Her Story: Mermaids

Mermaid Legends ~

By now, you’ve heard about the evidence that unicorns were real. But what about other magical creatures? Specifically, are mermaids real? For centuries, there have been tales of beautiful mermaids seducing sailors with their songs, along with disturbing stories about mermaids eating human flesh. But the evidence goes beyond stories. There is even physical mermaid proof in existence, albeit dubious.

For centuries, eyewitnesses claimed to have seen real mermaids around the world. The sightings go all the way back to the Roman Emperor Augustus (63 BCE-14 CE). Multiple artists produced images of mermaids drawn from life. Thousands of sailors bought Jenny Hanivers, little mermaid-like creatures. Even Christopher Columbus argued that he saw three mermaids off the coast of Haiti.

When it comes to mermaid history, there is historical evidence that mermaids are real. Before you doubt the evidence, keep in mind that more than 95% of the ocean has never been explored by humans. Could mermaids be hiding in the deep sea?

 

Ancient Roman Authorities Claimed That Mermaids Were Real, And They Could Sink Ships

In the first century, Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder wrote a book called Natural History that would shape European science for centuries. In Natural History, Pliny wrote about half-human, half-fish creatures that he called nereids. Even though these mermaids were part human, Pliny said “the portion of the body that resembles the human figure is still rough all over with scales.”

Pliny had not seen the nereids himself, but he provided a source for his belief that they were real. One of Emperor Augustus’s military officers in France wrote that he found a pile of nereids “dead upon the sea shore.” Pliny also reported a “sea-man” who climbed onto ships at night and could sink the ship if he stayed on board long enough.

Captain John Smith Fell In Love With A Mermaid in 1614

Captain John Smith, famous for settling Jamestown and his relationship with Pocahontas, allegedly sighted a mermaid in 1614. In Edward Snow’s Incredible Mysteries and Legends of the Sea, the sea captain described the encounter. John Smith spotted the mermaid off the coast of Newfoundland. Smith was instantly entranced, musing that “her long green hair imparted to her an original character that was by no means unattractive.”

The mermaid also had large eyes, a finely shaped nose, and “well-formed ears.” As Captain Smith gazed at the mermaid, he began to fall in love with her – until he realized that she was a fish from the waist down.

 

Read more @ Source: Ranker