People dress in mermaid costumes for events such as parades.
Mermaids, like many other creatures of mythology and folklore, are regularly depicted in literature, film, music, and popular culture. In the folklore of some modern cultures, the concept of the siren has been assimilated to that of the mermaid. For example, the French word for mermaid is sirène, Italian sirena, and similarly in certain other European languages. This usage existed by the Middle Ages.[1]
When Caleb drops his beloved harmonica overboard, it's returned by a pale, lank-haired, monochromatic boy—a sea creature whose elegant fish tail can be seen when he turns a joyous somersault, and who reappears when Caleb plays the harmonica again. Though the boy doesn't understand Caleb's words, he's delighted with the rose Caleb gives him, and the two become friends. But to the other fishermen, the sea lad is a spectacle to be sold. After he's captured and put on exhibit, Caleb rescues him; they exchange gifts once again before the boy disappears, never to be forgotten.[2]
In a novel set in the Caribbean, a girl grieving her mother's death finds a mermaid's comb and is granted a wish, but the wish comes at a dangerous cost and the mermaid is plotting revenge.
Deep Trouble
1994
R. L. Stine
The 19th book in the Goosebumps series. A boy named Billy Deep finds a mermaid.
El Regalo del Pescador (The Fisherman's Gift)
2002
Rocío del Mar Antón Blanco and Dolores Núñez Madrid
During a short overnight journey in which a fisherman tries to find "the most beautiful thing from the sea" to give to his young son, he considers a number of wonderful options without being able to make just one choice.[3] One of the many gifts he contemplates is the following: "The fisherman thinks about his son: "I would like to give him a mermaid who sang to him by his bed". What will he bring him? There are so many beautiful things in the sea!"
A fictional textbook about the magical creatures in the Harry Potter world, including mermaids. They are described as in three different species: sirens, selkies and merrows. Similar to other humanoid magical creatures in this universe, they do not wield or understand magic themselves. They appear in the fourth and sixth books of the series.
A human king falls in love with a mermaid. The story goes into hilarious detail about the couple's difficult efforts to physically consummate their love, which nearly ends in disaster (he nearly drowns in trying to have sex underwater, and she is nearly killed by his bodyguards in revenge). In the end, the king marries a human woman, though keeping a platonic friendship with the mermaid.
Set in Cornwall, the main characters Sapphire and Conor discover the world of Ingo. Their mer friends Faro and Elvira teach them how to breathe underwater.
A crew making a mockumentary on mermaids is lost at sea, and controversial leaked footage appears to show real mermaids killing them all. Seven years later, a second voyage sets out to prove the existence of the deadly and violent mermaids.
Andersen's portrayal of a mermaid shapeshifting into a human has arguably become the standard and has influenced most modern Western depictions of mermaids since it was published. It has been adapted into various media, the most famous of which is the 1989 Disneymovie of the same name.
It uses the metaphor of mermaids to emphasize Prufock's plight: "I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. / I do not think that they will sing to me." See: The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock in popular culture.
In St Constance, a Caribbean village on the island of Black Conch, David sings to himself in his pirogue and attracts Aycayia, a beautiful young woman cursed by jealous wives to live as a mermaid. She has been swimming the Caribbean Sea for centuries and is entranced by David and his song. Author Monique Roffey created Aycayia's character based on the Mami Wata mythology.[5][6]
Mermaid's Song
1989
Alida Van Gores
Two ocean-dwelling races, the mogs and the oppressed mermaid-like merra, fight for dominance. One merra maid named Elan sets out to compete for the coveted post of guardian to the Sea Dragons.
Inspired by the story of Agnete og Havmanden, this novel follows a family of half-human, half-merfolk siblings as the realm of Faerie is slowly driven out by human influence.[7]
Eric Anderson must leave his island home when he incurs the wrath of a mermaid by slighting her. He can never return unless his grandchildren Jon and Anna confront and tame the mermaid.
