One of the earliest depictions of a mermaid came from Syrian mythology.Ī famous Greek folktale claimed that Alexander the Great’s sister, Thessaloniki, was transformed into a mermaid and lived in the Aegean sea after her death in 295 BC. Greek mythology contains stories of the god Triton, the merman messenger of the sea, and several modern religions including Hinduism and Candomble (an Afro-Brazilian belief) worship mermaid goddesses to this day. Sometimes, they were portrayed as powerful vengeful water spirits who brought storms, misfortune and death to ones who traveled across the oceans, rivers and lakes. However, stories from the past do not describe them as passive and vulnerable as the modern tales do. Their modern name comes from the French words mer (sea) and maid (girl or young woman), symbolizing their beauty and life at the sea. Myths and legends about mermaids followed the course of human history from the birth of ancient civilizations to the modern times when they have become part of popular culture and fantasy tales.
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