Where can I find a mermaid. Are there real living mermaids in real life: eyewitness accounts, photos and videos about mermaids, all the evidence of the world

For many centuries, mermaids have occupied the imagination of both sailors and land inhabitants. Everyone was interested in who they were: people, animals or fish. Fortunately, there are still places on the planet where you can see their remains, and in some places - even their living.

1. Cancer with a mermaid's mummy (Fujinomiya, Japan)

2. Pond near the Big Bend Power Station (Apollo Beach, Florida, USA)

Manatees near are easiest to see in the warm wastewater of a Florida power plant. Warm water creates attractive living conditions for these creatures, which in some way can be considered mermaids.

3. Fijian mermaid at the Museum of Nature (Grafton, Vermont, USA)

The classic Fijian mermaid shown in the photographs is kept at the Vermont Museum of Nature. A rude monster with a terrible grimace does not at all look like a beautiful mermaid from legends. The ugly creature bears all the signs of a 19th century fake. He has a thick mustache on his face, so this is most likely a male.

4. Henyo - women of the sea (Jeju Island, South Korea)

The word henoe means "woman of the sea." Indeed, each of them has enough wetsuit and glasses for diving. The most experienced henyo can work at a depth of up to 20 meters. In fact, these Korean divers are somewhat reminiscent of mythical mermaids.

5. Mermaids from Wiki Weschi (Wiki Weschi, Florida, USA)

6. The Little Mermaid Statue (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Looking at the famous statue in Copenhagen, it seems as if it appeared from the depths of the sea, like the little mermaid from the tale of Hans Christian Andersen. The monument, created in 1913, attracts crowds of tourists from around the world. This, without a doubt, is a “reference” mermaid that immediately comes to mind: a beautiful girl from above with a fish tail from below.

Now mermaids are considered beauties. And a few centuries ago they took a place next to.

All people living today, without exception, are familiar with the red-haired beauty Ariel - the famous Disney mermaid. The cartoon, the main character of which she is, based on the story of the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen, still excites children's girls' hearts, making her dream about finding a tail and overwhelming her parents with questions about the reality of the existence of real mermaids.

But, it would seem, a completely childish question: “Are there mermaids?” - baffles many adults, because this mystery of the deep sea has still not been solved.

Etymology of the name

The mermaid, as you know, is a character of primordially Slavic mythology. This term, according to various sources, came from the word "channel", that is, the riverbed is the favorite habitat of mermaids. However, the name "mermaid" also has a number of synonyms used in common and foreign languages: for example, siren, undine, dropsy and bathing.

Myths and legends

Since ancient times, it has been believed that communication with the mermaid will not bring to good, because they have proven themselves not in the best way: enticing men with a sweet, horrific melodious voice, the mermaids dragged them into the depths of the seas for certain death. Water nymphs did not even touch their little children with a finger, although quite often they helped the kids return home if they were suddenly lost.

Mermaids managed to spoil life not only for sailors who had the “luck” to meet them on their way, but also for fishermen: tangling fishing nets and drowning boats has always been a kind of fun game for sea beauties.

However, in Slavic mythology, the image of the mermaid was not so rosy: these creatures appeared to be very pale and skinny drowned girls, whose hair was always disheveled and their arms were long and cold. Water nymphs lived in deep lakes and swamps, only occasionally appearing to people during Trinity Week.

What is the danger for a person with a mermaid?

According to ancient epics, beauties at all times gave their preference to men. And it is for them that the sirens pose a great danger: seduced by the beauty of the inhabitants of the deep sea, men risk forever becoming their slaves.

And those who were “fortunate” to love the mermaid had a rather tragic fate: they soon became seriously ill for a long time or ended their suicide.

Are there mermaids?

Now, in the modern world, the mystery of these mysterious creatures continues to remain a secret, closed from the human world by a dark veil of obscurity. However, the presence of such characters in the folklore of a huge number of peoples makes us think about their reality, because, as you know, there is no “smoke without fire”.

In the twenty-first century, the Internet is replete with all kinds of photographs, supposedly proving the reality of the existence of sea beauties, but most of them simply demonstrate the level of Photoshop ownership of the person who created such a photo.

However, there are more believable images - those that clearly show the fins, skin covered with scales and pimples, open mouth with disgustingly long teeth.

Such photos, even though they depict far from those beautiful creatures that people have realized about thanks to Walt Disney and a number of other filmmakers, really make skeptics portray a grimace of surprise on their face and reconsider their beliefs about mermaids.

Another proof of the existence of the Undine is the stories of experienced sailors. From each of their voyages, sailors brought many stories about these naked seductresses with charming voices, and the more experience of such a sea explorer, the more stories about mermaids.

