#waterpeople

[000mingmak]

Crisp Creek

October 13, 2022

please let the creek take over me. and the weeds.

I want to feel the dewy grass against my bare feet.

I want to step in the puddles of the cold, crisp water of the creek.

I’ll make patterns in the water.

I’ll hold a mirror up to these waves and project them into me.

I want to experience earth. natural. I just want to feel something real in its existence.

I need to feel alive again. I need to be free. I feel I am stuck in this bubble absorbing meaningless media & the things I yearn for. but I just don’t put in the effort to experience them.

I feel time is running out. I need to do this and that because it’s fall, and the leaves of all the trees are red and orange. I just can’t seem to grasp the fact that time is finite. and the leaves will be green again soon. I do love winter, it’s just not the same.

but I want to wear that white dress that’s see-through in the sun. I want to wade in the cold creek. I want to live this life I fantasize. here’s my description:

“a sunny day with the bugs and little critters next to the stream; sunlight streaming thru the trees and a white blouse, jewelry staining your skin green, the air is fresh… the water crisp…”

this is what I need. it would cleanse my body and soul; renewing me. I just need nature to swallow me whole. the flowers to consume me; whilst I become one with the earth. I want to lay down in a forest and fall asleep forever. to never awake.

I believe all my worries would disappear. the plants and vines will engrave their roots into my brain, so I won’t think about anything else at all ever. moss would fasten to my skeleton. I would deteriorate. there would be nothing else left but the crisp creek and dewy grass in it’s existence all by itself in a world not so small as I’d imagined it to be.

-oomingmak

[meeravandaseera]

According to folklore, using an "artificial" mermaid tail is still considered to be part of a true mermaid.

Edited "Sea Weeds" painting by Arthur Prince Spear, public domain, 1927.

If anyone doubts whether they're a "real" mermaid with just a fabric or a silicone tail, (at least I did when I used to swim with one) it actually could be considered to be a true tail of a mermaid if you look at the good ol' folklore!

Take the fin-wives of the Orcadian finfolk from the Orkney Islands. According to Orknejar, some say their tails were part of their body. Anyhow, others related that their fishtails are said to be a garment that only gathered together to form a tail-like end and that covered the entirety of their legs. On land, a fin-maiden's tail skirt would turn into a "beautiful embroidered petticoat".

Of course, remember the selkies who wore their sealskins in the sea and came on land to take them off.

According to the folk-tale "The-maid-of-the-wave", collected by Donald A. Mackenzie in his "Scottish Wonder Tales from Myth and Legend", the Scottish half-grilse (young salmon) mermaid called maid-of-the-wave, maid-of-the-sea or ceasg also had a large, bright salmon skin covering that she discarded ashore and wore only in the sea again. As it's mentioned in the tale, the maidens-of-the-waves also wore sea-blue garments ashore instead of their salmon skins.

The "Penguin Book of Mermaids" shares the lore of the karukayn, a mermaid from the belief of the Gurindji people in the Northern Territory of Australia. Those freshwater-maidens also have fishtails that they can take off and wear again once they go back into the waters.

According to "Water-beings in Shetlandic Folk-Lore, as remembered by Shetlanders in British Columbia" by James Teit, the mar-folk from the Shetland islands also had fish-like coverings for their legs which they discarded in their homes and when they went ashore.

The most common motif is that a mortal steals a waterperson's skin or hat (as found in the Irish merrows) to return back to the water. Without their skin or whatever they need, they cannot go back to the water, obviously. Mar-folk of the Shetland islands could not travel the seas without their fish-like covering, too. The aforementioned water-wife motif is even present in Australia, far away from Europe. In the legend related in the Penguin Book of Mermaids, a karukayn is taken by a man to be his wife as she had her tail smoked off. Like almost all folk-tales of the selkies etc, the karukayn returned back to the water later on.

Bloop, that shell-tacular lore is shrimply as vast as our oceans...

This only included some of the waterpeople who were capable of removing their tails. Obviously, there happen to be more in the sea.

I had originally published this on reddit via r/mermaid: https://www.reddit.com/r/mermaid/comments/1emp4ay/according_to_folklore_using_an_artificial_mermaid/

[meeravandaseera]

This is a neat and succinct list of some waterpeople!

Some information I would like to have in clear waters still:

Cecealia is not directly a waterperson from Native American and Japanese folklore. The term "cecealia" itself got conjured up in the 21st century just to describe people with the lower half of a tentacled Cephalopod like a kraken, squid or octopus. One can consult this blog article for an in-depth explanation: "The Cecaelia: a Modern Twist on Mermaid Myth" - Writing in Margins https://writinginmargins.weebly.com/home/the-cecaelia-a-modern-twist-on-mermaid-myth. Cecealia is more of a label to describe a waterperson, but not very much a specific label or term of a type of folkloric waterfolk like the others are in the list. Some cecealia-like waterfolk of course exists and has folkloric origins. The aforementioned source goes into the Native American folklore. A Nootka tale has a waterperson named Octopus who was said to appear in a human form whose hair can turn into tentacles in anger. We also get introduced to the Haida tale of "The Devil-Fish's Daughter" featuring the devil-fish people who are basically octopuses, yet being able to shapeshift into humans. The devil-fish refer to octopuses, not other beings who bear the same name. It's a transliteration of the Haida term for an octopus: "Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day" - Octopodal Motion http://octopodalmotion.com/Home/ID/50/Happy-Indigenous-Peoples-Day.

