Mermaid Fantasy
Of all mythical beasts, the most intriguing to mankind throughout history to the present day is arguably the mermaid. Over 3000 years of tales and we have yet to fully satisfy the human imagination for human-like creatures living in the mysterious aquatic depths of the seas and rivers. Few fantasy creatures have had such a deep impact on our collective culture. It is almost impossible to walk through any major European city and not spot a baroque mermaid depiction on the side of a grand building or one swinging from a pub sign or staring from a shop window display.
The term mermaid is a compound of the Old English mere (sea), and maid. The original name in Old English was merewif.
The sea represents an under-explored alien realm to many and a dangerous, unpredictable, indefatigable foe for others giving rise to curious ideas and terrifying visions. It is no surprise that most mermaid tales and alleged sightings are told by sailors. Where there is a void in human knowledge, imagination floods in with ideas - varying from semi-plausible science fiction to far-fetched whimsical fantasy.
All sea-inclined cultures from east to west have tales, both written and passed down orally, of creatures of the deep, and mermaids are perhaps the most recurring ones.
They appear under various aliases and depictions from legend to legend; from the transformed birds in Greek legends, the original femme fatales whose irresistible voices would lure sailors to nearby rocks to destroy their ships and drown them, to the very first tales of mermaids in Assyria of the goddess, Atargatis, who metamorphosed into a mermaid out of shame for accidentally killing her beloved human companion.
Mermaids have been a popular subject of art and literature around the world in modernity. The best example would have to be Hans Christian Andersen's globally renowned fairytale, The Little Mermaid, which inspired generations of writers, artists, and filmmakers.
One Thousand and One Nights (also known in the west as Arabian Nights) includes several depictions of sea-bound people, such as the tale of Djullanar the Sea-girl. These sea people are visually identical to humans. Their only difference is their ability to breathe and live underwater. They can interbreed with land humans, and the children of such unions also have the ability to live underwater.
Mermaids also made an appearance in the famous novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville and writer L. Frank Baum introduced merpeople in both The Sea Fairies and The Scarecrow of Oz. They are also featured throughout The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, in particular Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince where they have their own ethereal language and a distaste toward humans. Other noteworthy mentions include Oscar Wilde's The Fisherman and His Soul, H.G. Wells' The Sea Lady, and Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Many great names in literature have dabbled with writings about this whimsical creature.
The mermaid fantasy subgenre is a particularly popular one worldwide, and it isn't hard to see why. Human-like fish living in the beautiful marine world and possessing extraordinary powers is exotic enough to spark anyone's imagination.
From Goddesses to victims of drowning, mermaids represent life, divinity, and death in a way few other mythological creatures do, making them more accessible and anthropomorphic than your average monster. This leads to xenofictional romanticising and sensationalist legends that have lived on for centuries. Submerged in perhaps the most magical place known to man, the sea, enhances the magnetism and curious nature of this mythical beast.
The kaleidoscopic coral reefs, the thousands of fishy specimens darting about in vast nurseries, the majestic, forlorn whales, and all the peculiarities in between make mermaids seem like the royalty of a phantasmal world beyond human reach. It is this alluring illusion that draws us in collectively, writers and audience alike. The very non-chimeric underwater world is already stunning and alluring, vivified only by fantasy. Mermaids represent a seductive fantasy to humankind, a conceptual world less metropolitan and busy than ours, but far more prismatic and sublime.
As writers, we enjoy the freedom and diversity of themes this genre enables us; from lonely mermaids in pearl and conch palaces to feisty warriors protecting endangered coral polyps, everything goes. It can be weird, cheesy, romantic, or epic but it'll still be fantastical, anthropomorphic, and creative, as 3000 years' worth of tales has proven.
Personally, I love writing about humans with the ability to survive underwater because I've lived near the sea my whole life. Among my earliest memories is floating lazily in the sun-warmed Mediterranean with light breaking through the surface of the water, glistening like distant stars without a care in the world, everything turning to white-noise. After a minute, it felt infinite. I was weightless, engulfed by the ether. It felt like a dream within a dream. I imagine that is what it'd feel like if humans had the ability to survive for any extended period of time underwater. Mermaid fiction is somewhat inspired by the human desire to decipher the enigma of the seas, to envision humans able to survive extremes, and have a degree of freedom land-dwellers cannot achieve. Others see it as a near-utopian world, harmonious and peaceful. Whether it's about power, fear, or fascination with the ethereal, this sub-genre is only growing in popularity with time, the creativity seemingly ceaseless.
Example of Mermaid Fantasy on Wattpad:
Sara in Atlantis by Moonshinenoire
Synopsis:
Sara becomes entangled in a world of magic, it was just like Alice going down the rabbit hole, only instead falling deep into the Aegean Sea and discovering the long-forgotten land of Atlantis which is held in terror by a dictator.
Can she save the cursed Queen and restore order to this kingdom?
Excerpt:
"Are you pulling my leg?""I promise you, I am not in any way joking, I haven't joked in centuries. Time travel exists, ghosts are real, and magic isn't an illusion. Forget everything you are told to believe, believe what you see."
Inspirations:
Setting
Characters
Music
https://youtu.be/xOfXDYU9ogA
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