In Chapter 126, "The Life-Buoy", the crew of the Pequod hear human-like cries in the night. Superstitious crewmen believe they are the sounds of mermaids or ghosts, which signify a bad omen. Captain Ahab scoffs at this, saying they have merely passed a seal colony in the night. His explanation does little to calm their nerves and the next day a crewman falls to his death from the masthead. See Adaptations of Moby-Dick
The mermaids depicted here are the beautiful and mysterious but equally vain creatures residing in the Mermaid's Lagoon in Neverland. They are only friendly to Peter Pan but dislike all other humans, especially Wendy Darling, as they make splash on them or even attempt to drown them. See List of works based on Peter Pan
One of the recurring characters, Aqua, is a mermaid (called a mermini), who lives in an aquarium named after her. Her book debut, "Aqualicious", was adapted into an episode of animated series Pinkalicious & Peterrific.[8]
A mermaid comes ashore on the southern coast of England in 1899, mingles with genteel society under the alias "Miss DorisThalassia Waters, the mermaid's real design is to seduce Harry Chatteris, a man she saw "some years ago" in "the South Seas—near Tonga," who has taken her fancy.[9]
In the novella there is a grim variant of merfolk lore via The Deep Ones. Man-fish creatures are subservient to their patron gods Father Dagon and Mother Hydra. They have an affinity for intermarrying with humans and promoting the worship of The Old Ones.
A siren falls in love with a shipwrecked sailor, but is unsure if he loves her or her magical singing. This book interprets the Sirens of Greek mythology as mermaids.
The Sirens are seductive, man-eating immortals who can take a fish-tailed form when they enter the ocean. They transform a young swimmer, Gemma, into one of them.
Seven interlinked stories featuring the lives and loves of an artist and his strange half-sister set in a fictionalized version of St. Ives.
Comic books
07-Ghost - The mermaid Lazette sings and plays an organ in a church. She can shapeshift her face into that of other people. If people eat her scales it allows them to breathe underwater.
Aion - This manga has several mermaids. One of them is named Sheila, The youngest of the mermaids. She falls in love with the main character, Tatsuya.
Akazukin Chacha - In this manga, a mermaid named Marin falls in love with Riiya. She can change into a human when her tail dries out.
Arabelle the Last Mermaid by Jean Ache appeared as a comic strip in the daily FrenchnewspaperFrance-Soir between 1950 and 1962. The character returned in various magazines until 1972. Arabelle is discovered by an American plastic surgeon on a Mediterranean island. The surgeon gives her human legs, but she retains her ability to breathe underwater. With her companion, a reformed burglar, Arabelle becomes involved in a series of light, romantic adventures. [1]
In the manga Black Cat, one of the main characters, Eve, uses nanomachines to give herself transformation abilities, and once she transforms into a mermaid.
Dragon Ball - In chapter 25, "A Rival Arrives!!", Master Roshi asks Goku to bring him a pretty girl, and if he did, he would train him. Goku finds a mermaid and Master Roshi tries to hit on her. She just slaps him and jumps back into the ocean.
In the manga/anime Fairy Tail, the main female protagonist, Lucy Heartfilia, uses celestial spirits, one of which is a mermaid called Aquarius. Also, another character, Lisanna Strauss, uses animal-based transformations, one of her tricks being to turn into a mermaid (in an anime-only episode). Furthermore, in the final arc, Lucy and another character, Brandish Mu, are temporarily turned into mermaids when Aquarius takes them to the Memory of the Stars to show them the truth about their mothers.
Legendz - In the manga, Ken Kazaki's friend Ririko Yasuhara has a mermaid named Tetty.
Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch - A manga about a group of mermaid princesses who become pop singers and use their voices as weapons against their enemies.
Mermaid Saga - A manga series by Rumiko Takahashi, which tells that when a person eats the flesh of a mermaid, he can gain immortality, but chances are that the mermaid's flesh will either kill him or transform him into a horrible creatures called "Deformed Ones". Two types of mermaids are shown in the manga. The first may gain human appearance when they eat the flesh of an immortal girl and take on her youthful looks; the second has two legs and feed on the flesh of mermaids who live in water, specifically when they are about to give birth. Besides the flesh, a mermaid's blood, ashes, and liver have different negative effects on humans. Mermaid's blood can sustain a person's youth, but it can't stop their insides from aging, therefore partially tuning them into a Deformed One. Ashes can give flowers immortality, but can only revive dead humans temporarily. A mermaid's liver was used to revive a dead girl, but gave her a need to feed on the livers of living things.
