At Merschool, people from all walks of life consider it an exercise while others take it for therapy. [251][252][250] Olaus in a later passage states that the nereids (tr. Mermaids are half fish, half women who live in the ocean and are typically harmless. [298], The Yuezhong jianwen (Chinese: ; WadeGiles: Yueh-chung-chieh-wen; "Seens and Heards", or "Jottings on the South of China", 1730) contains two accounts concerning mermaids. [134][m], An early description of the Havfrue, and her mate Havmand, was given by the Dano-Norwegian Bishop Pontoppidan (1753). Opschrift./ I. Hooft-St.: Van de visch Anthropomorphus, oft die een menschen-gestalte heeft, en van de Remorant", "Lib. Your upper body is strong AF (as flipper!) [259], Dutch explorer David Danell during his expeditions to Greenland in 165254 claimed to have spotted a mermaid with "flowing hair and very beautiful", though the crew failed to capture it. Is heatsink necessary for raspberry pi 4? [120], Mermaids have been described as able to swim up rivers to freshwater lakes. Water was the thin veil that separated the spirit from the real world, and those who could conquer water were believed to have strong powers. [325] The manufacture of mermaids from monkey and fish parts also occurred in Japan, especially in the Kysh region,[326] as a souvenir industry targeting foreigners. The prince is betrothed to a princess, who turns out to be the girl he mistakenly believed to be his rescuer (due to the mermaid's concealment). Another recounts the tale of a baby mermaid who stole a doll from a human little girl, but was rebuked by her mother and sent back to the girl with a gift of a pearl necklace to atone for the theft. In South Africa, the Khoi-san people have stories of mermaids despite living in an arid area.Water spirits abound in African stories. A third story tells of a fishing family that made regular gifts of apples to a mermaid and was rewarded with prosperity.[128]. [105] Though conceived of as swan-maidens in Wagner's 1848 scenario, the number being a threesome was suggested by the woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld and Eugen Napoleon Neureuther in the Pfizer edition of 1843 (fig. [366], Interest in mermaid costuming has grown with the popularity of fantasy cosplay, as well as the availability of inexpensive monofins used in the construction of these costumes. The incidents of capture and localities are as follows (the actual sources/authors will be elaborated in the citation footnotes to follow. [28], The siren of Ancient Greek mythology became conflated with mermaids during the medieval period. Ashamed, she jumped into a lake and took the form of a fish, but the waters would not conceal her divine beauty. On 8 July 1778, the 50 gun Sagittaire and the 64-gun Fantasque forced the frigate HMS Mermaid to beach herself at Cape Henhlopen. Are sirens real? Just like conventional swimming, mermaiding is a lot of fun. in most parts of Los Angeles and Ventura County. Once the man is seduced he is drawn into the river to be gone forever". Does mermaids exist in south africa? Explained by FAQ Blog Valentijn was also a minister of the church, mostly in the employ of the VOC; he was minister in Ambon at age 19 from 1685 for a decade, and was stationed again in Java 17051714. They poo out of a hole, called an anus, in their bottoms; and wee using a different hole. marmte),[140][141] as repeated by later commentators. The frequently mentioned Sjlland, Denmark is interpreted to the divided portion of Villcina-land inherited by the bastard prince Vai/Wade. Conclusion: fiction and the wonder-culture of the Roman empire", "IX.Chap. 1. You can rattle off ocean facts like its nobodys business. 8 verso, Cf. [92], Diodorus's chronology of Queen Semiramis resembles the feats of Alexander the Great (campaigns to India, etc. [17][21][14], This material has been found translated as a medieval ireks saga only in a late, reworked Swedish version,[14] i.e., one of the closing chapters of iriks saga (15th century,[15] also known as the "Swedish epilogue".