Illustration on the left by professor Guillaume Rondelet and on the right by naturalist Pierre Belon, both in the 16th century. Center: an illustration of a squid from 1854. Japetus Steenstrup suggested in 1854 that the sea-monks look like cephalopods. Sea-monks or monk-fish may also resemble cephalopod-people while Scylla's description could also be somewhat cephalopod-like since Homer described her with "twelve long feet".

Another form of the siyokoy included him possessing an octopus-like lower half with long, green tentacles according to "The Mermaid Atlas: Merfolk of the World" by Anna Claybourne on page 29 and "Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore" by Theresa Bane on page 294.

Edited illustration detail by Norbertine Bresslern-Roth for "Andersen’s Märchen" in 1906.

In Japan, the Tako nyūdō 蛸入道 or たこにゅうどうmeaning "octopus priest" is a humanoid octopus who has exactly eight tentacles and the head of an octopus with the face of a bearded, old man. According to the source, they had been reported of in Shimane Prefecture as supposedly attacking boats to grab fishermen and drag them into the sea. My only source for this as of now is: Tako nyūdō - Yokai.com https://yokai.com/takonyuudou/.

There is also the Tako nyōbō 蛸女房 or たこにょうぼうmeaning "octopus wife" who is an octopus who could shapeshift into a mortal, human woman in the folklore in Ishikawa Prefecture. Most of these yokai marry mortal men and seem like regular women, but eventually their aquatic identity is discovered and they return to the sea. The source is: Tako nyōbō - Yokai.com https://yokai.com/takonyoubou/.

It's also not easily said if Sea Mither is a waterperson since according to Walter Traill Dennison in "The Scottish Antiquary: Or, Northern Notes & Queries, vol. 5-6" on pages 70-71, both spirits, Mither o' the Sea and Teran, had never been visible to the mortal eye. While many 21st century illustrations exist of her being a humanoid water-woman, especially due to Sea Mither's literal meaning of "Sea Mother" in oral Orcadian language, it's basically unknown whether she is a part of waterfolk like how we think of them being in some ways at least somewhat humanoid in appearance. Well, it can be said that she is only a water deitiy or spirit who personifies natural phenomena with her behavior, but not very much with her appearance.

Magindara is also a sea-pererate water-maiden from sirena and siyokoy. She is an individual waterperson of her own and not just another name for the Filipino sirena.

:> Thanks for diving into this (If any sources are not viewable anymore please consult any archival site and look it up there!)

🌊 Types of Mermaids 🌊

please be respectful of cultural boundaries when working with mermaids from various cultures and traditions, and be mindful not to intrude.

🌊 Rusalkas - slavic in origin, disturbed spirits of the “unclean dead”, ghosts of women who died violent deaths, with a penchant for drowning young men. they live only in rivers and lakes, and are known to have green hair like aquatic plants, only appearing in the night. 

🌊 Melusina - a mermaid that walks among humans, but returns to their two-tailed form during baths and when they bathe their children. often a water spirit of a nearby lake or river. french origin. 

🌊 Siren - greek mythology. servants and companions of persephone, whom searched for her when she was abducted. they are known to sometimes have the body of a bird, and for their song, which lured sailors to their doom. cannibalism implied folklore. have the power of prophecy. 

🌊 Merrow - irish mermaid. known to have green hair and webbed fingers. particular noted love of music and their red cap, which when stolen, they will live with the thief until they find it, and then return to the water, leaving even a whole family behind. 

🌊 Ben-varrey - from the isle of man, known to bless those that are kind to them with prosperity, gifts, and even the location of treasure. 

🌊 Aicaya -  Caribbean mermaid, humans who become mermaids when they are shunned from their community and go to live in the sea. 

🌊 Amabie - japanese merpeople, with birdlike torsos and three legs and scales. they are gifted with prophecy, usually foretelling abundant harvests or epidemics 

🌊 Ningyo - “human faced fish” known to have golden scales, that brings bad weather and misfortune when caught, but when their flesh is eaten the consumer is granted youth and beauty, even agelessness. 

🌊 Finman / Finwife - magical shapeshifters that disguise themselves as sea creatures or plants to lure humans, unlike most mermaids they kidnap people from the shores to be their spouses or servants. they have a greed for jewelry and coins, particularly silver, and prefer humans over other finfolk. 

🌊 Sirena Chilota - considered the more friendly mermaids, caring for all fish life and rescuing drowned sailors to restore life to them. known for their human-like beauty and youth, according to legend they are the child of a human and a “king of seas”, tears are a powerful substance. from chilote mythology. 

🌊 Cecealia - sometimes known as “sea witches”, they are half human and half octopus. origins in native american and japanese mythology. 

🌊 Sirena / Siyokoy - the philippine version of mermaid and merman respectively. also called “magindara”, they are known to protect the waters from raiders, and protect the boy moon from sea monsters. Siyokoys can sometimes have legs however, covered with scales and webbed feet

🌊 Sea Mither - scottish/orcadian mythology, a spirit that personifies the sea during spring and summer, battles along scottish isles using storms to bring the summer about. a mother figure to all aquatic life. 

🌊 Ceasg - a fresh-water mermaid, specifically half-salmon, said to grant three wishes if captured. sometimes called maighdean na tuinne (maid of the wave) or maighdean mhara (maid of the sea). scottish. 

🌊 Selkie - though somewhat different from the typical mermaid, as they are not cold-blooded, have the body of a seal in the water and are human on land. in legends their skins are often stolen and they are kept by fishermen as spouses, or become lovers to fishermen’s wives who shed tears into the sea.  

