Mermaid Mythology - Origins

I think that people who are unfamiliar with mermaid stories will be surprised by them. Most probably think that the mermaid is a passive, vulnerable creature like the mermaid in the movie "Splash". Nothing could be further from the truth. These are powerful beings with strong personalities. In various legends they cause storms, sink ships and drown the crews, cure illness, foretell the future and, of course, bewitch men.

The origin of the mermaid reveals the source of their strength: they were goddesses – and important ones at that. In the oldest religions the creator god is usually a goddess. Later goddesses are often associated with fertility which is another form of the power of creation. Long before the theory of evolution, the ancient philosophers believed that life came from the sea. From the intersection of these two ideas we have Aphrodite and Venus. Goddesses of love, and therefore fertility and creation, they are also associated with the sea. 'Aphrodite' means foam-born (born from the foam of the ocean waves). Venus is often associated with the sea as in Botticelli’s famous picture "The Birth of Venus" which shows the goddess riding in a scalloped seashell. Do not let the title "goddess of love" fool you. Aphrodite was also called the goddess of Life-in-Death, and was said to be the oldest of the Fates and punisher of the sinful. She was frequently cruel, jealous and proud.

I am using Aphrodite and Venus as examples of the fertility goddess but there are many others that share some or all of their attributes. From these goddesses come the legends of the mermaid. Mermaids are beautiful and Aphrodite and Venus are known for their beauty. There is a popular image of a mermaid combing her hair while she holds a mirror in her hand – the mirror and comb are symbols of Venus. Raising storms and dominion over the creatures of the sea are common attributes of sea gods.

Folk tales about mermaids incorporated these ideas. In folklore, mermaids are usually the aggressors. They are strong and willful and sometimes murderous. In some folk tales mermaids go on land to search for lovers. Lovers they will destroy when they are finished with them. If the local population gives them trouble they will call down on them monsters and foul weather. They have used their magical powers to curse individuals and entire families.

Mermaids, like the goddesses they evolved from, have a sunnier side, too, especially if they are treated with respect. They can be kind, generous, affectionate and loving. There is a family in Ireland that claims descent from a mermaid. She taught them the secrets of healing and made many of them famous physicians. Mermaids have given men the boons of wealth and knowledge, and sometimes their own love. It should be noted that having the love of a mermaid is a dicey affair. The men involved have come to bad ends more often than not. It is the same for men who have had the love of goddesses like Aphrodite or Venus.