Mermaids in popular culture

People dress in mermaid costumes for events such as parades.

Mermaids, like many other creatures of mythology and folklore, are regularly depicted in literature, film, music, and beauty.

Literature

An illustration from a 1913 reprinting of Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale The Little Mermaid
The cover of Yevgeny Zamyatin's 1913 Russian-language novel A Provincial Tale
The March 1949 issue of Fantastic Adventures features the story "The Mermaid of Maracot Deep".
Several stories in Andrew Lang's Fairy Books feature mermaids.


Literary WorkYearAuthorNotes
Aquamarine2001Alice HoffmanTwo 13-year-old girls befriend a sassy teenage mermaid looking for love. It was adapted into the 2006 film of the same name by Twentieth Century Fox, and starring Sara Paxton, Emma Roberts and JoJo.
Deep Trouble1994R. L. StineThe 19th book in the Goosebumps series. A boy named Billy Deep finds a mermaid.
The Chronicles of Narnia:1950–1956C. S. LewisIn The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first book published in The Chronicles of Narnia series, mermaids sing at the coronation of the Pevensie children. In Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third book of the series, Lucy Pevensie sees a group of mermaids and bonds silently with a young mermaid girl.
Emily Windsnap series2003–2009Liz KesslerIllustrated by Sarah Gibb. A middle-grade book series about a twelve-year-old girl who learns she has mermaid heritage. She goes on to have underwater adventures with her mermaid best friend Shona.
Everworld series1999–2001K. A. ApplegateMer-people live underwater in the Roman version of Atlantis.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them2001J. K. RowlingA fictional text book about the magical creatures in the Harry Potter world, including mermaids. They are described as in three different species: sirens, selkies and merrows. Similar to other humanoid magical creatures in this universe, they do not wield or understand magic themselves. They appear in the fourth and sixth books of the series.
The Forbidden Sea2010Shiela A. NielsonA girl, living on Windwaithe Island, tries to protect her sister from a mermaid that is living in the surrounding waters. Followed by Shadow in the Sea (2015).
Forgive My Fins2010Tera Lynn ChildsBook 1 of the Fins YA series. A teen girl discovers she's a half-mermaid princess.
The Goblin Tower1968L. Sprague de CampA human king falls in love with a mermaid. The story goes into hilarious detail about the couple's difficult efforts to physically consummate their love, which nearly ends in disaster (he nearly drowns in trying to have sex underwater, and she is nearly killed by his bodyguards in revenge). In the end, the king marries a human woman, though keeping a platonic friendship with the mermaid.
The History of Middle-earth: The Book of Lost Tales, Part I1983J. R. R. TolkienEdited by Christopher Tolkien. Mermaids make an appearance.
The Ingo Series2005–2012Helen DunmoreSet in Cornwall, the main characters Sapphire and Conor discover the world of Ingo. Their mer friends Faro and Elvira teach them how to breathe underwater.
Keeper2010Kathi AppeltA young girl searches for her mermaid mother, Meggie Marie.
The Last Mermaid2010Brendan ConnellA short story in the collection Unpleasant Tales. It relates how the last mermaid in existence was brought to the table of Carlos II of Spain.[1]
The Little Mermaid1837Hans Christian AndersenAndersen's portrayal has arguably become the standard and has influenced most modern Western depictions of mermaids since it was published. It has been adapted into various media, the most famous of which is the 1989 Disney movie of the same name.