The manga Monster Musume features a mermaid named Meroune Lorelei, often referred to simply as "Mero", as a major character. She is from a noble family and has an obsession with the classic fairy tale "The Little Mermaid". As a result, she desires a tragic romance.
My Bride Is a Mermaid - In this manga, the main character, Nagasumi Michishio is saved from drowning by a mermaid, Sun Seto. Afterward, Nagasumi is forced to marry Sun.
Namor the Sub-Mariner debuted in 1939 as the first superhero of the Marvel Universe. He was born of Homo mermanus, a race of aquatic humanoids. Namor's father was human however, giving him attributes of both races. He is able to exist both on land and at sea, possesses superhuman strength, and can fly via the winglike fins on his ankles. A prince of the undersea kingdom of Atlantis, he would later ascend to the throne as its king. He has a history of hostility towards human civilization but has also been a tenuous ally.
One Piece - The manga and its franchise has many mermaids, most notably Kokoro, Camie and Princess Shirahoshi.
Rave Master - The character Celia is a beautiful young mermaid with long blue hair. She is the younger sister of the Queen of the underwater mermaid village, Mildesta. She falls deeply in love with the main protagonist, Haru Glory.
Starstruck - The character Eeeeeeeeeeluh, a psychic fish woman, has appeared in various incarnations of the science fiction comic series Starstruck, by Elaine Lee and Michael Wm. Kaluta: in the stage play, the comic book stories, a print portfolio, and posters.
Superman - The comic booksuperhero Superman had a romantic love interest with a mermaid named Lori Lemaris. Her first appearance was in 1959. The name Lori Lemaris was probably drawn from Lorelei rock in the Rhine added to maris, from the Latinmare, meaning ocean. She has the initials L.L., the same as several of Superman's other love interests including Lois Lane and Lana Lang.
Urusei Yatsura - In chapter 125, "Pool Spooks! Burning with Forbidden Love", Lum decides to help and with Shinobu's help, they dress as two mermaids.
Produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The mermaids have a minor role in the film, as they live in the mermaid lagoon. The mischievous mermaids enjoy tormenting Wendy, but flee at the sight of Captain Hook.
Pekka ja Pätkä sammakkomiehinä (Pekka and Pätkä as Frogmen)
1954
In this Finnish Pekka Puupää comedy, the heroes rescue a foundered mermaid and carry her to Pekka's apartment. They set her on the bathtub. Pekka's wife Justiina initially sees only her fish-tail and is initially surprised by "a big fish the menfolks have caught" and gets a knife to prepare it as a dinner, but she faints as she sees the mermaid's upper body.
Starring Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks, Hannah plays a mermaid who falls in love with a human. She can walk on dry land when in human form, but her legs change into a fish tail whenever she gets wet. Much of the movie revolves around her humorous attempts to conceal her true identity from her lover. A made-for-television sequel, Splash, Too[10] followed in 1988, starring Amy Yasbeck and Todd Waring.
The third and fourth films in the adult film series Talk Dirty to Me feature mermaids who come ashore to find men. As in Splash, the mermaids can walk on dry land, and their legs become tails in water. The film endured controversy when it became public knowledge in 1986 that, at the time of filming, actress Traci Lords was 16-year-old and, therefore, underage in the US.
Mermaid in the Manhole
1988
A Tokyo-based shock film centered around a decaying mermaid found living in the Tokyo sewer system. This is a very gruesome film; it focuses on the mermaid's decay and subsequent death from exposure to toxic environment of the sewer.
This Hong Kong romantic-comedy (based on Splash) tells the story of a school teacher who falls in love with a mermaid who'd rescued him as a young boy. The film stars Asian cinema idols Ekin Cheng, Christy Chung, and Takeshi Kaneshiro.
Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart) travels to Australia's Great Barrier Reef with her best friend Gwen, a fellow witch from England, for a week-long vacation where they try to help protect a hidden mermaid colony whose habitat is threatened by ocean pollution, and by a local marine biologist, Dr. Julian Martin.
