Mermaids have enchanted human imagination for millennia. These mysterious half-human, half-fish beings appear in folklore across the globe. Sometimes benevolent, sometimes deadly, mermaids embody our deepest fears and desires about the unknown depths of the sea. From the sirens of ancient Greece to the water spirits of West Africa, mermaid mythology is as vast and varied as the oceans themselves. Today I’ll do a brief intro exploration as to how different cultures have envisioned mermaids and how these mythologies echo in modern fantasy (including my own book series, The Mermaid Curse).
Sirens were deadly creatures in Greek mythology who lured sailors to their doom with hypnotic songs. While today’s mermaids are often romanticized, these early depictions were terrifying. The sirens were not always mermaids either. Some myths describe them as part bird, not fish. Over time, the fish-like form gained popularity, especially in medieval Europe where tales of mermaids as omens or seductresses flourished.
In the folklore of the British Isles, mermaids often took on a more tragic, ethereal tone. Selkies (seals who could shed their skins to become human) appear in Scottish and Irish legends. These tales focus on longing and transformation. A selkie woman, for instance, might be forced to remain human if a man hides her seal skin. Unlike the fatal sirens of Greek lore, selkies highlight themes of captivity, love, and identity.
Mami Wata is a powerful water spirit revered in various regions across the African continent and throughout the Caribbean. Often depicted as a beautiful woman with long hair and a fishtail, she can grant wealth, fertility, or healing, but she demands respect. Disrespect her, and she may bring ruin.
In Vodou and other Afro-Caribbean religions, La Sirène is a lwa (spirit) associated with the sea. Like Mami Wata, she is beautiful and seductive, sometimes helping followers achieve spiritual insight or material gain. These mermaid figures are layered with spiritual significance. They are not merely fantasy but are treated as divine beings.
Mermaid legends from East Asia are more varied and in many cases, cautionary. In Chinese folklore, the mermaid (or “renyu”) could weep tears that turned into pearls. She was sometimes said to be capable of crafting exquisite silk and was often portrayed as shy and sorrowful.
In Japanese mythology, creatures called “ningyo” were more fish than human, with a monkey-like mouth and shimmering scales. Eating a ningyo’s flesh could grant eternal youth, but capturing one was said to bring storms and misfortune. These myths offer a sharp contrast to the Western image of a glamorous sea-maiden. They are eerie, cryptic, and steeped in moral consequence.
Across the seas we arrive in Polynesia where we find stories of mo’o—giant lizard or dragon-like water guardians. These blend with mermaid-like imagery. These spirits were associated with sacred pools and waterfalls, and while not true mermaids, they served a similar mythological role. Water spirits in Polynesian cultures often acted as protectors, tied to ancestral lands and lineages.
Tales like these reflect a deep spiritual relationship with the ocean. For island cultures, the sea is not a mystery but a home. As such, water spirits are not exotic strangers but kin.
In my own series, The Mermaid Curse: The Atlantis Twins, I draw on some of these global mythologies to create a mermaid world filled with danger, memory, and transformation. Alysa Grey wakes after a boating accident with no memory, convinced her missing twin is still alive. As she travels to a mysterious island, the story echoes both the danger of the sirens and the spiritual undertones of Mami Wata.
The second book, The Atlantis Song, takes readers to Venice, a city of canals and secrets, where Allie faces ancient foes and must navigate a foreign land shaped by water. The third, The Atlantis Queens, explores duality and inheritance. As Allie and Alysa battle a supernatural threat, the series dives deep into themes found across mermaid myth: sisterhood, destiny, and the lure of the sea. These books blend ancient archetypes with modern suspense and character-driven drama. Mermaids in this world are not just creatures of beauty; they are warriors, survivors, and inheritors of a deep and dangerous legacy.
Mermaid stories have lasted because they reflect the human relationship with water: life-giving, terrifying, and utterly mysterious. Whether as warning, deity, or romantic symbol, the mermaid adapts to cultural context. Each legend tells us something about the people who told it. Today, mermaids continue to evolve. From blockbuster films to indie novels, they remain powerful symbols of identity, freedom, femininity, and danger. In fantasy fiction, they are portals into the emotional and spiritual tides of the human condition.
The Mermaid Curse series stands on the shoulders of these legends. It celebrates the diversity of mermaid mythology while creating something fresh and thrilling for today’s readers. So the next time you hear the crash of waves or feel drawn to the sea, ask yourself: what stories lie beneath the surface? You can start the Mermaid Curse series with the prequel book completely free and experience my version of mermaid magic for yourself. Please let me know what you think!
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