In the end, all that can be said on the question of whether it is true that mermaids exist is limited to just one phrase: "97% of the ocean has not yet been studied, so it cannot be argued that there are no mermaids."

Video on the topic of the article

Instead of legs. Their skin is snow-white. Mermaids have a melodic and mesmerizing timbre of voice. According to legend, they could be girls who died before marriage or because of a heart broken by love, as well as small unbaptized or for some reason cursed children. To the question of who the mermaids are, some myths give the answer that they are the daughters of Vodyany or Neptune and relate to

origin of name

Mermaids prefer not only salty sea water, but they feel comfortable in a fresh lake. The assumption of who the mermaids are and the origin of their name is based on the etymology of the word “channel” - meaning the favorite place of mermaids. They call these mythical creatures in different ways: nymphs, sirens, bathing, devilish, undine, pitchfork.

Legends about mermaids

In olden times, people believed that communicating with a mermaid was a rather dangerous thing. First, she attracts her with a beautiful melodious voice, and then she tickles to a swoon and carries to the abyss. There is an assumption that mermaids hate red-hot iron, therefore, pricking this river nymph with a needle, you can save your life.

The object of interest to mermaids has always been men. It was believed that they did not touch young children, and sometimes helped lost kids find their way home. At their whim they could drown or, conversely, save a person in need. Also, sea beauties love bright things that they can steal or ask for. Mermaids live longer than people, but they are still vulnerable, although the wounds on their body heal quickly enough.

Among the mermaid games, it is worth mentioning the entanglement of fishing nets, the disabling of boat heating. These harmful creatures were most active during the “Mermaid Week” in June, in the old days they called Trinity Week. Thursday is considered the most dangerous when swimming alone and in the evening is more expensive.

Is there evidence of the existence of mermaids?

The question of who the mermaids are and whether they really exist has been exciting the human imagination for quite some time. Although many deny the existence of such creatures as mermaids, unicorns, vampires, centaurs, there is still faith in miracles in the human mind. Moreover, the well-known proverb “There is no smoke without fire” makes one think about the possibility of the existence of such creatures. Indeed, in the folklore of various peoples of the world there is a huge number of stories about naked seductresses with a fish tail.

With the advent of Christianity, the idea came of the appearance of a soul at the mermaid, if she forever abandons the sea and lives on land. Such a choice was rather complicated, rarely anyone decided on it. There is one sad story about a Scottish mermaid from the VI century, who fell in love with a priest and prayed for a soul, but even the prayers of the monk himself did not convince the sea beauty to betray the sea. Gray-green stones on the shore of the island of Jonah are still called the mermaid's tears.

Beautiful and terrible

The main source of stories about mermaids were sailors. Even the skeptic Columbus believed in their reality. When he traveled in the Guiana area, without knowing who the mermaids were, he narrated that he saw with his own eyes three unusual, but somehow masculine, creatures with tails, like fish having fun at sea. Or maybe it's just sexual fantasies, longing and dissatisfaction with the love and affection for months of sailors who traveled for months? Then the stories about the inaccessible and alluring sea seducers are quite explainable, and, looking at the seals, they imagined naked half-women luring them with magical singing.

Even Peter I was interested in the question of who the mermaids were and whether they exist at all. He knew of his appeal to the clergyman Francois Valentin from Denmark, who described one siren from Amboyna, near fifty people witnessed this. He argued that if any stories were to be believed, then only about these wonderful creatures.

To believe or not to believe?

Like modern stories about aliens, rumors of mermaids quickly spread after the next There is no exact definition explaining unambiguously who the mermaids are. Photos that exist do not give a 100% guarantee of authenticity. Sea creatures of interest were not always described as charming nymphs, sometimes they were rather unpleasant and ugly creatures with large mouths and teeth sticking out like spikes.

In the Middle Ages, many European church buildings were decorated with carved undine figurines. Few, of course, can honestly admit their faith in their existence, but nevertheless stories about mermaids continue to excite the human imagination.

Mermaids in the myths of the Eastern Slavs

Eastern Slavic mythology can give an answer to the question of who mermaids are and how they appeared. Mermaids could become not only unbaptized babies, but also girls who committed suicide or were in a position. The birth process took place in the afterlife. In eastern mythology, the imaginary image of a mermaid was described in the form of a naked or white shirt, forever young and incredibly beautiful virgin with long hair the color of swamp mud and a wreath on her head. At the same time, you can find in the popular beliefs a terrible and ugly image of this mythical character. Who is a mermaid? In the mythology of the Eastern Slavs, she was presented as excessively skinny or, conversely, with a large physique, large breasts and disheveled hair. This demonic nymph was always pale, with cold long arms.