[108]). Perhaps the most famous mermaid right now is Ariel, the star of Disney's animated version of "The Little Mermaid," by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. figure, top of page). [223] She has many forms; in her mermaid form, she is called Nyai Blorong. [ah][270][271], A type of mermaid referred to as "anthropomorphus"[273] or "woman-fish" (Spanish: peche mujer[274]) allegedly inhabited the Spanish-ruled Philippines, particularly in the waters around the Visayan Islands, according to contemporary writings from the 17th century. In one story, the Laird of Lorntie went to aid a woman he thought was drowning in a lake near his house; his servant pulled him back, warning that it was a mermaid, and the mermaid screamed at them that she would have killed him if it were not for his servant. Sirens are known for singing enchanting songs to lure sailors to their death. Marine biologist Hondo comments that the Japanese souvenirs tended to use a group of fish shaped like the. Teresa is a journalist with years of experience in creating web content. This is your one-stop encyclopedia that has numerous frequently asked questions answered. As far as I can tell, a Triton is the equivalent of a Siren, according to mythology. In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. [317], In August 2009, after dozens of people reported seeing a mermaid leaping out of Haifa Bay waters and doing aerial tricks, the Israeli coastal town of Kiryat Yam offered a $1million award for proof of its existence. [347] Andersen's heroine inspired a bronze sculpture in Copenhagen harbour and influenced Western literary works such as Oscar Wilde's The Fisherman and His Soul and H.G. Oannes was later described by the Babylonian writer. In South Africa, the Khoi-san people have stories of mermaids despite living in an arid area.Water spirits abound in African stories. golden mermaid) is a daughter of Ravana who appears in the Cambodian and Thai versions of the Ramayana. A mermaid is a mythical sea-dwelling creature, often described as having the head and body of a woman and a fishs tail below the waist. Which is correct poinsettia or poinsettia? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". In European folklore, mermaids (sometimes called sirens) and mermen were natural beings who, like fairies, had magical and prophetic powers. [192][193][194][195] The best-known of the great Czech nationalist composer Antonn Dvok's operas is Rusalka. Powers and abilities Shapeshifting A siren can change its shape to appear human. Many have fallen in their attempts to hunt the few that remained, for the kiss of a siren is poison to all she doesnt love. I remember watching Mermaids: The Body Found and I remember they called baby Mers: Pups. Bartholin: "prope Brasiliam.. captus suit homo marinus..". [330][331][332], The equivalent industry in Europe was the Jenny Haniver made from dried rays. Now, we have got a complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested! 2. 9 An embassy from Lisbon sent for the purpose reported to the Emperor Tiberius that a Triton had been seen and heard playing on a shell in a certain cave, and that he had the well-known shape. cute funny and if its a water birth its even more appropriate. Mermaid carved on a capital of the Rio Mau Monastic church, Portugal (1151). They come in different forms depending on the interpretation, but generally sirens are depicted in the form of a mermaid. And the comb and mirror were originally associated with Aphrodite/Venus, as Fraser points out here. We're not going to tell them they're not real". You must be logged in to post a comment Aquatic Ape Theory: Could Mermaids Really Exist? - Exemplore Kim Dam Ryeong, a mayor of the town[specify], saved four captured mermaids from a fisherman, as recorded in the Eou yadam (unofficial histories). Mermaid fandom conventions have also been held.[367][368]. There are stories of mermaids and mermen all across the world. on the left). Atargatis (Aramaic Atar-Ata), the goddess of Hierapolis-Bambyce in Syria whose usual name among Greeks and Romans was the 'Syrian goddess' ( , dea Syria); a mother-goddess, giver of fertility. [292], Allegedly captured in the Moluccas in the 17th century was the so-called "Amboina mermaid" (after the then Dutch Province of Ambon),[295][am] which its leading researcher has referred to as Samuel Fallours's "Sirenne", after the man who came into possession of it and made an original painting of it in full color. Follow our guide to discover the most magical mermaids in Denmark. [191] They are usually the ghosts of young women who died a violent or untimely death, either by murder or suicide, before their wedding, especially by drowning. Flokkur: Gofrissgur. Legends say that the pure gold blood of mermaids holds the secret to eternal beauty. Do mermaids still exist in Africa? Five of the primary reasons listed as to why mermaids do not fit current evolutionary understanding are: Mermaids were also discussed tongue-in-cheek in a scientific article by University of Washington emeritus oceanographer Karl Banse. Sirens. Triton received the trident while Ursula received the magic Nautilus shell. There have been a few cases of surgical . Our team has collected thousands of questions that people keep asking in forums, blogs and in Google questions. When any group of merpeople love each other very much,they rub their parts against each other, sometimes inside each other, in