Mermaid Facts for Kids
What is a mermaid?
A mermaid is a mythological creature. A mythological creature is a creature from a legend or folktale or fairytale in which the person is part human and part animal or another type of creature. A mermaid is described as being part female and part fish. A male version is called a merman.
The word mermaid comes from two words. The old English word mere meaning sea and the word maid meaning women. When you combine the two words together it becomes the word mermaid. The word mermaid actually means sea women.
Mermaids are not to be confused with sirens. Sirens are mythological creatures that are part human, part fish, and part bird.
What is a legend or folktale?
Legends and folktales are stories that have been passed down from one generation to another. They are usually told by mouth.
What does a mermaid look like?
A mermaid is described as having the upper part of her boy resemble a human woman and the lower part of her body (the waist down) is a fish.
Mermaids are often described as being beautiful. They usually are portrayed as having beautiful long hair and a gorgeous face.
In many stories, books and movies mermaids have great singing voices and can play instruments such as the harp.
Some believe that mermaids have an angelic look and are angels of the sea.
In some stories, mermaids are beautiful at all. They are actually described as ugly witches of the sea.
Mermaid Characteristics
In many stories, books and movies mermaids have great singing voices and can play instruments such as the harp.
It is said that a mermaid’s voice is so angelic that it had hypnotized sailors at sea. Legends say that their voice along with their beauty has caused sailors to steer the boats off course, causing them to crash or go off cliffs.
Some believe that mermaids can predict the future.
Mermaids are often sited sitting on large rocks out at sea.
Mermaids have the ability to transform themselves from mermaid to full human with legs.
It is believed that mermaids cannot breathe underwater and that they must come up to the surface for air. They are known to be able to hold their breath for long periods of time.
Mermaids are said to be friends with dolphins. People have said they have spotted mermaids jumping out of the water with dolphins.
Where do Mermaids Live?
It is believed that mermaids live in grottos under the sea. A grotto is a cave or a structure like a cave. A mermaid’s grotto is said to be made out of different colored coral, sea glass and sea plants.
Mermaids love their grottos. They take pride in keeping them nice and clean.
Mermaids like to decorate their grotto with different treasures they find under the sea. These treasures include precious gems such as diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, rubies, and amethysts. They also decorate with everyday items that find including forks, brushes, spoons, and bottles.
A mermaid can live in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and the Southern Ocean. They also can be found in seas such as the Carribean Sea, Arabian Sea, Medertarrian Sea, South China Sea, Sea of Japan, and the Irish Sea. They also can live in the Gulf of Mexico.
Mermaid Legends
Many cultures all over the world have stories or legends of mermaids or a human-like sea creature. In some of those stories mermaids are portrayed as beautiful sea creatures and in other stories mermaids are mischevious
One of the oldest mermaid stories comes from 1000 BC Assyria. In the story, a beautiful goddess named Atargatis fell in love with a shepherd. When she accidentally killed him, she was so sad that she jumped into a lake to become a fish. The gods of the water felt she was too beautiful to become a full fish so the top half of her body stayed human and the bottom part of her became a fish and she became a mermaid.
The Mystery of Melusine
In the French Tale of The Mystery of Melusine, a French count married a beautiful woman that appeared by a fountain. When they married she requested that a castle be built and every Saturday she would go to the castle where she would spend the day alone not to be bothered. She told him that if he were to intrude on her privacy on Saturday they would be separated forever. He listened to her request.
The couple had many sons that looked strange and had deformities. The children grew up to get great men. Years past and the count’s brother told him that people were talking about what Melusine did on Saturdays and to spy on her. The count watched her one Saturday and found her splashing around in the bathtub with a large fish tale.
He never told Melusine that he saw her. Then tragedy struck and one of his ones killed another. The count blamed Melusine and felt that because he knew her secret her son’s were dead. Melusine told the count that now that he knows her secret she must leave forever. She was never to be seen again.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid when young Ariel falls in love with a human and meets the sea witch Ursula who offers to help her by trading her voice for legs is an interpretation of the Danish folktale of the Little Mermaid.
List of Some Mermaid Folktales
There are mermaid stories for almost every culture.
Alaskan The Legend of Aymee and the Mermaid
Brazil Iara
North American Indian Menana of the Waterfall
Greek The Sea Nymph and the Cyclops
Irish The Enchanted Cap/
Ukrainian Nastasia of the Sea
Nigerian The Fish Husband
Japanese The Serpent and the Sea Queen
English The Mermaid’s Revenge
Chinese The Princess of the Tung Lake
German The Mermaid in the Millpond
Danish The Little Mermaid
New Zealand Pania of the Reef