Mermaids lived in deep ponds and swamps, and certain sources indicate that they could also hide in the clouds, underground, and even in tombs. They stayed there for a year, and during the Trinity week, when the time came for rye blossoms, they went out to frolic and became visible to the people.

What threatens to get acquainted with the mermaid?

You can find out who the mermaid is and what she does in ancient epics, according to which they do not tolerate young women, as well as older people. But children and young men are attracted by charm and can be intimidating to death, or they can, after playing enough, let go home. One should be wary of their charming voice, which has hypnotic properties. A person can stand motionless for several years, listening to mermaid singing. A warning signal of such singing is a sound reminiscent of the chirp of a magpie.

Tempted by the unearthly beauty of the mermaid, you can forever remain her slave. The people believed that those who knew Undine’s love or tasted her kiss at least once would soon become seriously ill or lay hands on themselves. Only special amulets and certain behavior could save. When he saw the mermaid, he had to cross himself and draw an imaginary circle of protection. Also could be saved by two crosses on the neck, front and back, since mermaids tend to attack from the back. One could also try to brush aside the villain or hit with a stick in her shadow. According to ancient legend, mermaids hate the smell of nettle, wormwood and aspen.

Little Mermaid from a fairy tale

Starting a conversation on the topic of mermaids, it is impossible not to recall the tale of Hans Christian Andersen. The brave Little Mermaid saves the life of the prince during a terrible storm, and then exchanges with the evil sorceress, losing her magical voice and gaining the ability to walk. Each movement brings unbearable pain, but still without her voice she is not able to subdue the prince. As a result, she loses the battle and turns into sea foam.

A cartoon from Walt Disney about the little mermaid Ariel has a more optimistic ending: "they got married and lived happily ever after." These beloved fairy-tale stories have incorporated many elements from the narratives of these creatures. This is a captivating voice, and the opportunity to choose land or sea, as well as the forbidden romantic relationship between a man and a mermaid. The rest, of course, is fiction, but nevertheless, as a result, a positive image of the tailed beauty has developed.

Magic sirens are popular heroes in the folklore of various peoples and cultures, and interest in who these mermaids are is not fading away at present.

No one can say with certainty what the true world is, where mermaids live. Where and why do they appear from time to time among people. Perhaps in that world familiar to them, something has changed for the worse and they are forced to leave it at least for a while and come to us people.

Mermaids are often seen off the coast of Scotland. In 1890 alone, they were met about three times near the Orkney Islands. Hundreds of witnesses could watch the mermaid in one of the many bays off the coast of Scotland, which safely swam in the sea, several times relaxing on pitfalls. Many eyewitnesses talked about how the mermaid looked, and reliably described her appearance and height, equal to that of an adult. All pointed to black hair, white skin and noted that the hands of the mermaid were exactly the same as in humans. Some observers even noted that the mermaid moved her hands like a man. For some reason, the Orkney Islands attract mermaids the most.

So, near the island of Hoy, the second largest in the group of these islands, in the estuary of Portland in 1913, mermaids repeatedly appeared.

One of the researchers of such unexplored phenomena met in Scotland with eyewitnesses of mermaids, among whom were quite respected people.

One of them told the researcher about his meeting with this creature in 1900. Somehow, this landowner had to go with his dog to a distant ravine in order to get a sheep who got into it. Moving along the ravine in search of a sheep, he noticed the dog’s unnatural concern, which also began to howl in fright. Looking into the ravine, the landowner saw a mermaid with reddish curly hair and aqua eyes. The mermaid was the size of a man, very beautiful, but with such a fierce expression on her face that the man rushed away from her in horror. While running away, he realized that the mermaid had fallen into the ravine due to the ebb and had to wait there for the tide to float out to sea. However, he did not want to return to the ravine.

On the coast of Scotland, mermaids were often found near the Hebrides. In 1947, not so long ago, one of the fishermen managed to see a mermaid swimming on a crab box. Feeling a gaze on herself, the mermaid sharply turned around and immediately went under the water. After this incident, many tried to convince the fisherman that all this seemed to him, but he firmly stood his ground and insisted that he clearly saw the mermaid.

A rather curious case occurred in 1926 in the USA. The mermaid chose one of the streams that flows into the Mississippi and often began to appear there. She was so tired of one of the inhabitants of these places, under whose windows this stream flowed, that he even complained to the publisher of the local newspaper about a restless person who annoyed her appearance not only to him, but also to drivers driving along the coast along the highway.

