How Old Is The Mermaid Legend
From the depths of the Sea, to pubs on the shore, tales have been told countless times, how fisherman fell or jumped to their death following a supposed temptress of the Sea. From this myth, "Sailors believed that figurehead sculptures on the front of their ships protected them from harm" (Rau 14). Today these tales have a less disturbing climax; instead of falling to their death, this temptress saves the lives of overboard fishermen, singing songs to keep them alert, alive and well. From myth to modern, How does this evil fallacy come to make a friend and healer? Although having similar attributes, the original myth of the siren reaper, contradicts today 's modern portrait of the now fairytale heroine, known in both, as the Mermaid.
The earliest known mermaid legends come
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Regardless of myth and legend, today 's depiction of the mermaid, differs drastically. What was once a scary and feared creature of the sea, is now seen as "innocent and sweet, if not helpful in many cases to humankind" ("Mermaid Mythology"). The most known modern day version of the mermaid can be contributed to Hans Christian Andersen 's tale of "The Little Mermaid". In Ariel 's Underwater Adventure, the youngest daughter of Triton, the King of the sea, started off collecting valuables from what ships left behind in wreckage. Going against her father 's wishes, Ariel ventures up to the surface, to see a strapping young man, fall overboard when his ship sails into the hands of a terrible storm. Having already been captivated by HIS beauty she saved his life, and brought him to shore. "Ariel stroked his hair and sang him a beautiful love song" (155), and left before being discovered by humans. The fictional story of this brave mermaid, isn 't the only story behind such change in the mermaid myth. Other cultures have also believed that mermaids could be "immortal and have powers ranging from the ability to cure disease to granting wishes to being able to share their immortality" ("Mermaid
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