Do Mermaids Really Exist?

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Mermaids have long intrigued man and have been chronicled in maritime sea adventures for centuries where occasionally it has been admitted that the dugong or manatee has been sometimes innocently mistaken for these fabled creatures of the sea for centuries. It is said that Christopher Columbus often chronicled stories of his encounters with mermaids in the Caribbean but his stories have not been verified for authenticity. Mermaids were generally believed to be magical female creatures who first appeared in cave paintings in the late Paleolithic era (Stone Age) period some 30,000 years ago, when modern man was said to gain dominion over the land and, presumably, began to sail the seas. So, what are mermaids? How do they look? There has been no evidence of mermaids being found but there are many stories and legends which have preoccupied man and some people who believe them to be real. To many, the mermaid is a fabled creature of the sea with the head and torso of a human and the tail of a fish. In ancient mythologies like the Chaldean civilization, the sea god Ea was associated with the sea and was said to wear a long beard, a horned cap and long pleated robe where it is said that water sometimes filled with fishes flowed from his hands and shoulder. Then there is the God Oannes who was described by the Babylonian priest Berosus, as having the form of a fish but with the head of a man under his fish's head and under his fish's tail the feet of a man. In the daytime this god was said to come up to the seashore of the Persian Gulf and instruct man in writing, the arts, and the sciences. In European folklore, mermaids and mermen were sometimes called sirens (female mermaids) who had magical and prophetic powers. It was believed that they loved music and often sang and it is said that their songs were so captivating and enchanting that it affected the sailors and led to shipwrecks and drowning. Some say that mermaids have very long lives and were mortal with no souls. They were also the subject of The Odyssey and were mentioned by the Ancient Greek epic poet Homer written in the eighth century BC where Odysseus was cautioned on the sirens which often mistaken to be as mermaids. Another popular storyteller who depicted about mermaids was The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen whose popular story on a mermaid coming to live on land has become the subject of operas, paintings and films across the world. In the ancient times in the far East, mermaids were believed to be the wives of sea dragons and they served as a mediating force between their spouses and the emperor. In Australia, the mermaids were believed to have a beautiful voice and sang songs which were very captivating.

It is generally thought by some cultures that mermaids portend bad luck and are associated with perilous events such as floods, storms and shipwrecks which all result in the loss of human lives. However, while some cultures may look at them negatively, there are other cultures and folklore which believe mermaids to be benevolent  creatures, bestowing boons and falling in love with humans. While the literature on mermaids can be intense and often describe a female mermaid, not much folklore exists on the male counterpart of the mermaids which are often termed as merman.

While there is no evidence that mermaids exist, reports of mermaid sightings continue to the present day with claims of mermaid sightings oftentimes reported in South Africa where mermaid bodies were said to be washed off the beaches of the country. In all, mermaids will always evoke men’s sentiments and will continue to be a popular subject of art and literature. They have also inspired the creation of colorful mermaid statues and mermaid fountain sculptures which are designed to work with ponds or pools around the home. Many homeowners purchase bronze mermaid statues and sculptures to add this fabled creature to the garden where they can be admired for the focal points they set up.  The popularity of adding mermaid fountain statues has grown tremendously and many Americans often purchase bronze mermaid statues to add a mystical addition to the garden landscape. Please click on our mermaid picture to visit our bronze mermaid statues catalog and email us at tion_art@yahoo.com for questions you may have on our mermaid statues.