#mermaidlore

HIIIII IM BACKKKK and this time delving into African Mermaid Lore!!

Mami Wata(Mother Water) is a water spirit who is sometimes depicted as a snake charmer, mermaid or both. And she is revered throughout Africa. Her depictions have been very much inspired by indigenous African spirits, Hindu gods and even European mermaids. Mami Wata is said to bring good fortune with money. Many enslaved Africans brought over the belief in her, and her connection to the arts and water. There is even more about her, that I will cover, in parts!

A portrait study using one of the citizens of Tempest Star. Unlike most marine animals on Earth, The Wrasse Sirens are known for having both gills and a nose. This allows them to breathe both on land and on water though, researchers wonder the purpose of such peraphillia as they don't wander onto land often.

Another notable feature are their tattoos. Though it seems that that the sirens are born with the tattoos at birth and acquire more as they age. Researchers have yet to find a specimen old enough that is littered in tattoos.

The oldest known mention of mermaids/mermen to exist in history is from the Mesopotamian civilization, also known as Adapa or Uanna, he was said to be a god that taught mankind wisdom. Described by the Babylonian priest Berossus, he rose out of the sea with a half fish half human body. He had the form of a fish but with the head of a man under his fish head, and then legs under his fish tail. During the day he would come ashore and teach mankind about reading, writing, the arts, etc. It was likely that he was a representative for Ea, the god of water.

https://mermaidsofearth.com/a-look-into-the-tale-and-tail-of-oannes/

One of the oldest known myths of mermaids in the world, from the Assyrian empire in 1000 B.C. It is said that the Goddess Atargatis, who is the Goddess of fertility, fell in love with a mortal shepherd, she accidentally killed him, and in grief, or guilt, jumped into the lake and turned into a fish. The fish form could not hide her natural beauty however, so she was stuck with the lower body of a fish and the upper body of a human. There are some descriptions that she had the full body of a fish with a human head and arm, similar to the God Ea. 

Aquatic ape theory: 

The Aquatic Ape theory suggests that early hominids lived in the water part-time. This would explain our mostly hairless bodies, streamlined bodies for swimming, our upright walking which made wading in the shallows easier for us, and the layer of fat that we retain no matter how much we try to get rid of it. 

Where it branches into mermaids, is the belief that some of our ancestors never returned to the land, instead, they stayed in the sea, and over time evolved into what we know as merfolk today.

This is just one of the merfolk myths that are out there, however, and many mermaids come from different cultures and lore. 

Next time I post I will be starting with the Mesopotamia and Lore of merfolk and where it came from. 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-new-aquatic-ape-theory-67868308/

At the rate I'm going, there's going a whole lot of Niraj art than Kaimana. They're both so relaxing and calming to do. However, in between working on developing the story even more, I'm also working on the other inhabitants of Tempest Star!