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Everyone knows The little mermaid from Walt Disney and H.C Andersen. Of the two, H.C Andersen came closest to the true nature of a mermaid.
Mermaid is composed of two words. Mer=sea and Maiden=a young beautiful woman.
A mermaid was said to be the daughter of the Finnfolk. Born at the bottom of the sea. she had a long glistening fishtail, golden hair and pale skin.
Her hair shines brighter than any mortal woman, and her skin is so pale, she seems to glow in the moonlight.
She was, unlike her parents, blessed with beauty beyond compare, but at a high price.
If she could find a mortal male, she would loose her tail and become a mortal woman, still of great beauty, but if not, she would have to marry one of her own kind, she was doomed to stay immortal, and grow old and be as hideous to look at as her parents.
So this beautiful creature set out with only one goal in mind, to acquire a mortal husband.
This is said to be the reason why some mermaids tend to surface, to show their human part.
It is said that the cycle, if she failed, was as following.
During the first seven years of marriage to a Finnman, the mermaid would lose her exquisite loveliness. During the next seven years she became no fairer than a mortal woman, and during the third seven years, she degenerated into the hideous and repulsive Finnwife.
The mermaid was often blamed for the disappearance of young men in the turbulent waters, which is only understandable.
In a later entry to the Orkney folklore, the merman is also mentioned. A handsome mans body and a fishtail as well. He must also find a mortal wife to marry, or else he will suffer the same faith as his sister, to grow into the disgusting Finnman.
Throughout the times mermaids has held a fascination to humans, and this splendid creature has often become a muse for both poets and storytellers throughout the world.
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