Mer
| maids, men ( mėr΄mād΄,-
΄men΄) ,n. 1.Mere
(mir), n. Archaic. A lake or pond [old
English mere a body of water]
A race of amphibious beings.
Most mermaids have strikingly features, even
if this beauty sometimes appears a trifle cold.
They tend to be blonde, with long tresses ranging
in colour from light brown to the tint known
as 'strawberry blonde', and possess large green
or blue green eyes. Their skin is an immaculate
pearly white, with a silvery sheen when it is
slick with seawater. Breasts, arms, shoulders,
hips and waist are all in perfect proportion.
The species develops slowly and it is impossible
to tell the age of a merperson. The exquisitely
beautiful children take a long time to reach
adolescence. They enjoy a prolonged maidenhood.
Upon reaching their prime they retain the appearance
of a mature human female for innumerable years.
Merman are stalwart, swarthy, hirsute and muscular,
but with softer characters than their appearance
would seem to indicate.
Both sexes are human in appearance above the
waist and fishlike below, with large tail flukes
but no dorsal fins. They are, however, capable
of changing their fishlike nether regions into
human lower limbs, so that they may walk upon
dry land, whenever they so desire. It is even
possible that many merpersons spend the greater
part of their lives, in or Out of the water,
with limbs instead of fishtails.
Mythology:.
 Legend
has it they originated on the coast of Brittany
and swam across the English Channel to Cornwall,
where the inhabitants gave them the Anglo-French
name of mermaids and mermen, i.e. sea maids
and sea men. From Cornwall they spread up the
west coast of the British Isles and around northern
Scotland to Scandinavia. Merpersons are occasionally
sighted along the other coasts of Europe (although
the nereids of the Mediterranean are only distant
relations) but they seem to prefer the
cold water and rugged Atlantic coasts of Britain
and Ireland (where they are known as merrows
or merucha) and the cliffs and fiords of
Scandinavia.
Merpersons are also sighted on other coastlines
of the world, including North America and China,
but they often differ greatly in appearance
from European mermaids. The theory that they
are, however. related to dugongs or manatees
is incorrect.
Mermaids and mermen live in and beneath the
sea but can make themselves at home on land.
They have their own language and customs. but
are also able to speak the language of humans
living on the nearest coastline. They like to
make frequent trips ashore. if only to sit on
rocks and comb out their long hair, and so they
generally live in soundings rather than in the
deep sea.
Fishermen often sight merpersons, especially
in rough weather.
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 They
say that nothing could be more strikingly beautiful
than a school of merpersons of all ages frolicking
in the great Atlantic rollers. their silvery
bodies glistening amid the tumultuous surf and
their green eyes flashing as they glissade down
the waves. Contrary to popular belief they are
never caught in the fishermen's nets. They are
much too sea wise and agile to become entangled
in such obstacles. They live on fish and other
seafood but do not resent and never interfere
with fishermen unless of course the humans have
offended them in some way.
Relationships between merpersons and human beings
are exceedingly complex. The two races have
a great physical attraction for each other.
but their characters are so different that associations
between them usually end in disaster. Merpersons
do not have souls, they are able to foretell
the future, they are vain, jealous, and unforgiving,
they have some degree of supernatural power,
and they are probably immortal.
There are many accounts of shore dwelling humans
failing in love with merpersons, both male and
female. When a woman falls in love with a merman
he has the power to make her amphibious. and
she goes to live with him under the sea. A mermaid.
however. always sheds her tail and goes to live
ashore with her human lover or husband.
Initially, such relationships are passionately
happy. but the first fine careless rapture soon
dies away. A human female starts to long for
all her friends and relations ashore, and eventually
forsakes her merhusband. A mermaid begins to
yearn for the wild freedom of life among the
waves. and finds it is very difficult to adjust
to the dry dustiness of life ashore. She scandalises
the gossips by stripping off on the seashore
and plunging naked into the sea, attracting
her old companions to join her and sitting with
them on the rocks to sing, chatter and comb
her hair.
Mermaids sing very sweetly. but they are hopeless
cooks and mermaid beauty soon palls on a husband
who arrives home and finds nothing but raw fish
for his tea. They neglect the housework, being
so vain that they can spend most of the day
admiring themselves in the mirror and trying
out new hairstyles. When the children come along
they have webbed hands and feet, which makes
them expert swimmers but ineffective at most
other children's games. On the whole it is a
relief for all concerned when a mermaid slips
away with her children and rejoins her friends
in the sea.
Merpersons always know, by their power of foretelling
the future. that marriage with human spouses
cannot endure, but nevertheless they often show
jealous fury when a marriage collapses. They
tend to blame the human. and often cast some
spell or curse upon the wife or husband. A fisherman
who takes a merwife may as well stay ashore
after she has left him. He will never catch
another fish, and there is even a likelihood
that he and his boat will be destroyed.
There are numerous relationships with merpersons
apart from marriage. The saddest is when a young
mermaid falls in love with a human but he does
not respond, so that she pines away from hopeless
desire. Sometimes a coastal community befriends
a mermaid in order to benefit by her powers
of futuresight. which she employs in return
for such gifts as golden combs and mirrors.
It is very useful for a fishing village to have
an infallible weather forecaster, and to be
told exactly where to fish for the biggest catch.
Occasionally a mermaid who conceives a passion
for a human male will endow him with some of
her own supernatural power, such as the ability
to find treasure in sunken ships. Or a merperson
may take a special liking for a human child,
become its self appointed guardian. and inflict
horrible punishments upon anyone who ill treats
the human ward.
Some members of the clergy have caused great
distress by attempting to convert merpersons
to Christianity, especially when they are beautiful
young mermaids. It is, of course, a hopeless
endeavour.
Generally it may be said that merpersons are
delightful creatures to observe at a distance
but uncomfortable on closer association. Their
intentions towards human beings are usually
amiable, and they are rarely malicious unless
they conceive themselves to be offended. but
the differences in temperament between persons
and merpersons are insurmountable.
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