[candacehughes123]

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[imnii-illustrations]

Water person with her water pets 🐚🧜🏽‍♀️🐬🐳🌊🐠 :: #aquafarians #waterpeople #digitalart #digitalillustration #digitaldrawing #digitalpainting #Art #Blue #MerMay #mermay2021 #WaterDog #wateranimals #water https://www.instagram.com/p/CO-3rh2FEB6/?igshid=1ru36inocfzky

[meeravandaseera]

Waterpeople are rather omnivorous according to folklore and sightings, but the accounts of them consuming flesh are more frequent. The statement mostly seems to come from a point of view where one got hooked by media that tend to change the previous, darker takes on waterfolk in order to make them more tolerable, yet I am not shore?

"A Very Handsome Mermaid" by Walter Satterlee for "Elfin Land" in 1882.

One of the earliest water-maidens recorded from mythology named Atargatis was said to have been turned into a fish waist-down after plunging into a lake. She represented the Assyrian superstition to refrain from eating fish. Greek poets had primarily reported of her. Certain species of fish were deemed as being sacred to her and such sacred fish could be found in lakes or ponds at temples dedicated to her. Her worshipers were forbidden to eat fish and they believed that if they ate the "sacred flesh", they would get ulcers. Anyhow, it was said that fish could still be offered upon Atargatis despite her devotees being "legally banned" from eating fish. When her devotees prayed to her, they made offerings of fish made of silver or gold, for example. Fish could also get presented upon the deity daily, "attractively prepared and served". Atargatis was said to like to eat the fish herself. What is very finteresting is that the priests of hers would eat the fish themselves subsequently after being offered to Atargatis. Supposedly, it was a "controlled sacred act". According to the third source listed, those fish were mystic meals in which priests and initiates consumed the "forbidden food in the belief that they were absorbing the flesh of the divinity herself". Sources: The Encyclopaedia Britannica: Andros-Austria on page 823 https://books.google.de/books?id=BtgO7ompq40C&pg=PA823&dq=atargatis+forbidden+fish+britannica&hl=de&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj8nL7Vtc-JAxWGBzQIHbpWARAQ6AF6BAgFEAI#v=onepage&q=atargatis%20forbidden%20fish%20britannica&f=false, Religion of the Semites: The Fundamental Institutions by William Smith https://books.google.de/books?id=d8s3DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT225&dq=atargatis+forbidden+fish&hl=de&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwie0paBt8-JAxVDADQIHSbtNjAQ6AF6BAgHEAI#v=onepage&q=atargatis%20forbidden%20fish&f=false and Eat Not This Flesh: Food Avoidances from Prehistory to Present by Frederick J. Simoons on pages 269-270 https://books.google.de/books?id=JwGZTQunH00C&pg=PA270&dq=atargatis+presented+fish+priest&hl=de&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi428XnzNGJAxUDHzQIHSZxLDoQ6AF6BAgFEAI#v=onepage&q=atargatis%20presented%20fish%20priest&f=false

Edited "The Sea Maiden" by Edward Burne-Jones in 1881.

The margygr from Greenland as mentioned in The King's Mirror would wield a fish which she would either eat, throw away or at a ship. If she threw it at a ship, a storm was said to brew, yet otherwise not. Source: The hafstramb and margygr of the King’s Mirror: an analysis by Waldemar H. Lehn and Irmgard I. Shroeder in the Polard Record on pages 121-122.

The Orcadian sea-trows would also steal the fish from the hooks of fishing mortals in order to devour those fish. The second source nicely summarizes the sea-trows as being "Too lazy to catch fish for himself, the Sea Trow would often lie at the bottom of the sea, watching the fishermen's lines. If a fish was caught on the hook, the Trow would unhook the fish, conveying it to his own capacious mouth. Where there was no fish, the Trow would satisfy his hunger by gently removing the bait from the hook. But this was a dangerous prank ; for the Trow was sometimes hooked, and drawn up to the surface". Sources: The Sea Trow - Orkneyjar https://web.archive.org/web/20050204133006/http://www.orkneyjar.com/folklore/strow.htm and Northern Notes and Queries or The Scottish Antiquary on page 180 https://archive.org/details/scottishantiqua05unkngoog/page/n180/mode/2up?view=theater

Another example comes from a sighting in 1812 at Exmouth. Mr. Toupin and his crew heard a strange noise like "the wild melodies of the Aeolian harp combined with a noise similar to that made by a stream of water falling gently on the leaves of a tree" and sighted a seal-like mermaid. One of the boatmen threw a piece of boiled fish at it which he had previously stored in his locker. "This seemed to alarm the animal, though it soon recovered from its fears, for we presently observed it to lay hold of the fish, which it ate with apparent relish". Sources: Mr. Toupin's Mermaid - Wayland Wordsmith https://waylandwordsmith.blogspot.com/2010/01/mr-toupins-mermaid.html and Mermaid at Exmouth eats Boiled Fish - Beachcominb's Bizarre History Blog https://www.strangehistory.net/2011/09/29/mermaid-at-exmouth-eats-boiled-fish/

Some waterpeople also eat goods similar to ours.

"A la Recherche du Temps" by Charles Amable Lenoir (1860-1926). I am aware that she is holding a book, but it looks like a square-shaped cheese to me.

