Mermaids Depicted In One Thousand And One Nights

Mermaids have been long-lasting symbols in mythology for thousands of years.

This half-human, half-fish creature is considered dangerous to many. Mermaids are considered monsters because of their deadly voice, ability to cause lethal storm, and that they represent a different world, unknown to humans. As Skye Alexander states, “Mermaids, it seems, are as changeable as the sea — serene one moment and tumultuous the next” (Alexander 235). A mermaid is a mythical creature that is half-human, half-fish. Mermaids are depicted as magnificent creatures. Above the waist, they are seen as a beautiful woman with luxurious locks of long flowing hair, and below they are a mysterious labyrinth. Although they possess many beauties, many believe that

They go wild and crash their ships into the rocky shores or even jump overboard (Alexander 233). In One Thousand and One Nights, it states, “mermaids’ songs rendered sailors helpless and lured them to their doom” (Alexander 233). Skye Alexander reiterates this idea that mermaids are dangerous to sailors at sea through the epic Odyssey. Odysseus is cautioned about sirens. Sirens in Greek mythology are something that is compelling yet dangerous. In this instance, sirens are portrayed as mermaids. The sirens hypnotized the sailors through their luring voices. They had the ability to make sailors crash into the rocky coast. Odysseus has his sailors strap him down to his ship and plug his ears with wax so he would not take in the alluring songs. Consequently, Odysseus hears the songs and begs his sailors to untie him (Alexander). Given these points, we see that mermaids are dangerous creatures who possess deadly voices to lure sailors to their deaths. In addition to the deadly voices, many legends associate mermaids with deadly storms.

“Some old English stories portrayed mermaids as evil omens and portents of bad luck. It’s said that if a sailor spotted a mermaid, it meant bad weather was coming and he’d never return