a special, watery cuddle. [183][184], The conception of the siren as both a mermaid-like creature and part bird-like persisted in Byzantine Greece for some time. . In some areas of South Africa mermaids are often called the Kaaiman, interestingly from the German word for "caiman," and are typically described as a race of malevolent creatures that drown their victims and are typically described as looking like half-fish women with black hair and glowing red eyes. [25] The word is attested, among other medieval epics, in the Nibelungenlied,[26] and rendered "merwoman",[27], "mermaid", "water sprite", or other terms;[28] the two in the story[29] are translated as ON sjkonur ("sea-women"). Sculptures and statues of mermaids can be found in many countries and cultures, with over 130 public art mermaid statues across the world. [235] European writers during the age of exploration disseminated the myth, but the Gandavo[pt] (1576)[z] included an illustration of "Hipupira" with female breasts. Though the two were meant to rule the seas together, Ursulas greed and use of dark magic to usurp Triton led to her being banished. Does mermaids exist in south africa? - xcngl.aussievitamin.com Among the Pangasinense, the Binalatongan mermaid is a Queen of the sea who married the mortal Maginoo Palasipas and ruled humanity for a time. Do mermaids still exist in Africa? Mermaids live in the sea and inhabit marine areas all around the world, according to legend. De pisce & Remoranti", "Boek. Once again, assuming mermaids reproduce the way fish do, mermaid babies would be born by hatching from eggs. [275][273], The "woman-fish" (or peche mujer in modern Spanish[274])[aj]) was the name given to the creature among the Spaniards, but the sources also state it was called "duyon" by the indigenous people. Stories of mermaids Does mermaids exist in south africa? [327][as] Mri Baien painted full color illustrations of such a compositely manufactured ningyo specimen in his ichthyological tract (1825). Your upper body is strong AF (as flipper!) [165], The Swedish ballad "Hafsfrun"[166] (Havsfruns trna[sv], SMB 23, TSB A 51[167]) is an instance where a mermaid kidnaps a human girl at age fifteen, and when the girl's brother accomplishes the rescue, the mermaid declares she would have cracked[t] her neck if she knew she would be thus betrayed. She is a mermaid princess who tries to spoil Hanuman's plans to build a bridge to Lanka, but falls in love with him instead. [33][g], The siren's part-fish appearance became increasingly popular during the Middle Ages. Mermaids can also be a sign of approaching rough weather,[119] and some have been described as monstrous in size, up to 2,000 feet (610m). [35] And the traits of the classical sirens, such as using their beautiful song as a lure as told by Homer, has often been transferred to mermaids. [176][179], According to a version of the Saga of St. Olaf (Olaf II of Norway) the king encountered a margygr whose singing lulled voyagers to sleep causing them to drown[143][180] and whose high-pitched shrieks drove men insane. i.e., not qualifying they do so at the hour of death. Does mermaids exist in south africa? - upuotbn.bluejeanblues.net NBC claim to have footage of the mermaid, with a $1 million reward still available. In the modern age of course, the word "siren" is used as a synonym of femme fatale.[352]. [234] In modern Caribbean culture, there is a mermaid recognized as a Haitian vodou loa called La Sirene (lit. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. [210] Another tale concerns a mermaid named Sinjike (Korean: ) who warned fishermen of impending storms by singing and throwing rocks into the sea from Geomun Island. Although traditions about and sightings of mermen are less common than those of mermaids, they are generally assumed to co-exist with their female counterparts. [161], It is said the havfrue will avenge harm done to it, as in the Norwegian anecdote of one who was lured near the ship, and had her hand cruelly lopped off on the gunwale. Sightings have been reported all around the globe dating back thousands of years. What is the function of phytochrome in plant cells? Domingo Fernandez Navarrete, O. P.; Madrid, 1675 [From his, "Chapter 5. Another common sight off the waters of the bay is the Black Mermaid Zandile Ndhlovu. When was the first mermaid seen? In the trunks below deck, genies dream on sand in their lamps; that sand was also used to build sand castles where sea serpents sleep. A merfolk race called the Di people[zh] are described as populating its own nation in the Shanhaijing (Classic of Mountains and Seas) compilation of Chinese geography and mythology, dating from the 4th century BC. [77], The female oceanids, nereids and naiads are mythical water nymphs or deities, although not depicted with fish tails. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. which the fishermen sometimes bring home to gain insight into the future. . Most babies with mermaid syndrome do not survive, living a few days at most. [147][148], The Icelandic cognate form is haffr with several synonyms,[q][149][150] though instead of these the commonly used term today is hafmey. [219], In Thailand, Suvannamaccha is a daughter of Tosakanth appearing in the Thai and other Southeast Asian versions of Ramayana. -- The forms of the tritions and nereids. Sirens are creatures of legend and mythology. And that explains Mermaiding in South Africa. Graduated from ENSAT (national agronomic school of Toulouse) in plant sciences in 2018, I pursued a CIFRE doctorate under contract with SunAgri and INRAE in Avignon between 2019 and 2022. 33-year-old South African free diver Zandile Ndhlovu founded The Black Mermaid Foundation to get more people of color into the ocean. Do mermaids exist in South Africa? - Sage-Advices [5][a][6], Its Old High German cognate merimenni[b] is known from biblical glosses[7][9][c] and Physiologus. This one aims to depict the abundance of life on the Kwelera River that runs through the heart of the resort. The two cravings are intertwined: only by achieving true love will her soul bind with a human's and become everlasting. Andersen's "Little Mermaid" is also immortalized in a bronze statue that sits on the shores of the Langelinie in Copenhagen, Denmark. Robson, Stuart. [297], The painting was reproduced by Louis Renard on the "Fish" of the region, first published in 1719,[302], It was supposedly caught Boeren in Ambon Province (Buru, in present-day Maluku Province),[303] presumably around the years 17061712,[301] or perhaps the year 1712 precisely. 20v. [10][48][h], The Middle English bestiary (mid-13th century) clearly means "mermaid" when it explains the siren to be a mereman,[3][49] stating that she has a body and breast like that of a maiden but joined, at the navel, by a body part which is definitely fish, with fins growing out of her. VI. Starting at $525/ 1.5 hrs. [10], The Middle High German cognate merminne,[3] (mod. Sirens song The sirens song is transmitted through saliva, infecting their victims through a fluid transfer. below) and the Cobra-Grande, he also saw the combining of the Portuguese lore of the Enchanted Moura (moorish girl), who was obviously dark-skinned. [citation needed], In heraldry, the charge of a mermaid is commonly represented with a comb and a mirror,[358][359] and blazoned as a "mermaid in her vanity". Hagen unloads Nibelungen treasure where the Rhine mermaids await. Thank you! Also, multiple nereids had washed up on the shore according to the legatus/governor of Gaul, who informed the late Emperor Augustus about it in a letter. German "meerweib"), "mermaid", is attested in epics,[11] and the one in Rabenschlacht is a great-grandmother;[d] this same figure is in an Old Swedish text a haffru,[15][18][e] and in Old Norse a sjkona (sikona [sic. [ac], It has been conjectured that these carcasses of nereids washed up on shore were "presumably seals". 318 Physiologus Bernensis", "De l'art antique l'art mdival. Disney's musical animated version of Andersen's tale, The Little Mermaid, was released in 1989. The minimum requirement to join the class is to beat least 7 years oldand able to independently swim at least 25 meters [82 feet], tread water for one minute, and float on front and back, says Bell. : De Pisce Anthropomorpho, seu Syrene sanguinem trahente". Water was the thin veil that separated the spirit from the real world, and those who could conquer water were believed to have strong powers. [124] The two fell in love, and Matthew went with the mermaid to her home at Pendour Cove. The mermaid interacted with Oscar the Obscene Octopus, and the ongoings were portrayed in E. L. Doctorow's novel World's Fair. / III. Stories of mermaids have existed for thousands of years and span cultures across the world - from coastal settlements in Ireland to the landlocked Karoo desert in South Africa. Who was the first person to see a mermaid? [237] she is reputedly golden-haired,[236] though the blond, blue-eyed image was not attested until after mid-19th century, to the best knowledge of Camara Cascudo. Where Do Mermaids Live? | Mystic Beasts Mermaid Found In South Africa 2022: Were Real Mermaids Found In South They come in different forms depending on the interpretation, but generally sirens are depicted in the form of a mermaid. [222], In the Javanese culture of Indonesia, Nyai Roro Kidul is a sea goddess and the Queen of the Southern Seas; the mermaid queen is said to inhabit the southern beach in Java. "mermaids") are