Circa 1900, a carnival barker named Angus discovers a mermaid held captive in a tank by a disturbed old man. Angus steals the mermaid and loads her on a ship headed for America. When the mermaid is discovered, Angus's lover Lily begins to suspect that the mermaid is more dangerous than she first seemed.
Mermaids appear in a small segment: the narrator says they "are not like the mermaids in stories" though Wendy is thrilled by them. These mermaids have webbed fingers, sharp teeth and markings on their faces. Peter asks them if Captain Hook has kidnapped John and Michael, which the mermaids confirm. One of them also tries to drown Wendy.
In this Barbie doll direct-to-video movie, Elina travels to Mermaidia to save her friend Nalu, the merman prince, who has been kidnapped by the evil Laverna. It's up to Elina to stop them with the help of Nori, a headstrong mermaid who does not trust outsiders.
The title character is a mermaid (Sara Paxton) who is washed ashore after a violent storm. She decides to search for true love on land, and makes two good human friends (Joanna "JoJo" Levesque and Emma Roberts) along the way.
In this Barbie doll direct-to-video movie, Barbie stars as Merliah, a surfing champion from Malibu. One minute she's a normal teenager and the next she learns a shocking family secret: she's a mermaid! Merliah and her dolphin friend Zuma set off on an undersea adventure to rescue her mother, the queen of Oceana.
In this Barbie doll direct-to-video movie sequel, Merliah heads to Australia for the ultimate surfing competition. When the evil mermaid Eris escapes from her whirlpool, thanks to Kylie Morgan who steals Merliah's necklace, with plans to take Callissa's spot on the throne of Aquellia and get the power of Merilia, Merliah and her sea friends dive in to stop her.
In the cases of Sid the Sloth and Captain Gutt, the fishlike creatures called sirens shapeshift into a mermaid-themed sloth (mersloth) and a mermaid-themed ape (merape) and near the end of the film, the latter traumatizes the tyrant ape by eating him.
In this Barbie doll direct-to-video movie Barbie stars as Lumina, a mermaid who dreams of being a princess. Lumina and her best friend Kuda, a pink seahorse, embark on an adventure to a majestic mer-kingdom. There, she discovers that her magic is the key to unlocking her true destiny and ultimately saving the kingdom.
Maidens of the Sea
2014
The second feature film by writer/director Kerri Kuchta, this film tells the story of a lonely sailor who discovers an island of mermaids.
Polish horror-musical film directed by Agnieszka Smoczyńska which chronicles two carnivorous mermaids who begin working as nightclub performers in 1980s Warsaw.
Mermaids in this film are portrayed to have ears that look like fish fins in addition to their fishlike tails. In the trailer, one of the mermaids is shown relaxing in an inflatable pool.
The youngest of three sisters is secretly a mermaid with healing powers, although she can only take mermaid form in her home waters of the Caribbean. The movie also mentions African-Caribbean legends of the fate of prisoners thrown from slave ships.
A white mermaid princess with blond hair tied in ox horns is found in one of the cages at the circus, so Agent Gretel foils the ringmaster and the two strongmen to set the mermaid free and she in return gives her metallic seashell pendant as part of her gratitude. She turns out to be the daughter of the golden-dressed mermaid queen who encounters Hansel and Gretel as children. There are also other colored mermaids who live in their own kingdom and all these mermaids can change their tails into legs depending on where they surface.
In the 18th-century sea shanty, "The Keeper of the Eddystone Light", the singer's father is a lighthouse keeper and his mother is a mermaid.
Alexander von Zemlinsky's symphonic poem Die Seejungfrau (The Mermaid), first performed in 1905 but then forgotten until its second performance in 1984, is based on Andersen's detailed fairy story. Zemlinsky briefly explained its plan to Arnold Schoenberg; a more detailed matching of story and music is provided by its second conductor, Peter Gülke.[12]
1985 hit by French duo Les Rita Mitsouko, "Marcia Baila", includes the verse "...la sirène en mal d'amour" (A lovesick mermaid). The song's video clip includes a mermaid.
Japanese musician Tatsuro Yamashita has a song entitled "Mermaid" in his 1986 album Pocket Music. The song is about a man encountering a mermaid during a summer day.