One of the famous mariners, Eric de Bishop, decided to sail on a makeshift raft from the coast of Polynesia to Chile along the Pacific Ocean after Tour Heyerdahl traveled around the world on the legendary Kon-Tiki in 1947. After his journey, Eric de Bishop left a detailed account of the hardships and dangers he encountered along the way. Among the description there is an absolutely fantastic episode. However, de Bishop indicates the exact time and date of the incident. After midnight on January 3, 1957, he decided to go on deck to check on the sailor, who was not there. After some time, the sailor appeared. He was insane, but quite sober. Inaccurately, the sailor told the captain that having heard an unusual slap on the nose of the raft, he decided to check what happened there. He expected to see a big fish or a dolphin there. But in front of him, leaning on his tail, stood a full-length mermaid, in whose hair seaweed tangled. Not remembering himself from the shock, the sailor decided that the creature was imagining it, and extended his hand to make sure that he was right and touched the creature. The angry mermaid jumped back into the sea, having managed to knock down the arrogant sailor who dared to touch her. Listening to the confused story of a frightened sailor, de Bishop was ready not to believe him if he had not seen fish scales on the sleeve and on the hand of the sailor.

In 1977, on December 20, in a suburb of the capital of Zambia, Lusaka, a mermaid was discovered in a collector for collecting water, which was first seen by local children. They informed adults about a strange white woman floating in a sewer. Almost all the suburbs gathered to gaze at the mermaid. Obviously, the mermaid got into the pool with water due to torrential rains that caused floods in rivers and lakes, which is observed in this area constantly from December to March.

This incident was reported in the South African newspaper Pretoria News that same year. True, it was not specified where the mermaid from the collector disappeared. Whether she was able to get out on her own, or whether local aborigines caught her and ate it, but the fact remains: many locals saw the mermaid.

In the Australian newspaper "Melbourne Sun" on July 15, 1978, a note appeared about a Filipino fisherman who was helped by a mermaid to get a net out of the water with a catch. According to the 41-year-old fisherman, the blue-eyed mermaid was pretty pretty. After what happened over this fisherman, all his friends began to make fun of and ridicule him. Therefore, it was reported in the newspaper, it is unlikely anyone would want to talk about such an adventure, even if it actually happens.

In a not so distant 1991, one of the Australian coastguard guards in his report on incidents on his duty reported that at high tide, a mermaid appeared near the shore, where he was on duty.

In Russia, evidence of mermaids appears in the remote northern regions and in Siberia. As a rule, villagers are eyewitnesses. It is understandable the desire of these creatures to hide away from the human eye. So they climb into dense forests, marshy lakes and remote rivers.

Meetings with mermaids are evidenced by the numerous records of ethnographers and folklorists, who, on duty, often have to meet and talk with residents of remote villages. One of the inhabitants of the Chita region, Druzhinin, spoke about a meeting with a mermaid, who had happened to him in 1977. Somehow he had to go at night near the pool. Glancing toward the pond, he saw a creature on the stone that looked like a woman combing her golden hair. The man coughed, but the mermaid continued to sit on the stone and comb her hair. Then he decided to approach her, but as soon as Druzhinin headed towards the mermaid, she immediately disappeared into the pool.

In 1980, in the same Chita region, I happened to meet a mermaid of one of the village women. In the evening, when the housewife took care of the house, she decided to go to the river to wash her legs. She looked at the water, and from there the mermaid emerges. The woman was frightened and quickly ran home. My grandmother met her on the doorstep and began to ask why she was so scared. But the woman did not begin to talk about the mermaid at night looking, but told what she saw the next morning. Grandmother, after listening to the story, was not at all surprised, but remembered that many had long seen the mermaid on that river. Since then, that woman stopped going to the river in the evening.

The record of one of the ethnographers of 1977, made in the same Chita region, indicates that mermaids chose these lands. The memories of one of the villagers about his childhood are closely intertwined with the memories of mermaids. Once the children sat on the bank of the river in the evening and saw a girl on the opposite bank who approached the water and sang. Then she ducked into the river and swam to the nearest stone. I sat on it and began to comb my long hair. How spellbound children looked at the mermaid, and when they ran to her, she dived into the water, leaving a comb on the stone. One girl, Shura Popova, picked up this comb. And at home, her mother scolded her and ordered the comb to be taken back to the place so that the mermaid did not come to him in his house. The children carried the crest to that stone. And in a day the crest was gone. Apparently the mermaid returned. But Shura Popova was afraid to walk near this stone for a long time.

