About Mermaids
Mermaids are common fictional characters that show up in the mythologies of many cultures across the world. Mermaids are generally female and have a human upper body and a lower body resembling that of a fish, dolphin or other sea creature. Traditionally, stories of mermaids show them luring sailors to their death. Other mermaid stories say that they are innocent and fall in love with human men, but kill them on accident after forgetting that the men can't breathe under water.
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Identification
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It's easy to identify mermaids in both ancient and modern artwork, whether they are in stories, pictures, film or other mediums. Mermaids are human females from the waist up and fish from the waist down, usually sporting a colorful scaled tail. Mermaids typically are bare-chested and have long flowing hair. They are always beautiful, given that they are seductresses, much like the Greek sirens. More modern tales have also incorporated male mermaids, also half human and half fish, though they are called mermen more than mermaids.
Significance
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As the mermaid has shown up in stories across the globe, they hold a certain amount of significance in mythology and also the way ancient peoples viewed the world. It is theorized that mermaids, along with other human/animal hybrid creatures, were created in myth as people began to understand that they may be separate from animals, but they are also similar to them in many ways. The mermaid has also found its way onto the coat of arms of many royal families and is especially depicted as the iconic figure of Warsaw.
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Size
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In general, mermaids are known to be the same size as humans. Sometimes, though, their tails vary in length. In British mythology, though, mermaids can be gigantic and imposing in size. Some stories speak of mermaids that have reached 2,000 feet in length.
Warning
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In mermaid stories, there is generally danger associated with the creatures. Many people believed they actually existed and took the warnings of them to heart. British mythology states that mermaids are a bad omen and a sign of doom. Greek and Persian mythology warns that mermaids will lure sailors into the ocean and to their death. They are much like sirens in this way, though sirens were half woman and half bird.
Benefits
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Not all mermaid stories involved them being devious and dark. Some stories focused on beneficial aspects to mermaids. In British mythology, some mermaids are told to grant wishes. In Japan, mermaids are called by a different name but retain the same features as traditional mermaids and are said to grant eternal life. In Warsaw, ancient mermaids were thought to have protected the capital and aided soldiers in the face of war. This is the main reason they are regarded on the Warsaw coat of arms.
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