Myth & Folklore

While there are myths and folklores of merfolk in almost every culture around the world and throughout history their roles have been varied and have evolved with the changes in the cultures that created them.  What follows in an ongoing research project that attempts to catalogue these myths and folklores.  Generally speaking the periods of merfolk evolution can be divided into the Pagan Era, the Christian Era and the Science Era.  The listing is in alphabetical order either by name or location.

Pagan Era

During this time merfolk were often deified in ancient cultures while in later cultures the sighting of a mermaid often meant storms were coming, a shipwreck was imminent or someone would drown.

Achelous – an Ancient Greek river god of the Achelous River.
Arion – in Ancient Greek mythology Arion was a lyrical poet & cithara player who sailed to Sicily to take part in a magical contest which he won.  On his return home in a Corinthian ship he was robbed by the sailors & forced to leap overboard.  He played his cithara on the prow of the ship, invoking the gods of the sea before he leapt overboard & was borne away to safety by song loving dolphins sent by the gods.
Asparas – in Ancient Greek mythology a group of celestial flute playing Water Nymphs.
Atagartis – a Syrian mermaid associated with the moon, ruler of the tides. The moon was represented by a mirror.
Ben-Varry – the name mermaids are known as on the Isle of Mann.
Dagon – an Ancient Philistine fish-tailed god.  Milton wrote of Dagon in Paradise Lost, ‘Dagon his name, sea monster, upward man and downward fish’. 
Damkina – in Arkadian mythology she was the wife of Oannes (the bringer of civilization) & she was known as the Queen of the waters.  They had six sons & one daughter named Nina.  The sign for Nina was the house of the Fish.  He is one of the earliest depictions of a merfolk figure. 
Derceto – an Ancient Philistine mermaid.
Dinny-Mara – what mermen are known as on the Isle of Mann.
Ea – in Babylonian mythology Ea had dominion of the waters.  He is one of the earliest depictions of a merfolk figure.
Gangai – in Hindu mythology Gangai the Ganges River was the most holy of the three river goddesses.
Gironde – in France was a double-tailed mermaid.
Gwragged-Annwn – what water spirits are known as in Wales.
Hafvine – possibly associated with the Havernand.
Havemand – the Norse merman who had a black beard and green hair.
Havernand – Norwegian mermaids that were considered unlucky.
Isle of Mann – there is a story about a mermaid that fell in love with a human man though he did not return the feelings.  She was very upset and took her revenge by covering the island in mist in an attempt to thwart visitors to the island.  The mist continues to cover the island to this day. The Mermaid and the Mist, Mermaids, Sirens of the Sea, by Kerry Colburn, p.114
Jenny Green Tooth – could be found in the north of England in lakes and ponds.  She was a green haired monster with a taste for downing young children who ventured too close to her domain.
Kewpies – were mischievous and evil creatures that lived in a stream or a lake and appeared in the form of a horse.  They would lure people onto their back and then drown them in the water.
King of the Auxcrinien – in the Channel Islands his presence was feared as the forerunner of storms.
Lorelei – German Rhine maidens believed to lure men to their watery death.
Machaire – in Ireland the people of Machaire are believed to be the descendents of mermaids.
Melusine – in French folk tales the Melusine is a double-tailed mermaid who married a count and gave birth to children with strange deformities though talented in varying ways. Mermaids, Sirens of the Sea, by Kerry Colburn, pp.76-77

