Modern mermaid reports are very rare, but they do occur for example, news reports in 2009 claimed that a mermaid had sighted off the coast of Israel in the town of Kiryat Yam. Manatee's are thought to be mistaken for mermaids. A glimpse of a head, arm, or tail just before it dives under the waves might have spawned some mermaid reports. When you add in the factor of low light at sunset and the distances involved, positively identifying even a known creature can be very difficult. Identifying animals in water is inherently problematic, since eyewitnesses by definition are only seeing a small part of the creature. They don't look exactly like a typical mermaid or merman, of course, but many sightings were from quite a distance away, and being mostly submerged in water and waves only parts of their bodies were visible.
These animals have a flat, mermaid-like tail and two flippers that resemble stubby arms. Possible explanations for sightingsĬould there be a scientific basis for the mermaid stories? Some researchers believe that sightings of human-size ocean animals such as manatees and dugongs might have inspired merfolk legends. The majority of archaeological evidence supports a human evolution that occurred on land rather than in the water. Hardy's theory remains largely controversial and lacking in evidence. Hardy and supporters of his aquatic ape theory (opens in new tab) suggest that humans took to the water to find food instead of land and eventually evolved to live in the water, which many have used to perpetuate the idea of mermaid existence, according to Ohio State University (opens in new tab). Our lack of fur, big brains and subcutaneous fat (qualities seen in marine mammals) are just some traits that lead Hardy to propose that humans descended not from Savannah dwelling apes, but more marine environments. The concept of aquatic humans was taken more seriously in 1960 when British Biologist Sir Alister Hardy proposed a new theory to explain some of the anomalies of human evolution. To modern eyes it was an obvious fake, but it fooled and intrigued many at the time. It had the torso, head and limbs of a monkey and the bottom part of a fish. Those paying 50 cents hoping to see a long-limbed, fish-tailed beauty comb her hair were surely disappointed instead they saw a grotesque fake corpse a few feet long. Barnum displayed the " Feejee Mermaid" in the 1840s and it became one of his most popular attractions. Surrealist painter Rene Magritte depicted a sort of reverse mermaid in his 1949 painting "The Collective Invention."īy the 1800s, hoaxers churned out faked mermaids by the dozen to satisfy the public's interest in the creatures. Smith goes on to say that 'her long green hair imparted to her an original character that was by no means unattractive.'" In fact Smith was so taken with this lovely woman that he began "to experience the first effects of love" as he gazed at her before his sudden (and surely profoundly disappointing) realization that she was a fish from the waist down.
Mami Wata is often portrayed as a mermaid or snake charmer, however, her appearance has been influenced by presentations of other indigenous African water spriest as well as European mermaids and Hindu gods and goddesses, according to the Smithsonian (opens in new tab).Īnother mermaid encounter once offered as a true story is described in Edward Snow's "Incredible Mysteries and Legends of the Sea." A sea captain off the coast of Newfoundland described his 1614 encounter: " Captain John Smith saw a mermaid 'swimming about with all possible grace.' He pictured her as having large eyes, a finely shaped nose that was 'somewhat short, and well-formed ears' that were rather too long. Throughout West, South and Central Africa, the mythical water spirit called Mami Wata, which means “Mother of the Waters”, was once worshipped for their ability to bestow beauty, health and wisdom to their followers, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich (opens in new tab). Kappa are said to have an appetite for children and those foolish enough to swim alone in remote places - but they especially prize fresh cucumbers. Like the Blue Men, the kappa sometimes interact with humans and challenge them to games of skill in which the penalty for losing is death. Said to reside in Japanese lakes, coasts and rivers, these child-size water spirits appear more animal than human, with simian faces and tortoise shells on their backs, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica (opens in new tab).
Japanese legends have a version of merfolk called kappa. – Dragons: A brief history of the mythical, fire-breathing – beasts – Crop circles: Myth, theories and history
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