Mermaids
by : Nella Forest
by : Nella Forest
Perhaps, our mermaids of today are fluffy and meek compared to the mermaids of the days of old. Otherwise known as sirens, they were first represented with the body of a bird rather than a fish. At a later date, their bodies ended in a gloriously nice and meek fish tail. They were told to be beautiful - however, as any experienced man may know - looks can be deceiving! For sirens have always been depicted in old mythologies and legends as malevolent creatures, funerary genii - delighted at the sight of blood and hostile to the living! Much like the element that they represent - water.
Infact, it is told that a mermaid is worn if you are of the water elemental ( born under a Pisces, Cancer or Scorpio sign ), because it can give you more strength. When we reflect on the balance of water - we see the nurturing side ... and the destructive side. Keep in mind that water breaks down everything ... that is it's purpose both chemically and physically. Likewise, the role of the mermaid is spiritually nurturing but physically destructive.
Odysseus said, " First thou shalt arrive where the enchanter sirens dwell, they who seduce men. The imprudent man who draws near them never returns, for the sirens, lying in the flower-strewn fields, will charm him with sweet song; but around them the bodies of their victims lie in heaps."
One may ask themself if the sirens had always been this way. The answer is no, it is said, at one point the sirens had the nerve to challenge the muses via singing talent. Of course, as all goddesses, the muses showed fury in their actions - ripped the sirens feathers to shreds, and abolished them to the coasts of Italy. Eventually, they were charmed by Orpheus, a male Sarasvati. His voice overcame the allure of the sirens'.
In the end, some say that the sirens lost all power and hope to do harm and thus became rocks. However, in the book : From Flying Toads to Snakes with Wings ( Llewellyn Publications ), a sighting from around 1830 was recorded. It's about a siren that was killed by some boys with a rock, on the Outer Hebridean Island of Benbecula. A casket and a funeral was ordered by the sheriff of the district, Mr. Duncan Shaw, a slight distance above the shore where it was found.
Are mermaids genii, demi gods, freaks or foe? We may never know. However, there is a queer feeling that rises through our stomachs and up into our minds when we now think of human fate. One is pressured to wonder, what of us when mother earth decides to heal herself and transform us in the process? A human fetus begins with gills, and then turns respiratory in the mother's womb. Why? Perhaps, the history of the mermaid is the future of humanity?
Back to the Pan's Grove Educational Website