Merrow – another name for mermaid in the British Isles. 
Morgans – during Anglo-Saxon times were extremely dangerous to men.  They were also called Sea Wame.
Naiads – were usually sweet, benign spirits, especially helpful and healing, nurturing fruits, flowers & mortals found in freshwater.  Hylas in Ancient Greek mythology was said to have been lured into the water by the nymphs living where he was drinking from & was never seen again.
Nakk – in Estonia was someone who has drowned and may appear as a man, woman, child or animal.  They lure people with singing then the male swallows them with his giant mouth.  The females were pretty with long hair that the combed with a gold comb.
Nakki – in Finland was very similar to the Nakk except the females had gleaming white bodies and breasts so long that they could throw them over their shoulders.
Neck – Scandinavian water spirits.
Nereids – in Greek mythology they were beautiful creatures that lived in the sea.  When Cassiope the wife of Cepheus the king of the Ethiopians, boasted their daughter Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids they complained to Poseidon who flooded the land & sent the sea monster to abduct Andromeda.  This was this sea monster that Theseus saved Andromeda from. The Nereid Psmathe was believed to be the ancestress of the Phocians.
Neptune – Ancent Roman god of the seas.
Ningyo – a Japanese mermaid.
Nix – in Switzerland she was a mermaid who lived in the Lake of Zug.  She had a tail in the water and legs on land.
Nixes/Nixies – in Germany they were fresh water creatures that had green hair and were very beautiful.  They could change into old women to go to market.  They would lure at least one victim a year into water where they would drown them.
Nymphs – nymphs are known in many cultures starting with the Ancient Greeks.  They were the spirits of natural elements such as water, woods, sky etc. and were often the mothers of demi-gods.  
- In one myth the Lake Nymph Coronis had a son to Apollo though when she took a mortal lover the angry Apollo sent Artemis to kill her with a disease.  As the funeral pyre burned Apollo saved the unborn baby, Asclepius, the good of healing.
- The River Nymph Daphne was the daughter of the River god Peneius.
- The Sea Nymph Thetis was the mother of Achilles.
- The Water Nymphs known as the Asparas were celestial beings who were fond of flute playing.
Oannes – in Ancient Arkadian mythology Oannes was the bringer of civilization.  His wife was Damkina who was the Queen of the waters.  They had six sons & one daughter named Nina.  The sign for Nina was the house of the Fish.  He is one of the earliest depictions of a merfolk figure. 
Oceanids – in Ancient Greek mythology they were beautiful creatures that lived in the ocean.  The most well known Oceanid was Clymene who was mother to Atlas the Titan.
Oceanos – in Ancient Greek mythology he was a Titan who ruled the encircling sea, which the Greeks believed surrounded the world.  He married his Titan sister Tethys and they produced three thousand rivers.
Peneius – in Greek mythology he was a River god & father of the River Nymph Daphne.
Poseidon – Ancient Greek god of the seas.
Rusalki-Vodyany – Russian water spirits.
Sea-Trow – Shetland Islands water spirits.
Seal Women – from Scottish mythology there were seals that could shed their skins and turn into women.  Similar to Selkie/Silkies.
Selkie/Silkie – in Irish mythology they were women who could turn into seals or rather seals that could turn into women.  They would shed their seal skin to walk amongst humans then return to the sea.  There were many tales of women who married human men & had human children.  The men had to keep the seal skin hidden from their wife because the second she found it she would return to the sea as a seal leaving her husband & children behind.  It is believed that people with dark hair & dark eyes were the children of Selkie wives.
Sirens – from Ancient Greek mythology the form of the Siren was originally female faced bird women who would lure Greek sailors into treacherous rocky waters where their boats would be dashed to pieces and the Sirens would eat the sailors.  Known to be beautiful singers it was their song that lured boats to them.  The most well known tale of the Sirens is that of Odysseus told by Homer.
Telkhines – in Ancient Greek mythology, the Telkhines were the original inhabitants of the island of Rhodes, and were known in Crete and Cyprus.  They were known to be skilled metal workers and made Poseidon’s trident as well as Cronus’s sickle.  They have also been associated with bringing up various Ancient Greek gods.
Thetis – a Sea Nymph in AncientGreek mythology who was married to the King of Thessaly.  Mother of Achilles it was Thetis who dipped Achilles into the river Styx in an attempt to make him immortal.
Triton – in Greek mythology male creatures half man, half fish.  They were said to have been borne from the blood of Greek sailors.
Undine – sometimes written as Ondine. A French mermaid who was written about in the nineteenth century.
Vatea – a Polynesian porpoise god. 
Yawk Yawk – Australian Aboriginal water spirits. 

Vatea – a Polynesian porpoise god.