The diet of the Basque laminak primarily consisted of dairy meals. Many tended to drink milk. They liked curd, cheese, and cuajada, which was a set yogurt made from the milk of sheep. Others ate meat including bacon, ham, and salt pork. Some even ate leftovers such as those from fats meanwhile some even consumed grease. Laminak also ate leftovers from stew and flour. Others ate bread and some drank cider even. Sources: Alimentos - Lamia - Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia 1981 version https://aunamendi.eusko-ikaskuntza.eus/es/lamia/ar-84676-151286/be-1/, Lamia - Hiru https://www.hiru.eus/es/cultura-vasca/lamia, Basque Gender Studies | Margaret Bullen - Academia.edu on pages 145-148 https://www.academia.edu/3357561/Basque_Gender_Studies, They Shimmer Within: Cognitive-Evolutionary Perspectives on Visionary Beings by Bruce Rimell on pages 45-46 https://books.google.de/books?id=DelHDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA46&dq=lamia+basque&hl=de&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiBs66Y_-SDAxUExQIHHXnfDVMQ6AF6BAgEEAI#v=onepage&q=lamia%20basque&f=false, Selected Writings of José Miguel de Barandiarán: Basque Prehistory and Ethnography - Center for Basque Studies on page 128 https://web.archive.org/web/20221006235412/https://scholarworks.unr.edu/handle/11714/750 and Second Edition: Basque Legends by Wentworth Webster - Project Gutenberg on pages 55-57 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/34902/34902-h/34902-h.htm#ch4.3

The Orcadian finfolk were said to extract milk from whales which they herded in their aquatic winter hibernation realm beneath the ocean waves called the Finfolkaheem. Anyhow, they had also been described as being sea predators. Finfolk, "mounted on their aquatic steeds, would often hunt the animals of the sea using otters in place of dogs". Source: Finfolkaheem - Orkneyjar https://web.archive.org/web/20080827100804/http://www.orkneyjar.com/folklore/finfolk/heem.htm

Waterfolk could still be people-eaters. The further descriptions may be somewhat disturbing.

Murdúchanns from Irish folklore were said to swim about in the Ictian Sea, present-day English Channel, and sing siren-like songs to lull their mortal victims into a slumber in order to make them fall off their vessel and devour them. Roth Mac Cithang, the prince of the strong and legendary Fomorians who had once invaded Ireland, was one of their victims. He heard their song and they feasted on him as soon as he lost his consciousness. They would separate his body by his joints. It was said that one of his enormous thigh bones had supposedly washed up at the town of Waterford. It was so large that "the drink of a hundred men would fit in the hollow of the bone" as mentioned in the first source. This is horrific that even mighty, feared mortals could get defeated by such dangerous waterfolk. Waterford is therefore also referred to as "Port Láirge" in the Irish language, meaning "The Port of the Thigh". Sources: Mermaids, Merrows, and Selkies - Unreal Podcast https://unrealpodcast.com/mermaids-merrows-and-selkies-podcast-script/, Revue Celtique on pages 433-434 https://books.google.de/books?id=BVM7AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA432&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=thigh&f=false

"La Sirena" by Freiherrn von Habermann (1849-1829).

The English freshwater-maidens such as Peg Powler and Jenny Greenteeth had been said to drown mortal victims in their freshwaters to devour them. They possessed a strong thirst for mortal humans. Source: Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and Victorian Consciousness by Carole G. Silver on pages 155-156 https://books.google.de/books?id=SRtREAAAQBAJ&pg=PT171&dq=jenny+greenteeth+devour&hl=de&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjNwsfjh9KJAxV3wAIHHXitO-AQ6AF6BAgNEAI#v=onepage&q=jenny%20greenteeth%20devour&f=false

Yannig an Od of Breton folklore was a little sea-man lurking at the shores of the Breton coast, calling out like a seabird three times. If one did not hide upon his third call, he would eat his victim. Source: The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore by Patricia Morgan on page 476 https://books.google.de/books?id=nd9R6GQBB_0C&pg=PA476&dq=yannig+folklore&hl=de&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjx_srBotKJAxWs4QIHHWIwETgQ6AF6BAgEEAI#v=onepage&q=yannig%20folklore&f=false

Last but not least, the waterhorse-people like the Scottish kelpies who could shapeshift into humanoid forms commonly ate mortal victims. For instance, the kelpie would lure their victim to drown with its humanoid or equine form to devour one except for one's heart and liver, yet this depends and many versions exist. Basic resource: Monster Monday: Kelpie - Write Wrote Written https://writewrotewritten.wordpress.com/2014/03/31/monster-monday-kelpie/

(If any source is not able to be viewed, try to consult an archival site)

Thanks for diving into this :>

"Ohhh, mermaids don't eat fish because that's cannibalism!!1! Fish are friends not food 💕💕💕 All mermaids are vegetarian ✨🩵✨🩵"

[spearfishing-freediving-world]

Reposted from @vitadasirena (@get_regrann) - She had a galaxy in her eyes... A universe in her mind 🌠 Shot by @suahuatica 📸 for @cressimalta 💦 . . . . . #portraits #galaxy #universe #divemask #mask #cressi #cressi1946 #cressisub #bestfreedivegear #paradisebay #brunettegirls #padifreediver #waterpeople #pixelart #pixel #underwaterselfie #underwaterphotographygraphy #eyecontact #sonyimages #photoshoot #photographylover #lookatme #insta_daily #insta_love #insta_art #insta_fun #portraitphotography #portrait_vision https://www.instagram.com/p/B2-ButAFuM7/?igshid=1wd3fdpkmghuf

[meeravandaseera]

Similarities of Folklore in H2O: Just Add Water

Previously I did a post on Cleo's bathtub transformation and how it's a previous motif in some legends. I now want to dive into the rest of the folklore that can be fished out of the show. Many parallels are not directly the same, but still share some interesting origins. First, let's look at the powers.