known to "sing plaintively",[253][254] in general. Roman Lusitania and Gaul) and onwards. Many people wonder why this sport is so popular in South Africa and not in any other part of Africa. One of the earliest mermaid legends appeared in Syria around 1000 BC when the goddess Atargatis dove into a lake to take the form of a fish. In South Africa, the Khoi-san people have stories of mermaids despite living in an arid area.Water spirits abound in African stories. In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Rumoured mermaids in South Africa birth unique swimming style However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. She died of pneumonia on October 23, 2009, at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine, at the age of 10; having appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show on September 22, 2009. Mlusine (French: [melyzin]) or Melusina is a figure of European folklore, a female spirit of fresh water in a holy well or river. Mako Island has been around long before humans walked the earth and it will still be around long after humans have gone. They have subsequently been depicted in operas, paintings, books, comics, animation, and live-action films. Some commentators have sought to trace origins further back into Ancient Middle Eastern mythology. 2017 Real Mermaid Found in India Justice League: New footage shows off Aquaman being a Merman | The Independent | The Independent. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The Kraton, KITLV Press 2003, Leiden, Philippine Demonological Legends and Their Cultural Bearings, Maximo Ramos, Phoenix Publishing 1990, Bikol Beliefs and Folkways: A Showcase of Tradition. The legend, recorded by folklorist William Bottrell, stems from a 15th-century mermaid carving on a wooden bench at the Church of Saint Senara in Zennor. 5. Note that these are not of a specific gender, so they are not really conducive to being called "mermaids", though some English (European) writers might use "mermaid" as shorthand. Grein: Saebar og vatna", "Searching for Sirenes in the 17th and 18th Centuries: Fantastic Taxonomies of Anthropomorphic Fish in Chinese and Jesuit Texts", "Ningyo densetsu: Sengaiky wo jiku to shite", "Contextual Duplicity and Textual Variation: The Siren and Onocentaur in the Physiologus Tradition", "Samuel Fallours and his 'Sirenne' from the Province of Ambon", "Notes and Documents: Ctesisas and the Semiramis Legend", "Ch. [346] One of the main literary influences for Andersen's mermaid was Undine, an earlier German novella about a water nymph who could only obtain an immortal soul by marrying a human. The specimen's account and illustration was later reproduced by Linnaeus, who captioned the beast "Siren Bartholini",[267][268] hence "Bartholin's Siren". Meer-minne 5. The Syrenka (mermaid) is part of the coat of Arms of Warsaw, and is considered a protector of Warsaw, which publicly displays statues of their mermaid. Pricing. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Water spirits abound in African stories. Home; About. Are mermaids real? | Live Science The male and female had sexual organs like humans, so that widows and widowers would keep them in their ponds, and the creatures could perform sexual intercourse normally as a human would. Magic powers allow one to manipulate the elements and defy the laws of physics. OE. Marmte", "Ch. Film depictions include Miranda (1948), Night Tide (1961), the romantic comedy Splash (1984), and Aquamarine (2006). British Library Arundel MS 292, fol. [355][356] Notable changes to Andersen's story include removing the religious aspects of the fairy tale, including the mermaid's quest to obtain an immortal soul. Zha explained that she was a renyu, adept at fornicating with humans, and was a type of human dwelling in the sea. [186][187], There is a modern Greek legend that Alexander the Great's sister Thessalonike turned into a mermaid (Greek: ) after her death, living in the Aegean. 3. Water was the thin veil that separated the spirit from the real world, and those who could conquer water were believed to have strong powers. The female of its kind had a head like beautiful woman's, with hair like a horse's tail, and white skin like jade without scales, covered with multicolored downy hair (or peach fuzz), and legless. "Nereid" and "nymph" have also been applied to actual mermaid-like marine creatures purported to exist, from Pliny (cf. [40], These change of the medieval siren from bird to fish were thought by some to be the influence of Teutonic myth, later expounded in literary legends of Lorelei and Undine;[35] though a dissenting comment is that parallels are not limited to Teutonic culture. If you work on a regular basis as a mermaid performer in an aquarium, youll