In Finnish musician J. Karjalainen's song Merenneito ja minä ("Mermaid and Me"), he describes a wonderful tour in the underwater kingdom with a mermaid with whom he has fallen in love. In the song he is able to breathe under water due to the mermaid's magic medicine.[13]
Another Finnish song, Koskenlaskijan morsiamet ("Brides of Log Driver") is about a mermaid who falls in love with a skillful log driver. Unfortunately, he is already engaged to a human woman. When the mermaid sees her love riding the rapids with his human bride, she in a burst of jealousy raises a rock off the river bed, drowning them both. Seeing them drown and die, she immediately regrets her deed, and in the end of the song she is left weeping alone on the rock.[citation needed]
Joanna Newsom's song "Colleen" tells the story of a girl from the sea who adapts to life on land, but is plagued by dreams and memories of her past. The song is told from the girl's perspective, and it is left open to interpretation whether or not she eventually returns.[14]
The music video for "Cherish" by Madonna includes several merman and a merman child.
Another Madonna music video, Music had an animated Madonna turn into a mermaid while diving into a martini.
In the music video for "Mermaid Sashimi" by Mexican singer Juan Son, a mermaid is in a restaurant ready for being cooked.
The death metalvirtual bandDethklok have a song called "Murmaider," about mermaid murder. In the second episode of the animated series Metalocalypse, the band state that fish had "no good metals to listens to" so they recorded The DethWater Album. "Murmaider" appeared as the first track of the band's real album, The Dethalbum.
Sade appears as a lovestruck mermaid in the music video for her 1992 single "No Ordinary Love."
Among the outrageous claims made in the Lonely Island song "I'm On A Boat" is the claim by T-Pain that he has had sex with a mermaid. The video shows an African American mermaid in the background behind T-Pain as he sings this verse.
Danish bubblegum singer Ni-Ni (Nynne Qvortrup) released an album in Japan and Denmark on February 16, 2001, called Mermaid which included the song "A Mermaid's Tale."[17]
Lady Gaga dressed as a mermaid named Yuyi for the video for "You and I."
Lana Del Rey released a song Mermaid Motel in 2010 on Del Rey's debut album, Lana Del Ray A.K.A. Lizzy Grant.
In 2007, Japanese pop group SMAP recorded a song titled "Mermaid", which was originally intended as a single, but ended up being released as the 7th track of their 2008 Platinum album, Super Modern Artistic Performance. The song was used for Japanese media coverage of select swimming events during the 2008 Summer Olympics.
"FT Nesli - Mermaid" sung by Turkish singer Neslihan Evrüz 2008 in English by Burak Yeter from the album Mermaid.
In 2011, Japanese group Aldious released a single, "Mermaid". The PV had one of the girls of the band as a mermaid.
In 2011, Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish released Imaginaerum, which contained the song "Turn Loose the Mermaids".
In 2012, French singer Nolwenn Leroy appeared as a mermaid on the cover of her album Ô Filles De L'Eau, and in the music video of her single "Sixième Continent."
In 2012, American pop rock band Train released a new single titled "Mermaid" from their sixth studio album, California 37.
In the 2002 fifth-season episode "A Witch's Tail", a mermaid (Jaime Pressly) enlists the help of main character Phoebe Halliwell (Alyssa Milano) to fight against a sea witch. Mermaid was a Charmed spin-off developed for The WB, since the theme of mermaids was recognized to have potential for its own series, and a one-hour pilot was filmed. However, after The WB and the UPN merged into The CW channel, the resulting network passed on the series.
A cyber-mermaid named Binary lives in the Aquari-yum. She is green and purple, and she works as a gatekeeper and tames several sea animals.
Danny and the Mermaid
1978
A pilot episode for a series that didn't get picked up. It was a 30-minute sci-fi comedy starring Ray Walston (famous for his previous successful series My Favorite Martian). Walston played Professor Stoneman, helping his student apprentice Danny Stevens (Patrick Collins) to be an oceanographer. Danny first learns of the mermaid, Aqua (Harlee McBride), a colorful blond mermaid with blue eyes and iridescent scales, when she swims by one of the portholes in their underwater lab. Later, he meets her and she communicates with them through a hatch on the lab's floor.