Edited and cropped "Sous la Vague" or "Les Baigneuses" by Nicolas Auguste Laurens in 1898.

1: Cleo's hydrokinesis can be found in many waterpeople. Almost all humanoid water deities across the world are able to bend water to some extent, many of would would be countless to name in one post. For instance, Poseidon/Neptune was said to be able to control the seas. Triton could calm and raise the waves of the sea with the blow of his conch shell. Aside from water deities themselves, other waterpeople were able to control water. According to "Scaled for Success: The Internationalisation of the Mermaid" on page 108, the Filipino sirenas were said to be able to control water "by manipulating water levels and/or create whirlpools to swamp their prey". According to "Mermaids: The Myths, Legends, and Lore" on page 180, the Filipino kataws control the waters around the Philippine Islands, namely its "tides, currents" and even the "movements of the aquatic creatures". The Asturian xanas were in charge of keeping rivers and fountains calm according to: Mitología Asturiana - Marsellaviana on Freehostia under the llavanderes or washerwomen entry http://marsellaviana.freehostia.com/mitologiaasturiana/seresmitologicos.html

One xana in particular was able to flood as she supposedly flooded the town of Gayangos and created an entire lagoon and the lakes in the area according to: La leyenda de la Xana de Gayangos - La Cantabria Burgalesa https://lacantabriaburgalesa.wordpress.com/2016/12/03/la-leyenda-de-la-xana-de-gayangos/

Asturian llavanderes, basically mythical washerwomen, were able to summon floods and create whirlpools according to the aforementioned Marsellaviana site.

Another mermaid is the seewief or seewiefken of German folklore in Minsen. She once got caught in the net of some fishermen and got tormented, yet she eventually escaped. In revenge, she cast a curse and created storm floods in the years of 1164, 1362, 1717 and 1962 that hit Minsen. This is told according to: The Minsen Mermaid Statue - a Seewief from the Middle Ages https://mermaidsofearth.com/mermaid-statues-mermaid-sculptures/public/minsen-mermaid-statue-seewief/ (This sourced some other sites, but they are gone), Die Sage from Minsener Seewiefken - NAKUK https://www.nakuk.de/wiki/seewiefken/, Seewiefken - Wangerland https://www.wangerland.de/poi/seewiefken and Das Minsener Seewiefken Vom Fluch der Meerjungfrau - NWZ Online https://www.nwzonline.de/kultur/minsen-das-minsener-seewiefken-vom-fluch-einer-meerjungfrau_a_50,6,796560382.html

Yet another is the zeemermann of the Saeftinghe legend in the Netherlands. A zeemermin once got caught by a fisherman who refused to let her go. Her husband swam after the boat, yet to no avail. He cursed Saeftinghe and flooded the land. It was said that only Saeftinghe's towers would remain. Now, the land, it's called the drowned land of Saeftinghe. This is told according to "The Mermaid Atlas - Merfolk of the World" by Anna Claybourne on page 31 and Wandelen in het verdronken land van Seaftinghe - JNM https://jnm.be/nl/activiteiten/wandelen-in-het-verdronken-land-van-seaftinghe

~~~

2: Rikki's fire power: Waterpeople can be associated with fire, the sun or warmth despite inhabiting the water. (Added note: Originally, I did not acknowledge that). In Thai folklore exists the so-called Phi thale ผีทะเล sea spirit who is able to appear as a mermaid or a beautiful woman who can lure sailors to their demise. Sometimes a Phi Thale takes form as a St. Elmo's fire, basically a weather phenomenon caused by electrical discharges during thunderstorms. It seems to appear like faint luminosity or "fire" and in context of the Phi Thale it might, for example, take place on a ship's mast as shown on the illustration, but one is not absolutely shore. St. Elmo's fire also appears in many other forms like on church towers. Phi Thale description is from: What is a Phi Thale (ผีทะเล)? - PAHUYUTH https://pahuyuth.com/en/glossar/phi-thale/ and information on the Saint Elmo's Fire - Britannica https://www.britannica.com/science/Saint-Elmos-fire

Illustration from "The Aerial World" by Dr. G. Hartwig in 1886 on page 310.

Sulis is a Celtic water goddess from the United Kingdom who is still associated with the sun and is thus both a water and solar deity. She was also associated with the hot springs in Bath according to Sulis, Goddess of Celtic Mythology | Characteristics & Depictions - Study. com https://study.com/academy/lesson/sulis-celtic-goddess-mythology-history.html?srsltid=AfmBOopQslCH2QEArMfaq5VE7QDgXuMQS3z55jnppUGbVGlpA3E7ldu2.

The lakes of the Catalan freshwater-maidens called the dones d'aigua were said to boil if a stranger would dive into them, yet this is only said on Wikipedia without a source and until I do not have found any good source for this, please do not claim it as fact.

The Portuguese water-maiden Maria da Manta meaning "Mary of the Blanket", Maria Gancha namely "Mary Hook", Maria Ganta meaning "Mary of the Grid" or as in the Miranese language, Mariamanta, was said to live in wells. While her appearance varied a lot, some would say she possessed eyes made of fire despite living in the waters of wells according to: Maria Gancha - Portuguese Creatures and Legends Galore https://portuguesecreaturesandlegendsgalore.wordpress.com/2020/02/14/maria-gancha/

 Illustration for "Las Supersticiones De La Humanidad" by Jose Coroleu in 1881.

Melusine from French folklore is sometimes said to grow wings when she flies away in the legend and therefore is sometimes considered to be a literal dragon-maiden either with one or two fishtails and sometimes only with a serpent tail depending on the version. She is both considered a watermaid and a dragon-maid in different versions because of that.

Illustration from "Le Roman de Mélusine" in ca. 1450-1500.

An enchanted xana could also turn into a cuélebre, namely a snake-like dragon, in order to be disenchanted. Her savior must perform some tasks so that she would be able to be free from her spell, turn back into a xana or a normal human being and be freed from being bound to her lair. This disenchantment is really complex and one can find a wide sea of different methods. One source of mine is: Some thoughts on Asturian Mythology - David A. Wacks https://davidwacks.uoregon.edu/2014/12/12/asturian/. In spite of that, both of these dragon-turned watermaids didn't emit fire from their mouths. I still included them because it shares a little of the fire aspect due to their dragon forms.

