Where have all the Mermen gone?

I might never leave the sea if I were to come upon these two.

Mermen. According to my Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Fairies by Anna Franklin and The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures by John and Caitlin Matthews, Mermen aren't as beautiful as mermaids. That picture sure fooled me!

Seems they're a bit grumpier, too. They don't normally come ashore to woo human women to produce children for them. They personify stormy seas and are the creators of storms when angered that usually end in shipwrecks for man.

The one constant is Mermen are mentioned in Scandinavian folklore [a handsome creature with a green or black beard living on cliffs as well as in the ocean], Middle Eastern Tales, Arabian Nights, and in cultures as far back as Babylonia and Mesopotamia. Triton, son of Poseidon, Greek God of the Sea, was a Merman. Almost every culture near the ocean shares tales of men/fish creatures and the deeds they do.

Thanks to RavenscraftsRealm.blogspot.com for this amazing visual.


The Samish people of the Northwest have a story of a maiden, Ko-kwal-alwoot, who becomes enamored with a merman, eventually becoming his wife. She still watches over the lands of the Samish and ensures there is always plenty of good salmon to catch.


Maybe it's time to pay more attention to the male part of these Fae. You gotta admit; they're not hard on the eyes.



Sable Angel