WhAt Is A mermaid seA MAIdens Mermaids are mythical water creatures The name developed from mer which means sea in French and maid which is another name for a young woman Mermaids have the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a fish Despite this strange combination most mermaids are very beautiful Their looks and haunting singing can mesmerize the humans that see them Often mermaids have long flowing hair and a shimmery colorful tail Since ancient times mermaid characters have appeared in many myths legends and stories In these stories mermaids have special talents that bring good fortune or bad luck to those who meet them Like fish they can live and breathe underwater Like humans mermaids can breathe air talk and sing However not all mermaids are the same Countries around the world call their sea maidens by different names Their looks and talents vary and so do their stories Each one is as magical as the next Some mermaids hide behind rocks to avoid being seen 4
Mermaids have the power to see into the future SPECIAL POWERS In myths and legends mermaids have the power to control many things Some use these powers for good Others however use them to bring death or bad luck to humans The most basic mermaid power is her control over the sea She plays her harp to calm the water but she can create giant waves if she is angry Seeing a mermaid can be an omen that a violent storm is coming Wise sailors pay attention to these signs and do not venture out into the sea Once at sea sailors may be in danger from evil mermaids These sea maidens can cast a spell by singing or by staring at a human In this way mermaids lure people into the water to drown Mermaids have many other powers too They brush their hair to strengthen these powers Mermaids practice telekinesis and some can become invisible Most can swim at incredible speeds Others grant wishes and can bring great riches to their human friends FAst FAct If a mermaid kisses a human that person can then breathe underwater 5
sIrens The Greek writer Homer wrote The Odyssey almost 3,000 years ago In his book Homer introduced the idea of sirens These beings are half woman and half bird and are very dangerous Homer’s sirens live on an island in the sea They sit combing their long hair and singing Their singing tricks humans who hear them into thinking the sirens are beautiful Passing sailors are so enchanted that they sail into the island and crash against the rocks In The Odyssey the goddess Circe advises the hero Odysseus to put wax in his ears to block out the singing Odysseus ignores her because he wants to hear the sirens He orders his men to plug their ears but to tie him to the mast When the sirens sing to Odysseus he wants to jump overboard and swim to the island Luckily he cannot break the ties and this saves him from certain death In Greek myths sirens were not sea maidens but land creatures They were half woman and half bird FAst FAct sirens used their beautiful voices and songs to lure sailors causing ships to crash into the rocks 6 6
nyMphs In Greek mythology naiads are freshwater nymphs They live in rivers springs fountains and streams Nereids are sea nymphs Ancient images depict nereids with two legs They look like humans but they live under the sea In Greek myths the god Nereus lives in the Aegean Sea He and his wife Doris have 50 daughters all of them nereids Each daughter represents an element of the sea such as foam waves or salt As kind and generous goddesses the nereids are friendly with sea creatures and ride on the backs of dolphins They also protect sailors and fishermen and rescue those in trouble On the shore people built shrines to thank the nereids One of Nereus daughters Thetis becomes the mother of the hero Achilles Another Amphitrite marries Poseidon the god of the sea Their child Triton becomes a herald for his father Triton also becomes the father and king of all mermaids The name Triton can also describe mermen in general Tritons are powerful sea gods who carry conch shells to raise or calm waves 7 7
