Merman

Introducing a new series that explores and celebrates artistic depictions of a unique form of male beauty: the merman.

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Mermen are mythical male legendary creatures who are human male from the waist up and fish-like from the waist down. They are less commonly known than their female counterparts, mermaids.

In Greek mythology, mermen were often illustrated to have green seaweed-like hair, a beard, and a trident. In Irish mythology, mermen are described as extremely ugly creatures with pointed green teeth, pig-like eyes, green hair, and a red nose. In Finnish mythology, a merman (vetehinen) is often portrayed as a magical, powerful, handsome, bearded man with the tail of a fish. He can cure illnesses and lift curses and brew potions. But he can also cause unintended harm by becoming too curious about human life. The river dolphin (or boto) of the Amazon River regions is described according to local lore as having the ability to take the form of a human or merman, also known as encantado (“enchanted one” in Portuguese), and the habit of seducing human women and impregnating them. Chinese mermen were believed to only surface during storms or, in some cases, were believed to have the ability to cause storms.

Much like sirens, mermen would sometimes sing to people and enchant them, distracting them from their work and causing them to walk overboard or run their ships aground. Other stories have them squeezing the life out of drowning men while attempting to rescue them. They are also said to take humans down to their underwater realms.

The actions and behavior of mermen can vary wildly depending on the source and time period of the stories. They have been said to sink ships by summoning great storms, but also said to be wise teachers, according to earlier mythology. A merman, like a mermaid, attracts humans with singing.

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Image 1: daekazu.
Image 2: Artist unknown.
Image 3: Artist unknown.
Image 4: The Ban Bana.