One Fish, Two Fish - Two Ancient Mermaid Myths

Hi! Thank you for dropping in to Myth Perceptions where I'm sharing various myths and legends I've discovered while researching for my fantasy writing, and for you!

For the next few months, I'll be exploring various myths about Mermaids.

Last month, I talked a little about Hans Christian Anderson's The Littlest Mermaid. While I was digging around my memories of the story and researching to find more details, I discovered a reference to two of the "first" mermaid myths--The Myth of Atargatis--and another similar myth about Thessalonike.

Image by Virginia Lee

Atargatis is a Syrian or Aramaic goddess. Several sources call her the mermaid goddess. She was a fertility and protective goddess. One popular myth involves her falling in love (or being cursed to love) a human male. When he dies (or disappears), she casts herself into a lake to become half-human/half-fish. Her followers will not eat fish nor doves (doves are sacred to her daughter).

Image Source - Greek Reporter

Thessalonike is another ancient mermaid myth however my research discovered that she was a historical figure who also has evolved into a myth. Historically, Thessalonike was half-sister to Alexander The Great. During her life, she went from near forgotten daughter to sequestered princess to Queen of Macedonia. It's a very convoluted story, but a fascinating read in the Wiki. The myth is Very Different.

It is said that Alexander the Great bathed his half-sister, Thessalonike's hair with water that would make her immortal. When he died, Thessalonike was so stricken with grief, she threw herself into the sea and became a mermaid. It was her tradition to inquire of passing ships: Is Alexander the King alive? Wise sailors would reply: He lives and reigns and conquers the world. Then she would let them pass. Those who did not reply properly would face her wrath in storm and shipwreck. 

I have to wonder why she would pose a question to which she knew the answer and then punish those who spoke the truth. Not very sporting of her.

I am fascinated by the fact that both of these "original" mermaid stories are not that far from Hans Christian Anderson's mermaid story. (Obviously he did his homework too, eh?) Both cast themselves into the sea to die, or transform and the impetus--love. If I can lead you one step further, I would offer the observation that the sea these female representations are throwing themselves into can be viewed as a representation of emotions (represented by the element of water). And they all lose themselves in the sea of their emotions, becoming something else all together. I leave it to you to decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing, for them or for us.

Well, I'll end it here and welcome your comments. Please come back next month when I'll be exploring another batch of mermaid myths here at Myth Perceptions.


Denise Golinowski is a reader and writer of fantasy and romance. Her newest enovella, Collector's Item, is available from  The Wild Rose Press

Her first enovella, The Festival of the Flowers: The Courtesan and the Scholar is also available  through the Wild Rose Press. You can visit her blog at Golinowski's Gambol.

Mermaids - Before Ariel or Love Gets You in the End

Mermaids - Half Woman, Half Fish, Totally Intriguing

So many lovely myths to explore.
So many strange tales to share.
Where do I begin?
Where else?

The Little Mermaid

However, not the cute version beautifully illustrated by Disney, but with the original story by Hans Christian Andersen.

The Litte Mermaid Statue, Copenhagen - Wikipedia

When I was young, one of my favorite books was The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen.

Cover Image from Amazon.com

On the cover, it had this marvelous hologram of the mermaid swimming under the sea and inside were many two-page dioramas illustrating the story using these wonderful puppets. I spent many an hour reading and re-reading the story. One summer, my mother, sister, and I even planted our own gardens a la The Little Mermaid, filling them with our personal choices of flowers.

Interior Page Image from Amazon.com

But Hans Christian Anderson's story is not the same story as the one Disney popularized with it's darling Ariel. His story (beautifully portrayed in this book) is darker and tragic. The ending is less Happily Ever After and more selfless sacrifice is rewarded.

The little mermaid sacrifices all in hopes of winning love--her voice, her home, her family. Her transformation is accompanied by excruciating pain, and the price of failure is death. When she loses her love, the prince, to another woman, she is offered an opportunity to save herself, but only if she kills the prince. She cannot and casts herself into the sea. Instead of dying, she is transformed into a spirit of the air (angel) in recognition of her selflessness.

Interestingly enough, some of the earliest stories of mermaids involved an Assyrian goddess, Atargatis, who fell in love with a human. When she accidentally killed her lover (details unknown), she transformed herself into a mermaid. Talk about your story reversals, eh?

I'll be diving more seriously into mermaid myths around the world next month, so please come back to visit.

Denise Golinowski is a reader and writer of fantasy and romance. Her newest enovella, Collector's Item, is available from  The Wild Rose Press

Her first enovella, The Festival of the Flowers: The Courtesan and the Scholar is also available  through the Wild Rose Press. You can visit her blog at Golinowski's Gambol.