~~~

3: Emma's ice power: Plenty of waterpeople live in colder waters, but do not possess the power to manipulate water and turn it into ice. The only mention one ever heard of are the Filipino kataws who can also turn water into ice according to this Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kataw_(Philippine_mythology) that sourced "Mga Engkanto: A Bestiary of Filipino Fairies. Philippines: eLf ideas Publication. 2003". It's probably a privately published book as I can only find a Blogspot post about its concept idea. Would like to confirm the source, but as of now one does not have the book.

~~~

"The Last of the Fairies" by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite (1888-1960)

4: Simply the moon or the full moon: Waterfolk has a relationship to the full moon. There is no moon pool or a direct moon spell affecting waterfolk, yet Catalan dones d'aigua tended to only show up on full moon nights where they would come out of their caves to dance, to comb their hair and to wash their laundry. Some would only sing on full or new moon nights, maybe they got spell-bound by the moon? Who knows. This is told according to: Les dones d'aigua - Elisenda Vilaró Móra http://www.elisendavilaromora.com/2012/03/les-dones-daigua/, Llegendes del riu i les done's d'aigua - Turisme Les Planes D'Hostoles https://turismelesplanes.cat/localitzacions/el-riu-i-les-dones-daigua/, Llegendes: Dona D'Aigua - Generalitat de Catalunya Departament d'Educació https://agora.xtec.cat/ceipcamins/4t/llegendes-dona-daigua/, Llegenda de les Dones d'Aigua - Mapes de Patrimoni Cultural https://patrimonicultural.diba.cat/element/llegenda-de-les-dones-daigua, Les dones d'aigua en la tradició popular - Mitologia Catalana Blogspot https://mitologiacatalans.blogspot.com/2016/09/les-dones-daigua-en-la-tradicio-popular_23.html and Mitologia Catalana - Isaac Baley https://www.isaacbaley.com/mitologia-catalana.html

One xana was said to be only present on full moon nights, dancing in the forest. This is said according to: La leyenda de La Xana: una historia de amor en Asturias - Crónica Asturias https://cronicaasturias.es/blog/la-leyenda-de-la-xana-una-historia-de-amor-en-asturias

Atargatis is one of the earliest waterfolk deities aside from the kullulû of Mesopotamia. She's an Assyrian fertility and mermaid goddess, yet was also described to be a moon goddess according to "Mermaids: The Myths, Legends, and Lore" on page 78.

The selkies were also said to go ashore on full moon-lit nights to shed their sealskins and dance at the seaside.

~~~

Illustration by Hugh Thomson for "Highways and Byways in Devon and Cornwall" in 1897.

5: The granting wishes ability from episode 5 "Hocus Pocus" on season 2: In the Cornish legend of Lutey Curry and the merry-maid, the merry-maid was said to have given Lutey three wishes as he had helped her go back into the water from being beached ashore. He wished for the power to heal the sick, the power to "defuse wicked spells" and to have his powers passed on after his death according to "Mermaids: The Myths, Legends, and Lore" on page 102 and Curses, Vengeance, and Fishtails: The Cornish Mermaid in Perspective https://www.academia.edu/31865439/Curses_Vengeance_and_Fishtails_The_Cornish_Mermaid_in_Perspective

The Scottish ceasg or maid-of-the-wave was also said to grant one three wishes if one caught her and then released her again according to #FolkloreThursday: The Ceasg - Steampunklibrarian Blog https://steampunklibrarian.blog/2021/09/30/folklorethursday-the-ceasg/ and Gaelic Folklore (5): Ceasg - Nicovleeuwen https://nicovleeuwen.blogspot.com/2019/06/gaelic-folklore-5-ceasg_7.html

~~~

6: The shapeshifting from mermaid to human is something prevalent in folklore, but not at the simple touch of a water drop. Instead, primarily only if the lower half is fully submerged, basically when fully going into a water body. Most waterfolk only have a fishtail that they can discard and wear later on again like a piece of clothing, but some do fully shapeshift like the mermaids of the show do. According to "Mermaids: The Myths, Legends and Lore" on page 181, the fishtailed yawkyawks from the mythology of the Kuninjku people in Australia could go ashore and "sprout legs and seem to be wholly human".

