"A mermaid is a legendary aquatic creature with the upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including the Near East, Europe, Africa and Asia."
Definiton by Wikipedia
Many have described these supposed sightings as "female beings with the lower half of a fish." Sometimes saying that they are evil and with their beautiful voices lure sailors to their deaths, and other times saying that they are just beliefs of the imagination. Real or Not?
Many films include what the director believes a mermaid would look like, making them realistic or cartoonish. For example in the Pirates of the Carribean On Stranger Tides, the mermaid "Syrena" Played by the beautiful Astrid, can be seen in detail when the "Zombies" capture her.
History of mermaids....
The earliest story that has been recorded of mermaid style behaviour and acts involves the goddess Atargatis in 1,000 b.c from ancient Assyria who turned herself into a mermaid out of the shame when she accidently killed her human lover. Her lover was a human shepard. Her beauty however was so beautiful that she could never fully become a fish as the waters wouldn't let her. That is why she appeared as a fish only below the waters. The worship of Atargatis began in ancient Assyria and spread as far as Rome and Greece. She is also known as Derketo in Greek mythology and is thought to have been the inspiration for the worship of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Atargatis is considered to be Great Mother and Goddesss of Fertility of the earth and water.
In folklore, the mermaids often appeared coincidently with perilous events such as storms, shipwrecks and drownings. In certain traditions theres also, as I have previously stated, reports on benevolent, granting favours to humans that they fall in love with. Or luring the sailors down to the deep watery deaths. This is why they can be closely related to the Greek Mythology Sirens who were dangerously beautiful creatures luring sailors and enchanting them with their music and voices.
Behaviours...
Mermaids like to comb their long hair. In art, they are often shown with a mirror and a comb. Sometimes they sit on a rock and sing, luring sailors to their destruction. Mermaids lure handsome young men to their homes in the deep seas. Mermen, however, are usually wilder and uglier than mermaids and have little interest in humans.
All sea-faring cultures have mermaid tales. In the Breton ballads there are the 'Morgan', sea-women, and 'Morverch', sea-daughters; in Ireland and Scotland there are 'Merrow'. The Aegean Sea, it seems, was full of such creatures. In Greek legends there are mermaids that can sink ships and sirens that lure sailors to their doom. In a silvery cave, live the golden haired Nereids or sea nymphs that helped sailors fighting perilous storms. They are depicted as human from the head to the waist, with either a bird's body or a fishes tail. Other sea dwellers from Greek legend include the 3000 Oceanids, the daughters of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys.
