Tales of mermaids date back to the first written accounts of humanity, but how much do we know about the mythical sea creatures?  

What is a mermaid?

A mermaid is a mythical sea-dwelling creature, often described as having the head and body of a woman and a fish’s tail below the waist. Stories of mermaids have existed for thousands of years and span cultures across the world — from coastal settlements in Ireland to the landlocked Karoo desert in South Africa.

What does a mermaid symbolise?

With such a rich and varied history, the symbol of the mermaid is as changeable as the sea itself. In some cultures, the mermaid signifies life and fertility within the ocean. In others, she embodies the destructive nature of the water, luring sailors to their deaths — serving as an omen for storms, unruly seas and disaster. 

What are the origins of mermaids?

How far into humanity’s past, our stories of mermaids reach is unknown — possibly since we first began finding creatures in the sea. Archaeologists have found accounts in Mesopotamian mythology of Oannes, a male fish-god from over five thousand years ago.  One of the earliest mermaid legends appeared in Syria around 1000 BC when the goddess Atargatis dove into a lake to take the form of a fish. As the gods there would not allow her to give up her great beauty, only her bottom half became a fish, and she kept her top half in human form. Archaeologists have found Atargatis’ figure on ancient temples, statues and coins.  While the early Britons such as the celts have folktales of mermaids, no illustrations have been uncovered. The earliest depiction of a mermaid in England can be found in Norman chapel in Durham Castle, built around 1078 by Saxon stonemasons. It is a strange carving, with the mermaid found alongside two leopards and several hunting scenes. Historians believe the mermaid symbolises the temptations of the soul.