~~~

Edited “Unter-Wasser-Philosophie” by Erich Schütz for Mocca in 1934. Yawkyawks were said to have green hair resembling green algae in freshwater streams and rock pools, called man-bak in Kuninjku according to Yawkyawk (Ngalkunburriyaymi) - Maningrida Arts and Culture https://maningrida.com/artwork/683-23/.

As the show is set in Australia, the waterfolk of Australia is another part to consider. Here's a list of the Indigenous Australian watermaid ones. I won't skim through the entirety of their lore due to the fact that there are barely any parallels between them and the show, aside from the yawkyawks who could shapeshift into humans:

< Yawkyawks (other terms: ngalkunburriyaymi, ngalberddjenj (both possibly from the Kuninjku people) ngalworreworre (Wugularr community) from the book "Mermaid and Serpent - A Story from Wugularr Community", and ngalkodjek (Darnkolo people) as from: Owen Yalandja: Ngalkodjek Yawkyawk 2019 - ARTKELCH - Contemporary Aboriginal Art https://www.artkelch.de/en/artists/owen_yalandja_216/works/ngalkodjek_yawkyawk_1827

< The pearl-givers or the mermaids of the Keppel Islands of the Woppaburra people are found in "Among the Mermaids: Facts, Myths, and Enchantments from the Sirens of the Sea" on pages 98-99.

< The Ji-merdiwa from the Burarra people near the Blyth river can be found on: Mermaids tales appear in myths across the world- Arnhem Land included by Anna Whitfeld - ABC News https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-11/mermaids-across-the-world-arnhem-land/9846210

< Wíwa spirits (mermaid spirits) from the Kunibídji people and Djómi and Bábbarra, and the other successor Djómi spirits: Our Bedtime Stories Episode 8: Djómi (Mermaid Story) - ICTV Play https://ictv.com.au/video/item/5508?lp=1, Djomi ( Fresh Water Spirit) Bábbarra Women's Centre https://babbarra.com/design/djomi/

< The karukayn of the Gurindji people as told in “The Penguin Book of Mermaids” on pages 224-225

< and the Muli Kanybubi from the Marri Ngarr Yek Dirrangara people as told in “Muli Kanybubi Tjitjuk Kawuny Na Yagatiya - The Two Mermaids’ Dreaming Place”. 

More resources on the Indigenous Australian watermaids: Mermaids in Folklore & Australian Indigenous Culture - troublemag https://www.troublemag.com/mermaids-in-folklore-australian-indigenous-culture/ and H2O: Just Add Water and myth of mermaids in Australia - Anglophone Literatures Blog https://blogs.phil.hhu.de/anglophoneliteratures/2022/04/04/h2o-just-add-water-and-myth-of-mermaids-in-australia/ 

Whether intentional or not, the lore is pretty deep.

(If any sources are not able to be viewed, consult an archival site)

Re-published and re-polished from the edited original entry on reddit via r/JustAddWater: https://www.reddit.com/r/JustAddWater/comments/1f934vx/similarities_of_folklore_in_the_show/

In the original entry, I had wanted to include these depictions that can be seen here, but it got removed. I am not shore what the culprit was, but it may have been the second or latter depiction of Melusine as I did not edit it back then since I thought it would be tolerated because no chest was directly visible. On the un-edited version of the depiction, her chest was already obscured by a light spot that looks like as if the paper had been ripped.

[abrooklynskystreet]

#headshots #heads #waterpeople #cambodia_shots #travel #natgeo_lovers #natgeo #condenast @joebiden @condenast @condenasttraveller #travelss #RogerBatchelorPhotography.com https://www.instagram.com/p/B2IQNDmhlaS/?igshid=1wmbpx4cd9yn

[meeravandaseera]

Cannot splash the waters enough on how much this blog has been so helpful and important to me! It introduced me to many waterpeople I had not known about. Not only that, but it also cites so many swell sources which are crucial for such research! Some of my favorite examples are the waterduivel, yannig, nodumkanwet, wanagameswak, etc. It's almost like a sacred compiled work for such more obscure waterfolk, to be honest.

I am very and utterly grateful!

Caboclo d’Água [Brazilian folktales]

When indigenous tribespeople go fishing in the São Francisco river, they often paint angry or scary faces on the underside of their boats. This practice is meant to scare away the Caboclo d’Água, a malevolent merman-like creature that – according to local folklore – resides in said river. Described as a violent and capricious being, this monster enjoys chasing away all the fish when fishermen try to catch something. It has even been known to attack and capsize boats, and sometimes it attacks and drowns people.

The Caboclo d’Água lives in a cavern somewhere at the bottom of the river. Here, it guards a large pile of gold. Sometimes people try to find his treasure, but none of them ever return.

The creature is generally described as humanoid, with four limbs. His skin is hard and leathery, and is usually said to be brown. Usually, it is portrayed with webbed hands for swimming. A lot of artists give him a fish-like face, fins or other fishy characteristics.