Lost Voices2011Sarah PorterThe first in a trilogy about abused girls who become mermaids due to a traumatic event, who sing ships to their doom.
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock1915T. S. EliotIt uses the metaphor of mermaids to emphasize Prufock's plight: "I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. / I do not think that they will sing to me."
Mele the Mermaid2014Justin Alexander Cecil (originally published under the name J.A. Cecil)A mermaid refuses to kill humans like her other fellow mermaids, and is thus turned into a human herself.
The Merman's Children1979Poul AndersonA prince and princess journey in search of treasure and encounter the Great Selkie of Sule Skerry.[2]
Mermaid2011Carolyn TurgeonA novel that retells The Little Mermaid fairy tale as a love triangle between the mermaid, the human princess, and the prince.
The Mermaid's Mirror2010L.K. MadiganA surfer girl discovers a mermaid.
Mermaids of Eriana Kwai2014–2017Tiana WarnerA teenage girl who is sent to battle a population of hostile mermaids that's driving her people into poverty.
The Mermaid Summer1988Mollie HunterEric Anderson must leave his island home when he incurs the wrath of a mermaid by slighting her. He can never return unless his grandchildren Jon and Anna confront and tame the mermaid.
Moby-Dick1851AuthorIn Chapter 126, "The Life-Buoy", the crew of the Pequod hear human-like cries in the night. Superstitious crewmen believe they are the sounds of mermaids or ghosts, which signify a bad omen. Captain Ahab scoffs at this, saying they have merely passed a seal colony in the night. His explanation does little to calm their nerves and the next day a crewman falls to his death from the masthead.
The Moon and the Sun1997Vonda N. McIntyreYves and Marie-Josephe de la Croix are siblings and natural scientists who capture and bring a mermaid to the court of Louis XIV.
Real Mermaids Series2010–2013Helene BoudreauA teen girl of partial mer-person heritage deals with both human and mermaid problems.
The Scarecrow of Oz1915L. Frank BaumThe main characters are rescued from danger by the mermaids.
The Sea Fairies1911L. Frank BaumA novel about merfolk.
The Search for Delicious1969Natalie Zane BabbittA mermaid child named Ardis helps a fairboy save his kingdom.
Sereia de Curitiba2007Rhys HughesA series of connected stories relate the adventures of a mermaid in a variety of locations, including Brazil, Madeira, Wales, and the moon, where she meets a species of mermaid with the heads of fish and lower bodies of humans who surf the dry lunar seas on motorized skateboards.
The Shadow Over Innsmouth1936H. P. LovecraftIn the novella ther is a grim variant of merfolk lore via The Deep Ones. Man-fish creatures are subservient to their patron gods Father Dagon and Mother Hydra. They have an affinity for intermarrying with humans and promoting the worship of The Old Ones.
Sirena1998Donna Jo NapoliA siren falls in love with a shipwrecked sailor, but is unsure if he loves her or her magical singing. Although Sirens of Greek mythology are typically described as being part woman, part bird. However, this book re-imagines them as mermaids.
The Sisters Grimm2005–2012Michael BuckleyIllustrated by Peter Ferguson. It feature many characters from fantasy and fairy tales, including the Little Mermaid.
The Spiderwick Chronicles2003–2009Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly BlackThe sereis features merfolk and other water creatures like kelpies, nixies and sea serpents.
Waterfire Saga2014–2016Jennifer DonnellyA four book series (Deep Blue, Rogue Wave, Dark Tide and Sea Spell) about six mermaid heroines who battle to save their hidden world.
Wet Magic1913E. NesbitFour children hear that a mermaid has been captured by a circus and rescue her. Their reward is to visit the hidden kingdom of the mermaids.

