Tailed beauties with long hair and a captivating voice are popular characters in the myths of many peoples of the world. The most ancient stories are associated with mermaids. Let's try to consider these sea maidens in the folklore of different nationalities, as well as find out what the most beautiful mermaid is in cinema and animation.
Mermaids in beliefs and legends
Today we all have a great idea of what a mermaid looks like, but this was not always the case. Many deities of the ancient world were associated precisely with these sea creatures, not quite similar to the beauties with fish tails.
1
Ancient babylon
The god of the Sun of the ancient Babylonians, Oann, or Oaness, according to legend, came to people from the waters of the Persian Gulf. This deity had the head and body of a fish, but he moved along the bottom of the sea and the sky with human feet.
The moon goddess Atargatis was the ancestor of many mermaids, who was half-female half-fish. The Babylonians believed that after passing through the horizon, the sun and moon plunged into the depths of the sea.
2
Ancient Greece
In Greek mythology, one can find newts who were companions of Poseidon, and were responsible for sea winds and storms.
But more surprising are the ancient Greek demonic creatures of the Siren, in which the upper part of the body was human, and the lower one was the tail of a fish. With their beautiful voice, they carried sailors, and their ships crashed on the rocks.
3
Southern Slavs
Among the Serbs, Macedonians, Slovaks and other South Slavic peoples, virgins with long hair and dressed in beautiful white dresses are present in myths and folklore. The name was these beautiful Pitchfork.
These virgins were the spirits of mountains, fields, lakes and wells, and were endowed with good qualities. They treated and helped people well, but they could have avenged cruel resentment. By their signs and appearance they were mermaids, but differed from them in the transparency of their bodies.
4
Baltic countries and Germany
The mermaids of the northern European nations are called Undine, which literally translates from the Latvian language as “wave”. For other nations, this word literally means "water."
At night, these beautiful girls come out of the water and begin to comb their long hair with magic combs. They preen to seduce an earthly man, give birth to a child from him, thereby acquiring an immortal soul.
5
Japan
In Japanese myths, an immortal creature is found with the body of a fish called Ningyo. Often this name translates as mermaid.
The sea creature had a human face, a beautiful voice resembling the sounds of a flute. The most popular tale of a fish man was the tale "Yao Bikuni." The legend says that the daughter of a fisherman, having tasted an unusual fish with a human face, stopped aging.
Be sure to look at most-beauty.ru a very interesting article about unusual sea creatures, similar to fantastic aliens.
6
East Slavs
The image of the mermaid is most widespread among the East Slavic peoples. At first, in Russia they were considered the embodiment of evil forces, since when they met with them, they could tickle a person to death, and also drag him into the water. For a long time, it was believed that these were not reassured souls of young girls who died before marriage. That is why they are often portrayed in wedding wedding clothes.
Many researchers associated the cult of mermaids with fertility, as well as with the remembrance of deceased ancestors. The word "mermaid" appeared in Slavic languages from the spring festival of Rusal, which was held in honor of the memory of deceased relatives.
In cinema and animated films
Mythical creatures have become popular characters in cinema and animation. Consider the most beautiful screen mermaids.
7
Splash. 1984. USA
Romantic comedy with elements of science fiction about the love of a young man and a mermaid. A great acting duet was composed by Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks.
A boy who accidentally falls into the water is saved by a sea beauty. After many years, chance brings them together again, and now they cannot imagine further life without each other.
8
Mermaid. 1989. USA
One of the most beautiful and beloved by children fairy-tale cartoons about a sea beauty named Ariel. They shot it at a Disney studio based on the famous tale of Hans Christian Andersen.
Despite the colorful design and a fascinating plot, all the awards were collected by the music that sounds in the film. In 1990, cartoon composer Alan Mencken was awarded an Oscar. After the release in Russia, pictures of the beautiful mermaid were filled in school diaries and notebooks, and mermaid dolls appeared in stores.
9
Aquamarine. 2006. USA - Australia
The joint work of Australian and American filmmakers tells the story of two girlfriends who have a third, but she is a mermaid.
The image of a charming mermaid with a romantic name Aquamarine was embodied on the screen by American actress Sarah Paxton. Her partners on the set were Emma Roberts and Joanna Levesky.