In the episode "Ocean Commotion," while the family visit in the beach, Dee Dee (in a mermaid costume) gets kidnapped by some maniac sailors and Dexter and Moby Dick are the only ones to save her. This is a parody of Disney's The Little Mermaid, and of Moby Dick.
This Nick Jr. series features several mermaids that live in a mermaid kingdom, including Mariana and Maribel, introduced from the season 4 special "Dora Saves the Mermaids".
Goku has to meet Master Roshi's demand to bring a beautiful girl to him to receive his teachings; one of the girls he brings is a mermaid, much to Roshi's surprise.
A drama-fantasy series based on Mars Ravelo's creation in GMA Network in the Philippines. Marina is also a drama-fantasy series in ABS-CBN and Marinara is a comedy-fantasy series in GMA Network.
In the 2010 episode "Aventura Submarina (Submarine Adventure)" (episode 9 (87 of the entire series), season 4) El Chavo meets three kindhearted mermaid princesses during a vacation trip alongside the rest of his friends in Acapulco who offer to take him to their underwater kingdom after mistaking him for a teenage merman prince who has apparently gone missing but who returns shortly thereafter, explaining he only wished to explore the human world for a few days. Quico, Noño, Paty and La Popis also try to rescue El Chavo in a submarine after witnessing the mermaids submerging their friend near the beach. When the children try to tell the rest of their friends about their adventure, the adults of the group don't believe them and tell them it was only a dream.
In an episode, Treat Williams and Pam Dawber help stage a production of The Little Mermaid that follows Andersen's story much more closely than the Disney film that came out three years later.
The main female protagonist, Lucy Heartfilia, uses celestial spirits, one of which is a mermaid called Aquarius. Also, another character, Lisanna Strauss, uses animal-based transformations, and one of her tricks is to turn into a mermaid (in an anime-only episode). Furthermore, in the final arc, Lucy and another character, Brandish Mu, are temporarily turned into mermaids when Aquarius takes them to the Memory of the Stars to show them the truth about their mothers.
Mermaids are occasionally depicted as being in conflict with Mr. Rourke (Ricardo Montalbán). Most notably Naya (portrayed by Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas fame), who appeared in two episodes in 1979 and 1980.
Three teenage girls who, after encountering a mysterious sea cave, transform into mermaids in ten seconds whenever water touches any part of their bodies. In addition, they each have supernatural abilities over water in each of its forms: water, rain, floods, ice, snow, hail, cold, sleet, steam, mist and fog.
The protagonists help a mermaid reach out to her prince, after gaining the ability to assume human form when dry, in three days or she will turn into sea foam.
Legend of Heaven and Earth - The Mermaid Beauty
2000
The Taiwanese fantasy series, which shows various stories and legends from Asian mythology, depicts a story similar to Hans Christian Andersen's "Little Mermaid" in which the main protagonist is the mermaid daughter of an undersea sorceress who is trapped in a conch shell for centuries until freed. While disguised as human, she explores the outside world and falls in love with one of three princely sons. The story focuses on how she manages to protect both her love and the undersea land that she comes from. The series was shown on AZN Television shortly before the network's cancellation in 2007.
In one of the episodes, Edyn turns into a mermaid complete with aquatic fish ears, webbed hands and a mermaid's tail, and dives into the depth of the water with her friends. Some other characters are mermaids and one of them, Traptika, is very friendly.
A modern retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, the Japanese anime series follows the 15-year-old mermaid, Mako, as she makes a deal with the sea hag to become a human so she can find Akira Shigeno, a young man she falls in love with, only to be adopted by zoologist Urashima as his granddaughter. While on the surface, Mako possesses a magical pendant called the "Life of a Mermaid", gifted from her parents.
A Japanese animation series in 3 to 4 volumes, depending on the country release distribution. It was based on the comic book by the same title which is a manga series by Rumiko Takahashi, which tells that when a person eats the flesh of a mermaid, they can gain immortality. In the United States, it has been dubbed into English except for its theme song which remains in Japanese. There are nine episodes in the American release (2003–2004): "Mermaid (Never) Smile", "The Village of Fighting Fish", "Mermaid's Forest", "Dreams End", "Mermaid's Promise", "Mermaid's Scar", "The Ash Princess", "Mermaid's Gaze" and "Mermaid's Mask".
