To commemorate Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The famous, Little Mermaid statue in the harbor built in Copenhagen, Denmark. The statue was a port city icon. (Various sources)
In one of the Shinto shrine in Fujinomiya saved a 170 cm tall mermaid mummies 1,400 years old. This is one of the oldest and largest mummified mermaid who is still stored in Japan.
From the look creepy mermaid mummy shape, big-headed, round, and bald, just a lock of hair that grows in front of the head to the nose. Eyes and his mouth was open. He has a pair of hands with sharp nails (20 cm).
Half-human-like upper body and a half under the tail resembles a fish. However, the bone structure is not known exactly how the shape because it has not been studied.
Legends about mermaids monsters emerged during Japan's Crown Prince Shotoku (Shotoku Taishi) in the years 574-622 AD. Shotoku when it walked by the shores of Lake Biwa. When he withdrew suddenly emerged from the lake monster who call on Shotoku that he was a fisherman who was cursed into a mermaid bodied monster half man half fish, because in his past deeds that often kill animals to eat.
He admitted his mistake and wished to understand in order for it to be a warning to all people to refrain from killing animals. This message disampikan to the world in the future. Therefore the monsters ask her to do (after death later) dried and placed disebuah temple as a warning to mankind.
After delivering the messages that monster mermaids later died. Shotoku then reflect on the words and the mermaids dry into mummies. Upon request of the mermaid, the crown prince erected a temple to the mermaid mummies.
This mummy for 1,400 years to move hand until it finally placed in a Shinto shrine in Fujinomiya until now. The existence of these mummies connected with the belief that abstinence from killing animals aka vegetarian life style.
"Mermaids-mermaids" are Real
It is not known for sure if the legend about mermaids came from a true story or not. However based on scientific study in some waters in the past mermaids often told, it was inhabited by the animals specials.
Some special animals that are still living in freshwater or salt. Animals is often mistaken for mermaids. Perhaps because of his habit, shape and performance that is similar. Especially when viewed from a distance.
These animals are known as "dugong", "manatee" and "sea cow (sea cow)". All three species have a similar body shape, but living in different aquatic environments. Classified as mammals like feeding and basking on the rocks and the edges of the water, or complain and speak out.
Dugongs are herbivorous marine mammals. Can be found in the shallow coastal waters of India, the South Pacific (on the eastern coast of Africa to northern Australia), Papua coastal waters, and other islands in the Pacific. Dugong brown gray, his 2.7 meters long and can live up to 70 years of age.
Manatee. There are three types of known manatee. There is life in the Caribbean and along the southeast coast of South America.
There are in all coastal waters and estuaries Florida (U.S.), and a third type that live in freshwater rivers Amazon. There manatee that live in freshwater and saltwater. Manatee gray color, with a body length of 4 meters.
Sea cow (sea cow). First discovered and identified in 1741 near the Commander Islands in the Bering Sea. Sea cow typically likes to live in shallow waters near the shore. His size could be 7.6 meters long and the color is gray-brown with faint polka dot pattern.
Third aquatic animals who breastfeed their children is included in group order (group) water mammals called sirenian.
Naming groups of aquatic mammals is made based on the beliefs of ancient scientists (mythology) that sirenian animals is that once believed the sailors as sirens or mermaids.
Legend of Mermaid, Half Man Half Fish Creatures
For thousands of years mermaids have become legend. Believed to be the embodiment of half-human half-fish creature. From the western hemisphere to the east, north and south. Tales of mermaids coloring mythological treasures and mysteries of the ocean.
Based on the legend of the mermaid is a water creature half man and half his fish. Above the waist is usually shaped body and a beautiful woman waist down covered scales as large fish. The story of a mermaid is almost the same or similar in any hemisphere, so he became a universal klegenda.
Judging from Greek mythology, is believed to be the beautiful mermaid sailor teaser. Who is the mermaid he seduced seduction is doomed. But the Babylonians considered as god of the sea mermaid known as Ea or Oannes. But this is a male mermaid.
Another ancient mythology (Greek and Roman) also mentions that the mermaid is a creature that accompanies some sort of sea gods Poseidon, Neptune and Triton. Dugong-dugong is generally a female-bodied creature with a face beautiful girl, busty plump, glowing, but from the waist to the bottom like a fish tail.
First appeared in the mermaid mythology in Assyria (1000 BC). Atargatis, mother of Assyrian queen, Semiramis, was a goddess who loved a shepherd, but then he was killed because of his love rejected. Feeling embarrassed he jumped into the lake and turned into fish. In the transformation redeem shame he turned into a mermaid.
Then at the time of 500 BC, the story of a mermaid heard again from a philosopher from Ionia (Greek region) named Anaximander. He argues that humans originated from a single species of aquatic animals. This was later referred to as the evolution of aquatic animals to humans. This opinion was regarded as a justification that the mermaid is a water animal that evolved into a human being.
Once the popularity of these mermaids, so it is listed in the parchment and old manuscripts. That the records of Alexander the Great, ruler of Macedonia, (356-323 BC) mermaid story also tucked in there. Alexander's sister named Thessalonike mentioned turned into a mermaid after her death.
Mermaid legends and stories are scattered everywhere. Narrated by sailors and ocean explorers. Generally described as a beautiful woman mermaid fish tail, long hair, melodious voice, loves to bask in the reef and beach. But there is no definitive evidence regarding its existence. Archives except in the form of ancient sketches and drawn in the currency of the Corinthian (Greek).
But there is many a book published in 1718 in Amsterdam Netherlands, a peeling on the life of various animals in the Indian Ocean. The book comes article description, various sketches and drawings. In this book there is a detailed record about mermaids:
"There is a tangible monster woman half fish, caught in the waters of Amboyna (cluster of islands of Maluku, Indonesia).
Based on the measurements has the body along 59 inches (147.5 cm), shaped like sea eel (moa). This creature lived for only 103 hours (4.5 days) after the arrest, and death in the aquarium. During his confinement fed small fish and other seafood, but he did not respond to the food. "
Presumably mermaid is still a mystery. Believed to exist, but the evidence seen until now had never sure about the existing form of mermaid legends. The experts even concluded that the possibility that mermaids are aquatic mammals known as dugongs, sea cow and manatee (sea cow), which disalahtafsir by sailors of the past.
The famous fairy tale Mermaid
Although many had feared by sailors, it turns out the story about the mermaid is also interesting for the children. The famous fairy tale about a mermaid who are a product of the world storyteller Hans Christian Andersen.
Andersen works entitled "The Little Mermaid (1836)" became the most popular fairy tales about mermaids and has been translated into various languages. In fact this story has been filmed in a cartoon version of the same title by Walt Disne, but with little change at the end.
Andersen original version, adapting the story of a mermaid who became patron who always ends in misery. Story about a mermaid who is obsessed with life on land and attracted to a prince. To be able to turn into a man he must be willing to lose his voice (mute). However, after becoming man, the prince did not love him because he is mute. Eventually the mermen can not enjoy life and despair.
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