One of the eyewitnesses of the mermaid in the village of Ushakovo, Novgorod Region, also described a meeting with her, which occurred not so long ago - in 1989. Once approaching the lake, he saw a mermaid on the shore, who was sitting there with her long hair loose. When the man came closer, the mermaid immediately rushed into the water. He was not even able to make out her completely. I saw her only from the back.

So the mermaids have not yet been translated either in Russia or around the world today. Perhaps some of the readers also happen to meet with them. To call it luck or in another way, who knows?

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Mermaids - true or fiction - MERMAIDS - REAL OR FAKE?

More evidence of the existence of mermaids can be found by going through.

Do real mermaids exist in our reality or not? We will leave this question to the wise learned men and enthusiasts of the unknown. And in general we will proceed from the postulate "until the opposite is proved, we will assume that they exist."

At the moment, we can only collect all the available real facts and folklore together and try to figure out who they are, “water maidens”. By the way, depending on the "residence" the mysterious inhabitants of reservoirs are called in different ways. In Russia they were called mermaids, from the word "blond" - light, clean, and they were the patrimonial guardians of the Rus - the blond-haired pale-faced virgins. They were considered unclean with the advent of Christianity in Russia.

What real mermaids look like in life

Enthusiasts began to find evidence in favor of the existence of the first Russian merchants in the cave paintings of Stone Age people. The spearfishing scenes of people with fish tails are difficult to attribute to the wild fantasy of Neanderthals. Moreover, the geography of such finds is quite extensive. Mention of half-humans, half-fish are found among the peoples of Eurasia, Africa and America, covering both coastal regions and areas of inland waters.

Assyrians, Phoenicians, Canaanites and Philistines worshiped the goddess with a fish tail Atargatis. The half-fish deities are mentioned in the Ramayana and other ancient Indian sources. The oldest mermaid mummies (over 1400 years old) are kept in several Japanese temples.

The fact of the existence of these creatures was testified by Christopher Columbus. They were observed in the late XIX and mid XX centuries off the coast of Canada. The beginning of the 21st century has brought some more evidence: the coast of Washington state (2004), Kiryat Yam, Israel (2009), Queen Charlotte islands, Canada (2013). Here you’ll involuntarily think about it. It is one thing when a dragon swims in the only Loch Ness Lake, and quite another - when confirmations are found in almost all regions of the planet.

Unfortunately, no solid evidence of the presence of water virgins and husbands of unearthly beauty has yet been received. On the contrary, all the mermaids (or artifacts) that scientists have found resemble frames from horror films.

Photos of real beautiful mermaids in Russia

While scientists are looking for evidence, the general public remains satisfied with the results of the flight of creative imagination of artists and photographs of young pretty women who dream of becoming real mermaids. I must say that the Russian artistic tradition of depicting sirens “pharaohs” on carved boards from the peoples of the north of Russia of the 8th-20th centuries and subsequent works of great masters - K. Vasiliev, I. Repin, I. Kramskoy, I. Maykov - were picturesque examples of very charming young mermaids. Mermaids in Russia are rarely depicted with fish tails. In addition, not all of them lived in water. There were field and forest mermaids.

According to popular belief, water virgins spend the winter in rivers and lakes, and only in the spring at Zeleny Svyatki they are allowed to go ashore and stay in forests and fields all summer. Particularly cautious had to be travelers in the "Russian week". It was believed that mermaids that were lousy and did not know their retention could tickle, kidnap and drown any person they met. Until the Spirit Day, people avoided swimming in any water bodies and tried not to walk alone through forests and fields. On Great Rusalichin Day (Thursday of Trinity), the girls made wreaths and hung them on branches with yarn in order to appease the mermaids. By the first day of Petrov's post, the mermaids were seeing off. The night on Ivan Kupala was also particularly active.

I. Kramskoy May Night

I. Maykov "Mermaid"

I. Repin "Sadko"

Photos of real living mermaids in the sea and in the ocean

Numerous pictures with mermaids, flooded the Internet, can intrigue not only children but also adults. The magical Disney Little Mermaid is a miracle how good! Show me at least one child who doubts her positivity.

By the way, back in the 19th century, mermaids and sea maidens were clearly distinguished. The former did not have any tails and were considered the restless souls of drowned girls (brides, married or unrequitedly in love). Sea virgins (sirens, naiads) - creatures of divine origin from different echelons of creatures, were often distinguished by a complete lack of soul and an irrepressible desire to take it from a person.
  Later, the images almost merged thanks to romantic literature and the ubiquitous cinema.

You looked at a selection of photos of real mermaids. More photos can be seen in the section.