Mermaids Around the World
Image Courtesy: The Little Mermaid / Disney
Water is life’s most essential resource, with the Earth being 71% water, yet only 20% has been explored.
Water not only serves in the physical but also in the spiritual and metaphysical realm. For as long as humans have existed, tales of mermaids have traveled across the globe from word of mouth to now on the big screens with movies like The Little Mermaid and shows like Siren. The world never seems to get tired of hearing the endless folklore of the mysterious creature.
In 1867, a hurricane hit South Carolina, causing extensive damage. It was believed that it was caused because Dr.William Trot had captured a baby mermaid and displayed it in his new pharmacy to attract customers. Gullah residents in the neighborhood rioted at Dr.Trot’s pharmacy, demanding that he return the mermaid, and once he did, it was believed that the storm stopped.
The stories of mermaids governing the sea don’t stop in South Carolina. In Ireland, mermaids known as Merrows have been believed to be the protectors of the sea with alluring voices that leave it nearly impossible not to be drawn to the sea. Merrows don’t just stay in the water; when they come across the land, they shift into humans. What allows them to shape shift is their cohuleen druith, a red cap that wouldn't allow them back to the sea without.
In the continent of Asia, the ancient story of Atargatis is still alive. In Syria, Atargatis was a goddess who was celebrated for numerous things, like her beauty and fertility. She fell in love with a mortal man named Simios, and together they bore a daughter who took Atargatis by surprise when she was born to be fully human. Her sadness took over, leaving her to kill her lover and leaving her daughter to be raised by doves. She then drowned in a lake, and from there she transformed into a mermaid.
The sightings and stories of mermaids are always a topic of conversation in the Caribbean. Rio Combre, a river in Jamaica, is famously known to inhabit mermaids, called River Mummas, driving from stories from Africa. Flat Bridge, the bridge at Rio Combre, is often met with tragedies with fatal crashes because the bridge has no railing. It is said that every time they try to fix the infrastructure of the bridge, it fails. River Mummas are believed to have a golden comb that whoever finds it may become rich.
In Haiti, the stories are endless. I was once told about a story of a boy who had gone missing after going to the river. There, he was said to be captured by a mermaid. After his disappearance, his family and the people in his neighborhood went searching for him. He wasn’t found, and as time passed, he later showed up at his family’s house, but something had shifted. His black hair had turned ginger red, and he had gone mute. Without words, he communicated to his family that he was taken by mermaids and that he had to return to them.
When it comes to mermaids, there is much more beneath the surface.
Strike Out,
Johann Jonassaint
Boca Raton
Johann Jonassaint is a content writer for Strike Magazine Boca. A true Venusian who can never get enough of being wrapped in cozy sheets, listening to video essays or daydreaming. When she finally leaves her sheets, you can catch her writing at the library, the only place she can actually get work done. Feel free to contact her at jjonassaint2023@gmail.com or @jojoeva_ on Instagram.