earn $15-50/hour. If the njuzu releases the person, they will become or be regarded as a n'anga, or traditional healer, with knowledge of herbs, medicinal plants, and cures. Mermaid in Fefians Manor house (Cambados, Galicia, Spain), 16th century. In mythology, mermaids or mermaidlike creatures have existed for thousands of years. Stories of mermaids have existed for thousands of years and span cultures across the world - from coastal settlements in Ireland to the landlocked Karoo desert in South Africa. Old Swedish haffru was used as a tanslation word in the Sweidish saga of Didrik (14 cent.) [113] The Swedish epilogue transposed the location of the crucial battle where the mermaid appeared, from Ravenna, Northern Italy (supposedly, in the original German epic Rabenschlacht), to Gronsport, somewhere on the Moselle, in Northern Germany,[114][115] then transported Viga back to Sjlland. [243] Later with the introduction of African slaves, the Yoruba myth of Iemanj was admixed into the telling. Other stories suggest that a kiss from a mermaid may also give the receiver other enchanting powers such as the ability to heal people. The first account of mermaids was found as back as 1000 BC in Assyria (known as Syria today). 'A most strange and true report of a monstrous fish' Illustration from an early printed report of a Mermaid sighting, 1604, English carved decoration by James Richards on Prince Frederick's Barge, 17311732, Portuguese Baroque stonework in Pvoa de Varzim Matriz Church (17431757), Fountain depicting a mermaid playing a guitar, located in the Museum of the City of Mexico (17th century), A stone coat of arms in (Mugardos, Galicia, Spain), 18th century, Illustration from Vanity Fair, Becky Sharp as a mermaid, Mermaid and merman, 1866. Xenophon, citing Socrates possibly spuriously. about 12501260", "Detailed record for Royal 2 B VII (Queen Mary Psalter)", "The Mermaid of Edam and the Emergence of Dutch National Identity", "The Excavation of the Athenian Agora Twelfth Season", "Leviticus Rabbah 16, 1 "Odysseus and the Sirens" in the Beit Leontis Mosaic from Beit She'an", "Berossos and the Construction off a Near Eastern Cultural History in Response to the Greeks", "Evolutionary Theory in Ancient Greece & Rome", "Havfrue 'mermaid, sea-maid, siren'; Havmand 'seaman, merman')", "Hav (-frue 'mermaid, maiden'; -mand 'merman')", "The Treatment of Norman in Jan de Vries', "A Note on the change of [h-] to [r-] in Normandy", "Kap. Mermaids have been a popular subject of art and literature in recent centuries, such as in Hans Christian Andersen's literary fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" (1836). Lorelei, the name of a Rhine mermaid immortalized in the Heinrich Heine poem of that name, has become a synonym for a siren. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Interest from other countries in this art also propels the growth of this sport in Mzansi. A supposed Old Norse haffr is the etymological source of Norman French havette for a man-snatching water-sprite, according to one linguist. [103], They are a probable source of the three Rhine maidens in Richard Wagner's opera Das Rheingold. They can be seen after dark, dancing together under the moon and calling out to young men by name, luring them to the water and drowning them. [333], In the middle of the 17th century, John Tradescant the elder created a wunderkammer (called Tradescant's Ark) in which he displayed, among other things, a "mermaid's hand". [242] Though somewhat vague in the case of Gandavo, Cardim had clearly injected Christian opinion which would readily relegate the role of emasculating men to the female kind. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The compound word is formed from "mere" (sea), and "maid". The underwater society follows a form of primitive communism where concepts like money and clothing do not exist. One nereid was sighted earlier on the same (Lisbon) coast. What are the origins of mermaids? [53][54], The Bodleian bestiary dated 122012 also pictures a group of fish-tailed mermaid-like sirens (Fig. Musical depictions of mermaids include those by Felix Mendelssohn in his Fair Melusina overture and the three "Rhine daughters" in Richard Wagner's opera Der Ring des Nibelungen. and hafstrambe [sic. [citation needed], In Brazilian folklore, the iara, also known as me-d'agua ("lady/mother of the water") is a water-dwelling beauty whom fishermen are prone to fall prey to. A team of doctors from different specialties will help plan and provide the treatment and care of babies with mermaid syndrome, as well as supporting the family. As the gods there would not allow her to give up her great beauty, only her bottom half became a fish, and she kept her top half in human form.