A Mermaid Research Paper

The ocean, although largely unexplored, has encapsulated our imagination for all of mankind. Poets, scholars, and drunken sailors alike have often pondered what lays beneath the shimmering surface, often fabricating amazing myths like the kraken, the hippocamp, and (arguably the most popular) the mermaid. Even though it’s existence has has yet to be proven, the idea of half-man half-fish creatures has saturated mythology all around the world for centuries. Regardless of its ancient origins, the mermaid has become somewhat of a contemporary phenomenon; athletic yet seductive, fair skinned cryptid gained popularity again in the 1930’s and 40’s and made a resurgence once more in the 2000’s. Excited children and amused parents have watched mermaids

The myth tells the story of the how the fertility goddess, Atargatis, throws herself into a lake after being heartbroken by her mortal lover. However, because of her outstanding beauty, Atargatis cannot fully transform into a fish and thus the mermaid is born. The idea of beauty and femininity has transcended almost all variations of the mermaid throughout history. However the mermaid has had more profound characteristics. The African Pentecostal faith ties christianity with many african beliefs. For example, African Pentecostals believe in many spirits like African spirituality did, however they demonize these spirits and view them as evil. One of these spirits is the mermaid; they view the mermaid as a dangerous spirit who “evokes power associated to wealth, but also seductive power of women. Mermaids appear to be both attractive and deceitful figures. While they initially cause pleasant feelings, their evil powers progressively appear and mermaids eventually turn out to be destructive spirits”1. It is often perceived as synonymous with the prostitution spirit as well. In religious and mythology, mermaids are usually a vessel to caution beauty, vanity, and

When Disney released the animated film “The Little Mermaid” in 1998, mermaids were making their resurgence in popular culture. The “imagineered” version of Han’s story tells of the mermaid princess Ariel who falls in love with the human prince Eric. She too traded her voice for legs, but unlike the original version, after a monumental battle with the evil sea witch, Ariel and Eric get married and there's a happy ending for everyone. Many analyses have been done on the effects of Disney princesses and how they perpetuate gender roles, however “The Little Mermaid” may be the most explicit in its portrayal of the beautiful and submissive mermaid. Ariel is gifted with a splendid singing voice; she uses her voice to empower herself and get the courage to leave the ocean. However she gives up her voice to chase after her prince. Ariel then uses seduction and her physical attributes to win the prince’s heart. The Little Mermaid portrays the expectation for women to be seductive, submissive creatures who give up their talents for a