A boy named Nagasumi Michishio is saved by a mermaid named Sun Seto, but it is the mermaids' law, when a human sees a mermaid's true form, the human or the mermaid has to be killed. The only way to solve this problem for him is to marry her.
Episode 46, Season 2 called "Lindemann's Catch," with Rod Serling in his opening introductions, who also introduced The Twilight Zone series. A story about a sea captain whose desires are again awakened as he catches a mermaid on his little boat. As she has a tail from the waist down, she isn't of course quite what he wants. He seeks out a potion to change her into a complete woman. He gives her the potion and leaves her below deck. He expects that when he returns, she will be a complete woman, but she is rather now having a fish torso. The analogy of the episode demonstrates a man's innate need for a woman - even as the captain is found grasping for her feet, now a horrendous malformed creature as she attempts to jump ship.
A mermaid, namely Siren (Brandi Burkhardt), is conjured from The Little Mermaid story by a young witch Endora Lenox (Nicole Cox) in an attempt to have her come between Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald (Adrian Bellani) and Kay Bennett (Heidi Mueller) developing relationship, as Kay is already engaged to Endora's half-brother Fox Crane (Mark Wystrach). Siren falls in love with Miguel, to which she tries to place him under a curse by having sex with him, after rescuing him from drowning. But her curse is seized by Kay and Fox, leading Endora to turn her into a doll and place her into a fishtank.
This Nick Jr. animated series features Lorelai, the best friend of Santiago Montes and Tomás from Merlandia, who uses her magical Bracelet of Pearls to turn herself into a mermaid.
Mermista, Princess of Salineas has water-based powers, including the ability to transform into a mermaid. Her real name is Elaysia. She also appears in the animated reboot, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018–2020).
This Disney Junior series features Merroway Cove, an underwater kingdom of merfolk including Queen Emmaline and her daughters Cora and Oona. Ariel from Disney's The Little Mermaid also makes an appearance in an episode of the series.
This series includes stop-motion puppetry that features a mermaid named Marina. However, unlike typical mermaids she has no tail; instead, she swims with two legs and displays the ability to breathe underwater. Both more well known, and popularly known,[citation needed] are these particular character puppets also seen in the Thunderbirds series that was produced 1965–1966.
In the animated direct-to-video film, racer Steed Dirkly spots a mermaid on an island, but it turns out she is a Mirahna, a cannibalistic mermaid who feeds Steed to her offspring. She is a cross between a mermaid and a piranha, with a beautiful body, long orange hair, yellow sea-shells for a bra, a magenta fish tail, aquatic fish ears, and the head of a piranha.
It has a story called "The Mermaid," (Season 3, Episode 77); at the opening of the episode one can see the mermaid unnoticed by Commander Lee Crane (David Hedison) go swimming by the S.S.R.N. Seaview submarine's monitoring window.
In "Screams of the Siren", Dyris was a beautiful mermaid who sought to put the world underwater. She, however, only remained beautiful when she was in the water. On dry land, she returned into her true monstrous form.
Dengeki Sentai Changeman (1985) is the design theme for the heroes of which was mythological creatures – Sayaka Nagisa (Hiroko Nishimoto) transformed into a white-colored ranger called Change Mermaid. Some of her attacks were based on underwater movement.
The short film Hikari Sentai Maskman (1987) features a mermaid named Lelai, who is tricked into using her beautiful singing voice to create earthquakes that would destroy the world.
In Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue (2000), Blue Ranger Chad Lee befriends and falls in love with a mermaid named Marina (Kamera Walton). She appears in only two episodes, "Ocean Blue" and "Neptune's Daughter"; the second time forced to lure the Lightspeed Rangers into a trap. (No mermaid appeared in the previous original 1999 Japanese series, Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGo-V.)
