-expanders under Milagros' skin. The expanders were gradually filled with
salt water, which over time caused her skin to balloon and grow. When Mili’s
legs were separated during the operation, there was enough skin to wrap around each
individual leg.
Manmade
Mermaid
Nadya Vessey has done what I imagine many little
girls only dream of; she’s become a real-life mermaid, thanks to the special
effects team behind The Lord of the Rings. She was born with a congenital
deformity that prevented her legs from ever developing properly. She lost her
first leg just below the knee at the age of seven. By the time she had reached
sixteen, both had been amputated.
The lifelong swimmer–now in her fifties–wrote the
Oscar-winning Weta Workshop about making her a tail. To her surprise, they said
yes! It
took two years and nearly 800 hours to construct the tail as every aspect of it
is custom made for Nadya’s body. Using 3D modeling technology, the spine and
tail fin are made from poly carbonate. It needed a specific buoyancy that
matched her proportions. The skin is neoprene with a Lycra sock that’s
digitally printed with scales that actually sparkle. This level of detail is of
no surprise if you’ve seen any of the LoTR movies.
Sources
and Additional Information:
http://dsc.discovery.com/adventure/disabled-woman-gets-prosthetic-mermaid-tail-to-help-her-swim.html
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