When you hear the term mermaid, what do you think of? I think of a red-head teenage girl wearing a shell-bikini top with fins for legs. But to only focus our attention on the mermaids would be a dishonor to the other merpeople – the mermen. In addition to the many mermaid legends, there are just as many mermen legends. Some stories say they were ugly and mean, others remain neutral. In certain countries, mermen were benevolent. Let’s explore the fascinating and sometimes frightening world of mermen. This time we’re leaving Ariel out.

Ireland & Orkney Mermen: Merrows and Finmen

The merman legend penetrates cultural barriers; however, in Western Europe it was quite prevalent. In Ireland, merrows were merpeople who were both bad and good, depending on who told the tale. In the Dark Ages, male merrows were hideous, nasty creatures while the female merrows were beautiful. Male merrows were seen wearing red caps, which was thought to give them the magical ability to breathe underwater OR on land. If their cap was stolen, they would never return to the sea.

Mermen Legend: The Finfolk

Finfolk were vicious creatures, coming to the Orkney shores at certain times of the year to hunt their next victim. They would kidnap a woman. Then enslave her for eternity. The finfolk lived in an underwater place called Finfolkaheem. Silver is their weakness. To prevent from being captured by one of the finfolk, cast silver in all directions to distract the merman. Finmen are tall and skinny and have magical powers. They transform into something completely invisible so that they are able to sneak up on their prey.

There were also male selkies, the Bluemen of the Muir, Nixes, and the Dinny Mara. Each of these mermen have their own unique characteristics and tales.

Scottish Mermen: The Blue Men of the Minch

I can’t say any other merman seems as scary as the Blue Men of the Minch. They are especially known for having violent tendencies and having fun wrecking ships along the Scottish coastline. Another name for this aggressive merman is Storm Kelpie. People believe they purposely drum up sea storms to cause wrecks and drownings. Legend has it, sailors have seen the Blue Men floating atop the water. They’ve often asked for poetry to be recited. And if you refuse? They’ll capsize your boat. Or worse.

Ancient Mermen Gods: Gods of the Sea

While the merman legend dominated Western European folklore through the Dark Ages, but the merman was present in every age. In ancient cultures, there is a myriad of gods that are half-man-half-fish.

Triton: Greek Merman God

King Triton was the father of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, but his name pre-dates Disney. Triton was an ancient Greek god of the sea. He was the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite. He caused great storms at sea, and also was a very erotic spirit. Some myths say he was a vicious lover. He carried a conch shell for a horn and often accompanied his father, Poseidon. He is depicted as a merman – half-man-half-fish with long hair. Shapeshifting is one of his abilities.

Glaucus

Glaucus was another merman god of the sea in ancient Greek mythology. Though his story is a different than Triton’s. Glaucus consumed a magical herb that inevitably led to his transformation into a sea god. He had fish-like features, and he was an advisor and protector of sailors.

The Dogon Tribe’s Mermen-Gods

Our African ancestors also had their own mermen deities they call the Nommo. Interestingly, the Dogons’ creation story involves the Nommo, these half-man half-fish beings, who came here from another planet thousands of years ago. Apparently, they believe they descend from these merman gods, as they are credited with the creation of man.

Enki: Sumerian God of the Sea

Enki was a Sumerian god of war and wisdom and also thought to be a creator god. Other names for Enki include Lord of the Water and Ea. Sumerian mythology says Enki saved the Earth from the Great Flood. He may manifest in the merman form.

Olokun: Orisha Sea God

To the Nigerians, Olokun was the King of the Sea and manifested in the form of a merman or serpent. Olokun is a psychopomp, leading lost souls to the other side. This is a common belief of mermen and mermaids. They often lead drowned sailors’ souls to the other realm (at least the nice ones did). As a ruler of the sea, Olokun also has dominion over rivers and streams.

These are just a few of the ancient mermen gods across the world. In the Middle East, archaeologists found bronze statues and carvings of mermen that predate written history. The belief in mermen goes back thousands of years.

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Mermen: Are They Good or Evil?

There are conflicting accounts of the mermen temperament towards human beings. Some legends tell of mermen who help drowning sailors. While others depict the merman as being a vampire, a human-eater or kidnapper. The merman had the ability to lead souls to the other side, but often would take pleasure in capturing the sailors’ souls and keeping them in pots or cages at the bottom of the sea. Never to be freed to cross on to the other side.

A Merrow Who Collected Souls

In a story recorded by W.B. Yeats, an Irish man was friends with a male merrow (merman). They drank together and carried on as old buddies would, until one day the merrow asked the man to join him for a drink on the sea bed. The man agreed and found the merrow had been keeping sailors’ souls in pots. The man knew the right thing to do was to free these souls and was able to get his merrow-friend intoxicated. Then he stole his red cap, swam to the bottom of the ocean, and freed all of the captured souls. This legend gives the reader the idea that mermen were in fact malevolent towards humans.

Selkie Lovers

Male selkies of Shetney were attractive and were desired as lovers for human women. A woman could cry seven tears into the ocean and a male selkie would appear. In this light, we see mermen differently. Also, there are tales of mermen saving drowned people and taking them to shore. We have only to read the stories of Glaucus (above) and see that he was a guide to humans. So were mermen good or evil? Are they nice or mean to humans? Or perhaps it just depends on the kind of merman or the individual merman.

“Real” Mermen Sightings

In recent years, thanks to Hollywood, there’s been a resurgence of interest in mythical water creatures. Animal Planet made a “documentary” called Mermaid: A Body Found. Since then people wonder more and more whether merpeople are real. Are they really human-like creatures or just an unidentified sea creature? There have been some real mermen sightings in recent times, as recent as five years ago. But many of these sightings date back to the 1800’s and before.

There are dozens of videos on Youtube showing viewers what the videographers’ claim to be “real mermen sightings”. Some are rather convincing, while others are obviously humans dressed in mermen costume. Unfortunately, even the most convincing videos turn out to be fakes, due to modern technology and the ability to photoshop and animate videos.

A Merman Found

Perhaps my favorite story of a real sighting dates back to the 1800’s. A man in Ireland went to the shore one day and found two young mermen lying there, injured and in pain. One was dead and the other was dying. He believed they were washed to shore during a major storm on the water. The man helped the dying creature and took it home. He placed it in a tub of water and nursed it back to health. The merman would only eat shellfish and drink milk.

The Creature Released

The merman wouldn’t talk to him, and its appearance was rather appalling. The young merman was three-four feet in length with the torso and head of a human boy and the bottom a fish. It’s skin was green, and he had webbed fingers and seaweed-like hair. This story was published in the local newspaper. Supposedly the man released the merman back into the ocean.

Conclusion

There are stories of sailors seeing merfolk in past centuries, but not as many of these tales surface today. Is it because we’ve lost the belief in supernatural things, or is it because these beings have gone into complete hiding? The sad thing is, even if we found proof, people probably wouldn’t believe it anyway.

Read More About Mermaids:

• Mermaid Sightings: 8 REAL Encounters
• Scottish & Irish Mermaids: Merrows, Selkies and More
• Mermaid Origins: Lost Civilizations
• Sea Gods and Goddesses: Poseidon, Yemaya, and More