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The Mer-Maid Symbolism and Deeper Meaning
For centuries, many people have always wondered if mermaids are real creatures living in the depths of the ocean. Many claim to have seen them, photographed them, or even been in their presence, but what is it really about them that we always seem to feel drawn to?
The honest truth is that we all have a mermaid side to all of us, singing to us all of the time if we give it the chance to. It is an archetypal representation of parts of ourselves.
Waterhouse, John William; A Mermaid.
We have all have heard about the fairytale of the “Little Mermaid”, it has been represented throughout history in movies, tales, poems, music, you name it. Sometimes as evil creatures that try to drown sailors or take them to the deep dangerous zones of the sea; other times they are these magical beings that save little children from drowning and that enjoy playing and protecting the other ocean creatures. The image of the mermaid is one of the oldest representations of the feminine all around the world.
WATER
The most simple meaning of the word “mermaid” is mer which stands for ocean and maid which stands for lady or young woman; so we can say that it means “lady of the ocean”. Water is another natural element that represents the feminine aspect of the Earth, abundant, and always flowing. Water revitalizes and without it, there would be no life nor growth.
The intriguing nature of the mermaid archetype finds its equal in the subconscious part of our minds, also represented by the sea: deep, sometimes dark, and hard to reach.
The symbology calls us to go deeper into the sea of our minds, explore the part where our intuition is the guide and let ourselves get drown in our own mysteries. That part where beauty and our senses are enlightened. They also represent the authentic and fierce side of our emotions, which are always in constant movement, just like the sea.
THE FISH & VESICA PISCIS
For centuries, many gods and goddesses have had certain traits attributed to them and have been represented by the fish. In the early days of Christianity, the fish was used as a representation of the holy spirit and it can be seen in many monuments and paintings, even in the garments worn by the priests to this day. This is another reason why the mermaid can a lot of times be connected to the middle ages and her image reminds us of the “old world”.
The vesica piscis is one of the oldest and most consistently used geometric forms since antiquity. It is formed by two circles overlapped on each other and both of their centers rest together; we can find this symbol in literature, architecture, and religious art all over the world.
The Vesica Piscis is known as the Bladder of the Fish, the Golden Womb and the Golden Fetus. In the indian culture, it is the source of the Universe, or what we previously established as the Hiranyagarbha (literally meaning Golden Fetus or Golden Womb), floated around in emptiness (or no-thing-ness) for a while and broke into two halves forming Dyaus (Heaven) and Prithvi (Earth). Once again, we see the same concepts reiterated; Heaven / Earth, Lotus / Flower and Dyaus / Prithvi. No matter how it is mythologized, the story remains the same. —Marty Leeds, Cracking Pi
Vesica Piscis: symbol of sacred geometry.
In a precisely similar manner, there is the Semitic moon goddess, who followed the course of the sun, at times manifesting herself to the eyes of men, at others seeking concealment in the western flood.
She was represented as half woman, half fish, with characteristics that make her lunar origin indisputable (it is also well known about the influence of the moon in the oceanic waves). Her name was Derceto or Atergatis, and she was identical to Mylitta, the universal Mother, or source of life.
FOLKLORE
In European folklore, mermaids are usually called “sirens” as well and according to their legends, they are very long-lived. A very famous mermaid from german folklore is Lorelei. Her story tells about a beautiful young lady who waited sitting on a rock for her lover to come back at the narrowest and shallowest point of the Rhine River. With no sight of her lover, and after a long time waiting she grew sad and decided to jump off the rock. The legend is that her spirit still remains there waiting for her lost love; she sits on the rock which was named after her, combing her long hair and singing softly.
Heinrich Heine created a poem of her in 1822. There are numerous translations, with different approaches and they are not always literal. This is Tr. Frank’s translation from 1998.
The Loreley
I cannot determine the meaning
Of sorrow that fills my breast:
A fable of old, through it streaming,
Allows my mind no rest.
The air is cool in the gloaming
And gently flows the Rhine.
The crest of the mountain is gleaming
In fading rays of sunshine.
The loveliest maiden is sitting
Up there, so wondrously fair;
Her golden jewelry is glist’ning;
She combs her golden hair.
She combs with a gilded comb, preening,
And sings a song, passing time.
It has a most wondrous, appealing
And pow’rful melodic rhyme.
The boatman aboard his small skiff, –
Enraptured with a wild ache,
Has no eye for the jagged cliff, –
His thoughts on the heights fear forsake.
I think that the waves will devour
Both boat and man, by and by,
And that, with her dulcet-voiced power
Was done by the Loreley.
What we can take from all the history and tales from all over the world is that inside of us there is a world which always seems to be hidden and at the same, it always tries to come out; we perceive it when we see these images and symbols that seem to trigger that deep part inside of us. Our intuition, our creativity, and desire to discover what lays beneath the surface of the ocean of our souls, if we dare to navigate such oceanic tides and if we do, perhaps we’ll finally find and reunite with the mermaid who has been waiting for us, for our return for a long time.
Sources consulted:
Mermaid Symbolism and Meaning | UNIVERSE OF SYMBOLISM
The Mermaid and the Symbolism of the Fish in Art, Literature and Legendary Lore | ALTERNATE WARS
AUTHOR INFO
My name is Dennise Chávez. I enjoy reading, writing and indulging on art. I'm also very passionate about history, semiotics and anthropology. I hope you enjoy reading my content, thank you for your attention!
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