Already not the first hundred years, mankind has been trying to get the only true answer to the question: do mermaids exist? As always, society was divided into two camps. Some shout that these are just fictions, and the facts do not prove anything. Others firmly believe in the existence of mermaids. Evidence of the existence of these mythological creatures has been collected since the 19th century. In this article, we understand, mermaids - a myth or the truth?
Who are the mermaids?
Before you begin to analyze the evidence for the existence of mermaids, you should understand what kind of creatures they are. You can find descriptions of mermaids in legends, myths, and even in ordinary children's tales. You can even find descriptions of eyewitnesses, which date back to the 17-18th centuries. However, those who really managed to meet these unique creatures describe their appearance in completely different ways. And not only the appearance is different, you can find different names, different descriptions of personality traits and behavior. For example, in European countries the word “mermaid” will be familiar, while the Greeks call these mythological creatures “siren”, and the Romans firmly believed in the existence of nymphs. What is the truth about mermaids?
Mystic
If we turn to a mystical point of view, then in the understanding of magicians, a mermaid is an accumulation of energy, the spirit of water, whose ability is the fulfillment of desires and help others. Myths and legends about mermaids count a huge number. But such a mermaid is just a bunch of energy, an incorporeal creature that controls the water element. However, mythical creatures found by people in the vastness of the ocean also differ from the heroes of myths and fairy tales. Scientists have put forward the version that several species of the so-called mermaids live at once on the seabed. Of course, they are not very similar to the beautiful characters in their cartoons. Some experts put forward the theory that humans evolved from these sea creatures, because life originated in the ocean. The debate about whether mermaids are a myth or a reality has unfolded serious.
This version has not yet received a full scientific justification, but the story is rich in examples and eyewitness accounts that confirm their existence. Many are also of the opinion that the fact that when meeting with people the mermaids attack is true.
They exist?
So a mermaid myth or reality? The best evidence of their existence is documented. The first mention of mythological creatures dates back to the XII century and belongs to the Irish chronicles. The description says that the creature had a woman’s body, but instead of legs there was a fish tail. It was called the word "margigre."
The following mention appeared only in 1403 in Holland. The book of Sigo de la Foundation “Miracles of Nature” describes a rather atypical situation. After a terrifying storm, a strange girl was thrown out of the water. She was covered in mud and algae, and instead of her legs was a fin. The book says that people took the girl to the city, taught to do farming. The siren spent 15 years on land, among people, but did not start speaking their language and at every opportunity tried to return to the water, but this did not happen. Soon, the siren died among ordinary people.
17th century mentions
The next significant reference, which is ready to answer the question, mermaids - myth or reality, refers to 1608. On June 15 of this year, two men went on a trip under the guidance of the famous navigator G. Hudson, where they found a living mermaid. Two sailors with fire in their eyes convinced everyone around that they saw a siren with black long braids, a bare bust and a huge fish tail. However, none of the sailors could confirm the words of the two men anymore.
A new storm of discussions in the XVII century was caused by archives found about the amazing guy Francisco de la Vega Casar. He lived in Lierganes and was distinguished by the ability to swim perfectly. Legend has it that a sixteen-year-old guy went swimming and fell into the abyss. He was delayed, and people could not find the boy. After some time, the sailors discovered a very strange creature at the place where the guy disappeared. He was the same guy, but his skin was snowy white, and scales grew on some parts of his body. Membranes grew on the boy's limbs, but he himself could not talk, as before, but only made sounds incomprehensible to the hearing of people. The creature was incredible in strength, but it was nevertheless caught and taken to the temple, where an exorcism ceremony was performed on the guy. Three weeks later, the young man was subjected to rituals of exorcising demons, and only a year later they returned home to their mother, who immediately said that her son was not at all human. Two years later, the guy was able to escape and disappeared into the sea.
Evidence of the existence of monsters in the XVIII-XIX centuries
In 1737, a new wave of discussion began on the topic of the existence of mermaids, because yet another evidence appeared. A new story happened already in England, where the fishermen, along with the daily catch, pulled a strange creature onto land. Frightened by the sea monster, the sailors immediately killed him, and those on board claimed that the sea creature was moaning like a man. Waking up from fear, the fishermen found that in front of them was a male siren. The creature's appearance was awesome, but remotely the mermaid was very much like a man. The corpse of a siren has long been used as an exhibit in a museum in Exeter.
The year 1739 was also significant, and material appeared in Scot's magazine, which said that the sailors had caught a real mermaid, but there was no significant evidence for this, since the sailors had to prepare and eat the captured sea creature.
They returned to discussions in 1881, because on October 31 the Boston publishing house released news that people had caught the body of a strange creature. The sea monster was a woman, because the entire upper body was like an ordinary person, and everything below the belt was covered with scales, instead of legs it was a fin. And this was far from the last case of the nineteenth century, when sailors managed to catch a siren.
Mermaids in the USSR
In the Soviet Union, the situation was more complicated, and the history of the appearance of a mermaid on the shore of Lake Baikal was kept secret for a long time. In 1982, combat swimmers trained on the western shore of the lake. Here an unusual sea monster was found . One of the tasks for swimmers was scuba diving to a depth of 50 meters, it was there that unusual creatures were found. In length, they reached about three meters and were covered with scales. Divers are firmly convinced that these were not people, since creatures moved much faster and without swimming suits and special equipment.
The squad leader decided that swimmers needed to make contact with the creatures, and prepared a team of 8 people. All scuba divers were well equipped and prepared for the assignment. But the mission was never completed: as soon as the detachment approached the siren and attempted to throw a net at the creature, it seemed to force them to push them to the shore of the lake. After the incident, all members of the operation fell ill with decompression sickness, three of them died two days later, the others remained disabled.
Strange monsters in the USA
Strange stories and territory of the United States were not bypassed. For example, an interesting case occurred in 1992 in Key Beach, Florida. Eyewitnesses say that near the shore they noticed unusual creatures with a human upper body, and the lower part was like a seal. When people made an attempt to come closer to see unusual creatures, they quickly disappeared into the bottom of the sea. After some time, the fishermen got their nets out of the water, but they were cut up, and the catch was set free.
An unusual exhibit is presented at the Museum of Tumstone. It represents the body of a creature, the upper part of which is quite similar to the human one. Hands, shoulders, neck, ears, nose, eyes - all this was an outlandish creature. Locals claim that they often catch such creatures in their fishing nets. The best evidence of a debate about whether the mermaid myth or reality is a photo. However, their reliability is in doubt.
Mermaids: myth or reality?
It is actually very difficult to answer the question whether these unusual inhabitants of the sea exist. Dragons were also considered legends of their ancestors until they found the solid remains of dinosaurs. As for the mermaids, they really could exist, but due to the fact that they often came across to people, a person could completely destroy their race. Some scientists believe that sirens are just a species of dolphins. One can argue for a long time about the real and mythical existence of mermaids, one can sacredly believe or reject. But the fact remains that still unusual creatures are found in humans. Perhaps the high technology and activity that man has developed, including in the depths of the sea, makes these sea creatures hide in the depths of water bodies.