10
H2O. Just add water. 2006 - 2010. Australia
The most popular television series about mermaids began to be broadcast in Australia in 2006. Then copies of all seasons were bought by American and European channels, including Russian ones.
The main characters of the series are three girls who became mermaids, having bathed in the Moon Lake of the crater of an extinct volcano. The television series has been awarded many prizes and awards. One of the most prestigious was the "Logie Awards", in the nomination "Best Children's Entertainment Program."
11
My mom is a mermaid. 2007. Great Britain
Family fantasy tells the story of a father and his 12-year-old daughter Sirena, who went to travel to Greece.
The daughter is trying to find a new girlfriend for her father, since he became depressed after the death of his wife. Searches were successful, in all respects the woman Nereid fits. Smart, beautiful, caring, but she is a mermaid.
12
Sea bride. 2007. Japan
Japanese animators often address the theme of marine life, and one of the best animes is the film "Sea Bride."
Mermaid Sun, who lives in the lake, saves the guy. Both fall into a difficult situation, she faces death, as it seemed to people. The only way out for the guy is to take San as his wife, and thereby save her and himself.
13
Undine. 2010. Ireland
The feature film of Irish filmmakers (not to be confused with the eponymous Russian series) was shot on the basis of reality and elements of Irish mythology.
A fisherman catches nets into the sea for a girl who has lost her memory. He gives her the name Ondine. She is a mermaid, and her mission is to give birth to a child from an earthly man. Only in this way, according to legend, can she gain the immortality of the soul.
14
Three heroes and sea king. 2016. Russia
In the seventh feature film about the heroes, mermaids also appear. The sea king flooded Kiev with water, and the wives of the heroes turned into charming mermaids.
The warriors, having returned from a long hike, engage in a battle with the sea king to remove the spell. The animated film became the most mentioned in the media in January 2017, and also collected the largest box office among cartoons in the morning hours of the show.
Real mermaids and where to see them
Movies and cartoons about mermaids are certainly interesting, but there are several places on the planet where you can meet real mermaids. Somewhere you can see their remains, and somewhere alive.
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Cancer with the mummy of a mermaid. Fujinomiya. Japan
In the Buddhist temple of the Japanese city of Fujinomiya, it is believed that the remains of the most ancient mermaid are stored. It is difficult, of course, to call her beautiful, but the legend associated with her certainly deserves attention.
The legend tells that 1,400 years ago a half-fish half-human creature sailed to the local prince, and said that he used to be a fisherman. The sea gods cursed him for fishing in protected areas.
The former fisherman asked the prince to build a temple, and place it in this temple as a reminder to other fishermen so that they would not make such mistakes.
16
Big Bend Power Station. Florida. USA
In the warm running waters of the power plants of the city of Apollo Beach, manatees love to splash around, which from afar resemble sea mermaids.
It was with these marine animals that the first legends that sailors saw mermaids in the ocean waters were associated. The front fins of manatee resemble hands, and the rear fused fins are very similar to a long fish tail.
The algae that the marine inhabitants eat is reminiscent of the hair of mythical creatures developing in water.
17
Monument to the Little Mermaid. Copenhagen. Denmark
The real standard of the modern idea of the mermaid, as a beautiful girl with a fish tail, seemed to have descended from the pages of Andersen's fairy tales.
A beautiful girl, stepping out of the deeps of the sea, crouched on a stone and meets ships entering the port. They installed the statue in 1913, and today it is a popular tourist attraction.
Today, mermaids are considered beauties, and in the Middle Ages they were placed on a par with the most terrible and dangerous monsters.
18
Mermaids from Wiki Weschi. USA
In the American city of Wiki Washley, you can very close to see a beautiful and graceful sea maiden of flesh and blood.
A huge aquarium was established in 1947, and from this year graceful girls in the images of mermaids give here an exciting water theatrical performance.
Observation windows are installed below the water level for viewers to better see funny mermaids. Here in these windows flicker bodies and beautiful tails of mermaids. The water in the aquarium is always clear, as it enters the aquarium from the cleanest key that spills from under the ground.
Conclusion
Slavic paganism and ancient beliefs of many peoples have gone into the distant past, but archaic features of venerating mermaids have been preserved in modern traditions and national holidays. Sea virgins were and remain popular characters in the cinema, despite the fact that in the distant past their image was associated with the cult of veneration of deceased ancestors.
Article author: Valery Skiba