Source: multirio.rj.gov.br/index.php/interaja/multiclube/9a11/diz-a-lenda/13062-caboclo-d-água Sources on Brazilian folktales are hard to come by. There are several blogs on the subject, like ricfoganholo.blogspot.com, but I don’t know how accurate these are. (image source 1: Bruno Feltran on Artstation) (image source 2: J. Prenhacca Juneru on Artstation)

[jonnycald]

Vamos a probar esta agua a ver qué tal, dicen dicen que te da mucho flou !!! Que no @jucaviapri #waterpeople (en Cancún, Quintana Roo) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQUZbyyJXUK/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sailingsvmutiny]

Saying WHAT??!!⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ #waterworld #aroundtheworld #travel #waterplanet #ocean #sea #waterpeople #diving #floating #freedom ⠀ #pirates #alternative #lifestyle #selfsustainable #sailors #sailboat #sailcouple #cattain #sailorcat #blackcat #catsofinstagram #metalheads #sailorcouple #mutineers #sailorcat #liveaboards #sailboat #sailinstagram #sailing #boatlife (at Pálairos, Aitolia Kai Akarnania, Greece) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNEoDKmA7W6/?igshid=1or2s3lx3uvmu

[fayeruz]

Life is good. ✨🌅✨ #sunsetsofinstagram #oldfriends #waterpeople #obx (at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKt8RTzF8En/?igshid=16nil0x3rvgmq

[meeravandaseera]

This blog shares some decent, but primarily more well-known waterfolk lore and tends to have somewhat good sources.

Anyhow, regarding this Lorelei, it's quite a misconception that Lorelei is an authentic myth or legend related through the oral tradition of the past. She is more likely better described as a literary waterperson. In German, she would be regarded as a "Kunstmärchen", meaning an art fairy tale in contrast to a "Volksmärchen", namely a folk fairy tale. What this means is that she is not a myth originating in oral tradition, but rather in the mind of an author. Clemens Brentano firstly created the Lore Lay as a romantic, fictional character. The poet Heine Heinrich was the one who first mentioned her in a way we know of today with her being a siren-like freshwater-maiden. All previous legends from the Middle Ages regarding the Lorelei stone's mysterious echoes were just about dwarfs or forest/mountain-nymphs, but no waterperson or Lorelei directly.

Of course, Lorelei is still part of German folklore. How some could regard her as "fakelore" can be applicable to some extent since many misinterpret her as being part of supposedly authentic oral tradition where the author is always anonymous, namely where one cannot know for shore from which person the legend originated. However, she contributes to our history and lore of our folk, just the way she tends to be described in many sources is not very grounded in the best accuracy. Literary waterpeople like Lorelei are still part of more modern folklore in 20th and 21st centuries, but not of the more traditional, anonymous oral relations. She is still part of folklore, but with literary origins.

Here is a swell source: The Legend of Loreley - Regional Geschichte https://www.regionalgeschichte.net/bibliothek/aufsaetze/kober-katrin/kober-the-legend-of-loreley.html?L=1. This helps to explain the literary origins of Lorelei in-depth and also goes into the previous legends regarding her stone.

Thank you for diving into this! :> (If any sources are not able to be viewed, please consult an archival site!)

Lorelei

Lorelei, the German legend of a beautiful maiden who decided to throw herself into the Rhne River over a lover who was cheating on her. She was afterwards transformed into a siren who lured fishermen. The name Lorelei comes from an old German and celtic word that means murmuring rock. It is said that her voice can be heard bouncing off the rocks, and the lovely sound of her voice and her beauty are known to cause sailors to have accidents. 

http://mermaidsofearth.com/mermaid-statues-mermaid-sculptures/public/the-lorelei-statue/

https://www.oq.com.au/loreleimyth/

PC: Helen Stratton (1915) 

[skratc]

FIT Monólogos

International Online Festival of Latin Theater. Actor’s powerful force to move people. July 24-31, 2020 https://waterpeople.org #fitmonologos #waterpeople

To purchase tickets

https://waterpeople.org/box-office/

* $3 per monologue

* All Access pass $30

* Humanitarian All Access pass $40

Opening Night Friday July 24, 2020 6 pm CDT / 7 pm. EDT

FIT MONÓLOGOS CEREMONIA DE INAUGURACIÓN

Closing Night Friday, July 31, 2020 6pm CDT / 7pm EDT

CEREMONIA DE PREMIACIÓN

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Friday 24, 7pm CDT/ 8pm EDT

ME LLAMAN LA LUPE, Samantha Castillo,

MEXICO

Saturday 25, 1pm CDT / 2pm EDT

LA PAVA MACHA, Abilio Torres, VENEZUELA

Saturday 25, 7pm CDT / 8pm EDT

AL DIABLO CON JENNIFER, Kathy Peralta, CHILE

Sunday 26, 1pm CDT / 2pm EDT

LOS NIÑOS PERDIDOS, Sandra Gumuzzio, UNITED STATES

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Sunday 26, 7pm CDT / 8pm EDT

DE: CIRCE, Mónica Quintero, UNITED STATES

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Monday 27, 1pm CDT / 2pm EDT

LOS LOBOS, Martín Brassesco, SPAIN

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Monday 27, 7pm CDT / 8pm EDT

LA SEÑORA IMBER, Julie Restifo, VENEZUELA

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Tuesday 28, 7pm CDT / 8pm

MÁQUINA HAMLET, Gabriel Agüero, MEXICO

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Wednesday 29, 7pm CDT / 8pm EDT

GREGORY CANAL DE FE, Sócrates Serrano,

VENEZUELA

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Thursday 30, 7pm CDT / 8pm EDT

EL ENANO, Clara Inés Ariza Monedero, COLOMBIA

https://waterpeople.org/product/el-enano/

[bochosblog]

#WHO #waterpeople #iamchocolate #unitednationsgenéve https://www.instagram.com/p/BzdAowbn7OD/?igshid=hizz9jy70ug4