Mermaids and Mermen

Mermaids, the wonderful looking creatures sailors claim to see on their ships, are like sphinxes, except they are half of a woman (head and body) and half fish (legs). Like Sirens, they sing songs with a beautiful voice that lures sailors to their death as some tales say. Besides acting like Sirens, they are related to them, as well as Nereids.

Sailors from the Greeks to 20th century sailors have reported seeing them. Pliny reported them and they were seen in 586 A.D. on the Nile. While sailing off the coast of Haiti in 1493, Christopher Columbus reported that he has seen three mermaids. His description that they "came high out of the water ," but were "not as pretty" as they are depicted for somehow in the face they look like men.

While some tales say that Mermaids are vicious creatures that kill many sailors, other tales portray memaids as wonderful creatures who are very pretty.