Mahō Sentai Magiranger (2005) - Urara Ozu (Asami Kai) harnessed the power of the water Heavenly Saint Splagel, who is a mermaid; thus, Urara's MagiMajin form is MagiMermaid (whose legs can merge to allow her to swim underwater). However, when she upgrades halfway through the series into her Legend form, her body joins with her two older brothers and younger sister to form the Legendary Majuu MagiLion. Then in Power Rangers: Mystic Force which aired the following year, Madison Rocca (Melanie Vallejo) is the Blue Mystic Force Ranger. She draws her powers from an ancient titan who was shaped as a mermaid. Since the giant monster battle footage from PRMystic Force is taken directly from MagiRanger, Madison's giant Mystic Mermaid form mirrors that of Urara's MagiMermaid.
Madison's name is perhaps an intentional pun and tip of the hat since that was the name of the mermaid character played by Daryl Hannah in the 1984 film Splash.
Video games
Aquaria – Players control the mermaid-like character Naija.
One of the many bosses from Cuphead is Cala Maria, a gigantic mermaid who has a lot of sea creatures fighting by her side.
Donkey Kong 64 – There is a blondheaded blue mermaid princess (with a silver tiara on her head) who lives in her seashell home at Gloomy Galleon and needs 5 pearls, so Tiny Kong is tasked to go small and retrieve the pearls for her so she can give her the Golden Banana.
Double Dealing Character – In the fourteenth title of the Touhou Project series, a mermaid named Wakasagihime serves as the game's first boss. She has the ability to increase her strength when in water.
Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep – Although the mermaids do not appear in this game, a statue of the mermaid is one of the items that can be placed in the private reef.
The Goonies II – The climax of the game involves rescuing a mermaid.
Insaniquarium – The puzzle game published by PopCap Games features a mermaid named Meryl who appears as the hostess of the game. She also appears as a pet and her ability is that she sings, which makes the guppies drop more money.
Ariel and other characters from Disney's The Little Mermaid appear as supporting characters in the Kingdom Hearts video game series, a crossover between various Disney franchises and Square Enix's Final Fantasy franchise. Attina and Andrina, two of Ariel's mermaid sisters, make cameos in Kingdom Hearts II during its final musical number.
The Marai creatures from the League of Legends lore, featuring Nami.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening – On Koholint Island, there is a mermaid named Martha who lives in a bay. She states that she has lost her necklace because of the ocean waves. After Link retrieves her necklace, Martha gives him a mermaid scale in return.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – Link encounters what he at first believes is a real mermaid, but later discovers she is a Hylian girl named Joanne who enjoys dressing up as a mermaid. She is involved in several side quests.
In Nintendo's The Legendary Starfy series, a character named simply "Mermaid" is used to save the game. When the player character, Starfy, bumps into the shell she lives in, the game saves.
Mega Man 9 – Splash Woman's design is based on the appearance of a mermaid.
In the game No Straight Roads, Sayu, the second member of the Megastars, is a mermaid and a virtual pop idol. The heroes Zuke and Mayday battle her in Akusuka, the district of Vinyl City under her control.
The PokémonPrimarina, a Water/Fairy-type, is based on both a mermaid and a sea lion.
Princess Peach: Showtime! – One of Princess Peach's transformations is a mermaid. In this form, she uses her magical singing voice to control the fish and other sea creatures for help.[21]
Puyo Puyo – The Japanese puzzle game series from Compile (later owned by Sega) features a mermaid named Serilly (Seriri in Japan) who believes that everyone is trying to eat her, due to the belief that eating mermaid flesh will grant immortality.
The mobile game Puyopuyo!! Quest features five additional mermaids as part of the Tropical Merfolk series in the game.
Return of the Obra Dinn – This mystery game incorporates many naval myths of the 18th/19th century, including the myth of mermaids.
In 2013, while signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (now Impact Wrestling), female wrestler SoCal Val did a photoshoot in costume as Disney's Ariel.[22]
^Mittman, Asa Simon; Dendle, Peter J (2016). The Ashgate research companion to monsters and the monstrous. London: Routledge. p. 352. ISBN9781351894326. OCLC1021205658.
^"Caleb's Friend". Kirkus Reviews. June 15, 1993. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
^Peter Gülke, "Zemlinski: The Mermaid: An Introduction", booklet for the compact disc of Zemlinsky's Die Seejungfrau and Psalm XIII (London: Decca, 1987).
^"Mermaid and Me". (from Google Translate). LyricsBox.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
^"Colleen". Joanna Newsom Lyrics.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
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