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Mermaids have been everything from half-bird, half-fish to fantasied beauty. Whether they are luring sailors to their deaths, changing the tides, or put on display to look pretty, they have always been culturally significant. The mermaid story has changed over time due to the societal expectations of women both physically and hierarchal and beyond. Here are just a few examples of how far-reaching the tale can be.
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"The earliest depiction of a mermaid in England can be found in Norman chapel in Durham Castle, built around 1078 by Saxon stonemasons. It is a strange carving, with the mermaid found alongside two leopards and several hunting scenes. Historians believe the mermaid symbolizes the temptations of the soul" (Royal Museums Greenwich). -
This is an artifact from 18th Century Japan, during the Edo Period, depicting one version of how the mermaid was perceived. The half-monkey, half-fish is extremely significant because it means that mermaids have not always been associated with women or impacted pop culture standards through media. This is instead a culturally significant expression of one impression of this myth. -
Suvannamaccha is a culturally significant figure that emphasizes the story of a wily woman being "tamed" by a heroic man. Hanuman, the hero, wants to create a passageway of stones across the sea. Suvannamaccha halts this construction, but upon meeting and falling in love with the hero, she helps finish the bridge. Hereafter, she is seen as good luck. -
This 1850s painting shows the more common, nautical representation of a mermaid. The typical physical attributes are displayed here, presenting the inherently sexualized figure, along with the wicked woman stereotype. The mermaid is seemingly luring the sailor to his death but nonetheless using her womanliness to alter his thinking. -
"Blackware vessel in shape of mermaid... notes this as a ceremonial vessel. Tourist pots, non-functional and mass produced" (Grand Rapids Public Museum) shows a more modern perception of the mermaid figure. It is distinctly feminine with the traditional long hair and finned tail that is expected of a mermaid. This figure gives the woman a "purpose" in ceremony unlike other depictions that use the mermaid body explicitly for show. -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NytHPQoV1Cs
Ariel's story entails a slightly different version of the mermaid tale. Perhaps the most pop culturally significant, The Little Mermaid reflects the ideals of the time: marriage, following male commands, domestic entities. Ariel is essentially "domesticated" in that she gives up her freedoms and her right to royalty in order to become a wife. She is willingly to sacrifice her family, her voice, and her legs all in the name of a husband. -
In a series of three busts, this sculpture represents the LGBT community and has been adopted by the UK Transgender Youth Network. The mermaid has become a new symbol for this group, transcending the original female tale. Themes of freedom, escapism, and embracing one's true self are important to the depiction of this contemporary mermaid. -
The mermaid story has become very important in pop culture as it was in cultural practices. Studying the evolution of this change, and its relation to women, allows us to understand the true importance and impact the myth has on us as well as the impact we have had on the myth. From cold-hearted killer to Disney princess, the mermaid will always have an important role in modern culture.