| Mermaid | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Naming | |||
| Binomen | N/A | ||
| Original | Havfrue | ||
| Morphology | |||
| Body type | Pisci-centaurian | ||
| Intelligence | |||
| Sentience | Sentient | ||
| Sapience | Sapient | ||
| Ecology | |||
| Habitat | Ocean | ||
| Locomotion | Swimming | ||
| Lifespan | 300 years | ||
| Behind the Scenes | |||
| Universe | The Little Mermaid | ||
| Created by | Hans Christian Andersen | ||
Mermaids and Mermen are a race of sapient, sea-dwelling creatures with the upper body of a human being and a fish-like tail in place of legs. They can live for as much as 300 years, but unlike humans, they don't have an immortal soul, and thus there's no afterlife for them. When they die they simply dissolve into sea foam. The only way they can acquire an immortal soul is by marrying a human being.
Biology[]
It has been stated that mermaids have no tears and are therefore incapable of crying. According to the author, this makes they suffer even more when they get sad.
Culture and society[]
At least one nation of this species is known to exist, governed by the Sea King. It's not known whether there are others.
Mermaids decorate their homes with sea life and objects they retrieve from sunken ships. They also habitually play with and feed the fish in the same way that a surface dweller may play with and feed dogs or birds.
Although they live hidden from humans, the merfolks have the custom to allow their young to surface and observe the world above when they reach 15 years of age. Most mermaids are content to surface only rarely after they reach the appropriate age, as they don't show particular interest for a world where they couldn't live in, even if they wished to. The Little Mermaid was, of course, a notable exception.
Appearances[]
- "The Little Mermaid" (original: "Den lille havfrue"), by Hans Christian Andersen (1837)
Notes[]
- It's not clear if they speak the same language as humans. On the one hand, it's mentioned that the human sailors cannot understand the mermaid songs and usually mistake them for the wind howling. On the other hand, the Little Mermaid, once transformed into a human, has no problem understanding human language.
- The fact that they cannot cry is not present in some adaptations. For instance, in the 1975 anime film, Marina can be clearly seen crying when she rescues the Prince.