The Legend of Mermaids

Ulysses and the Sirens, Herbert James Draper, (1864-1920)

Nowdays most people picture mermaids as sweet and innocent creatures from the sea,

 this however, was not the case a few thousand years ago.  According to a website called Gods and Monsters, mermaids were sometimes seen as evil and dangerous. The earliest mermaid legends known originate from Syria around 1000 b.c. They told tales of a Syrian Goddess, Atargatis that dove into a lake to take the form of a fish but her powers would not allow her to give up her beauty, causing her to only turn to a fish from the waist down. Other tales originate from Homer's Epic; The Odessey, where the Sirens were believed to be in mermaid form. A website called North Star Gallery states that the sea is a symbol of life and abundance, but also of annihilation and death. Mermaids, or in some cultures sirens emobdy these qualities calling man to abandon what he is and become something new, something unknown. Thus instilling the fear of losing oneself.

"Mermaid Mythology." Gods And Monsters. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012.

"Mermaids and Sirens, Symbols of Seduction and Transformation - Northstar Gallery." Northstar Gallery. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012.