Comic books

  • 07-Ghost - The mermaid Lazette sings and plays an organ in a church. She can shapeshift her face into that of other people. If people eat her scales it allows them to breathe underwater.
  • Aion - This manga has several mermaids. One of them is named Sheila, The youngest of the mermaids. She falls in love with the main character, Tatsuya.
  • Akazukin Chacha - In this manga, a mermaid named Marin falls in love with Riiya. She can change into a human when her tail dries out.
  • Arabelle the Last Mermaid by Jean Ache appeared as a comic strip in the daily French newspaper France-Soir between 1950 and 1962. The character returned in various magazines until 1972. Arabelle is discovered by an American plastic surgeon on a Mediterranean island. The surgeon gives her human legs, but she retains her ability to breathe underwater. With her companion, a reformed burglar, Arabelle becomes involved in a series of light, romantic adventures.
  • In the manga Black Cat, one of the main characters, Eve, uses nanomachines to give herself transformation abilities, and once she transforms into a mermaid.
  • Dragon Ball - In chapter 25, "A Rival Arrives!!", Master Roshi asks Goku to bring him a pretty girl, and if he did, he would train him. Goku finds a mermaid and Master Roshi tries to hit on her. She just slaps him and jumps back into the ocean.
  • In the manga/anime Fairy Tail, the main female protagonist, Lucy Heartfilia, uses celestial spirits, one of which is a mermaid called Aquarius. Also, another character, Lisanna Strauss, uses animal-based transformations, one of her tricks being to turn into a mermaid (in an anime-only episode). Furthermore, in the final arc, Lucy and another character, Brandish Mu, are temporarily turned into mermaids when Aquarius takes them to the Memory of the Stars to show them the truth about their mothers.
  • Legendz - In the manga, Ken Kazaki's friend Ririko Yasuhara has a mermaid named Tetty.
  • Mermaid Saga - A manga series by Rumiko Takahashi, which tells that when a person eats the flesh of a mermaid, he can gain immortality, but chances are that the mermaid's flesh will either kill him or transform him into a horrible creatures called "Deformed Ones". Two types of mermaids are shown in the manga. The first may gain human appearance when they eat the flesh of an immortal girl and take on her youthful looks; the second has two legs and feed on the flesh of mermaids who live in water, specifically when they are about to give birth. Besides the flesh, a mermaid's blood, ashes, and liver have different negative effects on humans. Mermaid's blood can sustain a person's youth, but it can't stop their insides from aging, therefore partially tuning them into a Deformed One. Ashes can give flowers immortality, but can only revive dead humans temporarily. A mermaid's liver was used to revive a dead girl, but gave her a need to feed on the livers of living things.
  • The manga Monster Musume features a mermaid named Meroune Lorelei, often referred to simply as "Mero", as a major character. She is from a noble family and has an obsession with the classic fairy tale "The Little Mermaid". As a result, she desires a tragic romance.
  • My Bride Is a Mermaid - In this manga, the main character, Nagasumi Michishio is saved from drowning by a mermaid, Sun Seto. Afterwards, Nagasumi is forced to marry Sun.
  • Namor the Sub-Mariner debuted in 1939 as the first superhero of the Marvel Universe. He was born of Homo mermanus, a race of aquatic humanoids. Namor's father was human however, giving him attributes of both races. He is able to exist both on land and at sea, possesses superhuman strength, and can fly via the winglike fins on his ankles. A prince of the undersea kingdom of Atlantis, he would later ascend to the throne as its king. He has a history of hostility towards human civilization but has also been a tenuous ally.
  • One Piece - The manga and anime series has many mermaids, most notably Kokoro, Camie and Princess Shirahoshi.
  • Rave Master - The character Celia is a beautiful young mermaid with long blue hair. She is the younger sister of the Queen of the underwater mermaid village, Mildesta. She falls deeply in love with the main protagonist, Haru Glory.
  • Superman - The comic book superhero Superman had a romantic love interest with a mermaid named Lori Lemaris. Her first appearance was in 1959. The name Lori Lemaris was probably drawn from Lorelei rock in the Rhine added to maris, from the Latin mare, meaning ocean. She has the initials L.L., the same as several of Superman's other love interests including Lois Lane and Lana Lang.
  • Urusei Yatsura - In chapter 125, "Pool Spooks! Burning with Forbidden Love", Lum decides to help and with Shinobu’s help, they dress as two mermaids.

Video games

  • Double Dealing Character - In the fourteenth title of the Touhou Project series, a mermaid named Wakasagihime serves as the game's first boss. She has the ability to increase her strength when in water.
  • Eliza was a second boss from Gokujo Parodius, made a cameo in Sexy Parodius in Stage 2, which a Pachinko of CR Gokujo Parodius, and Otomedius in Stage 1, voiced by Hitomi Nabatame.
  • The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening - On Koholint Island, there is a mermaid named Martha who lives in a bay. She states that she has lost her necklace because of the ocean waves. After Link retrieves her necklace, Martha gives him a mermaid scale in return.
  • The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - Link encounters what he at first believes is a real mermaid, but later discovers she is a Hylian girl named Joanne who enjoys dressing up as a mermaid. She is involved in several side quests.
  • In Nintendo's The Legendary Starfy series, a character named simply "Mermaid" is used to save the game. When the player character, Starfy, bumps into the shell she lives in, the game saves.
  • Mega Man 9 - Splash Woman's design is based on the appearance of a mermaid.
  • One of the many bosses from Cuphead is Cala Maria, a gigantic mermaid who has a lot of sea creatures fighting by her side.
  • The Pokémon Primarina, a Water/Fairy-type, is based on both a mermaid and a sea lion.
  • Puyo Puyo - The Japanese puzzle game series from Compile features a mermaid named Seriri who believes that everyone is trying to eat her, due to the belief that eating mermaid flesh will grant immortality.

