"Since once I sat upon a promontory,
And heard a mermaid on a dolphin's back,
Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath,
That the rude sea grew civil at her song,
And certain stars shot madly from their spheres,
To hear the sea-maid's music."

Source: A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

Mermaids, and Mermen for that matter, are (or should be) known by everyone whose fantasy had been successfully integrated into the world of fairy tales as a child. The mermaid - a creature known to be part woman and part fish, is said to have a blissful voice but no soul. What she must do in order to obtain one is to marry a human who truly loves her.

The earliest descriptions of the mermaid date as far back as the 8th century B.C.

Mermaid has become a part of fun and fantasy in our world today and isn't valued as a very true and important piece of culture and history (maybe even of the present! Who knows?).

I was absolutely fascinated as a small child, yes even addicted to the thought of mermaids and the absolute secrecy that lies behind this being. They are in my mind another very real race of humans, sharing with us and inhabiting the other dominant, natural element on this earth - water - the seas and the oceans.

To the character of mermaids it would only be fair to say that their colourful personalities vary as they do in our societies. I say this because there are so many stories, myths and legends reflecting either the cruelty and malice of the mermaid - luring fishermen with her song and then leaving them to their doom, or her want and weakness for romance with a human. This is why it would be folly for us to try and put an entire race under one description or another! Unlike the unicorn or other fantastic creatures one can't say exactly what the mermaid represents or symbolises, so why not paint your own picture and let every fibre of your imagination live?!?! I say this... enjoy the mystery and set it free!

If you would like to see more of my images of mermaids then please click on the "Image Gallery" link in the navbar.