Mermaids: The Truth Behind the Myth

Do mermaids really exist? How do these half-human half-fish mythical sea creatures look? Does Aquaman live among mermaids? Wait... That is quite another story... Anyway, one of the interesting things about legends is that entirely different parts of the world describe seeing the exact same thing for centuries! Believe it or not, scientists and historians have been interested in the mermaid’s existence for years. In today’s video, we’re turning to their research to find out the truth!
TIMESTAMPS:
The first mermaid 2:14
Mermaids in Japanese folklore 3:28
Mermaids in African folklore 3:46
Mermaids in Russian folklore 4:15
Unconfirmed sightings in the past years 5:30
Christopher Columbus’s mermaid sighting 6:32
Why manatees could be mistaken for mermaids 6:55
Could mermaid body function? 8:31

Music:
SUMMARY:
- The first mermaid, according to legends, is Atargatis, the ancient Syrian goddess of the sea. She didn’t start out as a mermaid, though.
- Like most legends, that of the mermaid spans across cultures. In Japanese folklore, there’s the Ningyo, which is a giant fish with a human face and a monkey’s mouth.
- In Russia, they have the Rusalka, a water nymph in Slavic mythology that’s been portrayed as both good and evil.
- In Norway and parts of Scotland, they have the Finfolk, who were shape-shifters of the sea. They have an affinity for silver and tend to make humans their slaves.
- The hype continues even today. Unconfirmed (and probably false) sightings have been reported all over the world in the past years.
- One thing’s for sure, no one has actually seen, met, or caught a real mermaid, alive or not. Even Christopher Columbus’s mermaid sighting in 1493 was debunked by experts.
- From afar, manatees are about the size of a human, their front flippers could resemble an arm from a distance, and their neck vertebrae allow them to turn their heads around like we do.
- The human part of the mermaid wouldn’t be able to withstand a life in cold oceanic waters. That is, not unless mermaids have a thick layer of hair like sea otters, or blubber like other marine mammals.
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