Films

Annette Kellerman (left) as the titular mermaid in the 1918 film Queen of the Sea
The 1941 Dutch East Indies film Ikan Doejoeng featured mermaids.
The 1952 film Million Dollar Mermaid is based on the life of Annette Kellerman, the first actress to portray a mermaid in film.
FilmYearNotes
The Mermaid1904Silent film by Georges Méliès and starring an unknown actress as The Mermaid. This whimsical, four-minute-long film is the first ever to feature mermaids.
Siren of the Sea (or The Mermaid)1911Silent film starring Annette Kellerman as the first mermaid to actually swim in a costume tail in a film.
Neptune's Daughter1914Starring Annette Kellerman.
A Daughter of the Gods1916Starring Annette Kellerman.
Queen of the Sea 1918Starring Annette Kellerman.
Venus of the South Seas1924Starring Annette Kellerman.
Ikan Doejoeng1941From the Dutch East Indies
Miranda1948Starring Glynis Johns
Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid1948Starring Ann Blyth
Million Dollar Mermaid1952Based on the life of Annette Kellerman.
Peter Pan (1953 film)1953Produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Mermaids have a minor role in the film, as appear in the mermaid lagoon. The mischievous mermaids enjoy tormenting Wendy, but flee at the sight of Captain Hook.
Mad About Men1954Sequel to Miranda (1948).
Pekka ja Pätkä sammakkomiehinä (Pekka and Pätkä as Frogmen)1954In this Finnish Pekka Puupää comedy, the heroes rescue a foundered mermaid and carry her to Pekka's apartment. They set her on the bathtub. Pekka's wife Justiina initially sees only her fish-tail and is initially surprised by "a big fish the menfolks have caught" and gets a knife to prepare it as a dinner, but she faints as she sees the mermaid's upper body.
Night Tide1961Starring Dennis Hopper and Linda Lawson
The Mermaids of Tiburon1962Starring Diane Webber, George Rowe, and Timothy Carey
Beach Blanket Bingo1965Starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, and includes a sub-plot of the character Bonehead (Jody McCrea) falling for a mermaid portrayed by Lost in Space's Marta Kristen.
Head1968Starring The Monkees, briefly features two mermaids in the opening "Porpoise Song" sequence, surrounded by psychedelic effects.
Local Hero1984Marine researcher Marina (Jenny Seagrove) is suspected by her love interest of being a mermaid.
Splash1984Starring Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks, Hannah plays a mermaid who falls in love with a human. She can walk on dry land when in human form, but her legs change into a fish tail whenever she gets wet. Much of the movie revolves around her humorous attempts to conceal her true identity from her lover. A made-for-television sequel, Splash, Too[3] followed in 1988, starring Amy Yasbeck and Todd Waring.
Talk Dirty To Me Part III1984The third and fourth films in the adult film series Talk Dirty To Me feature mermaids who come ashore to find men. As in Splash, the mermaids can walk on dry land, and their legs become tails in water. The film endured controversy when it became public knowledge in 1986 that, at the time of filming, actress Traci Lords was 16-year-old and, therefore, underage in the US.
The Little Mermaid1989Produced by Walt Disney Studios, this film portrays a variant of the story by Hans Christian Andersen about the mermaid who wished for legs. This film was followed by a prequel TV series (The Little Mermaid), a direct-to-video sequel titled The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea featuring the title character's daughter, and a DTV prequel movie in 2008 titled The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning.
Hook1991Produced by TriStar Pictures Amblin Entertainment, three mermaids appear when Peter Pan (Robin Williams) is dropped into the ocean in Neverland.
The Secret of Roan Inish1994Incorporates mysticism into the selkies and their fae children.
Mermaid Got Married1994This Hong Kong romantic-comedy (based on Splash) tells the story of a school teacher who falls in love with a mermaid who'd rescued him as a young boy. The film stars Asian cinema idols Ekin Cheng, Christy Chung, and Takeshi Kaneshiro.
Magic Island1995Lily, a young mermaid, befriends a group of buccaneers and joins them on their quest for Blackbeard's treasure.
Sabrina Down Under1999Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart) travels to Australia's Great Barrier Reef with her best friend Gwen, a fellow witch from England, for a week-long vacation where they try to help protect a hidden mermaid colony whose habitat is threatened by ocean pollution, and by a local marine biologist, Dr. Julian Martin.
The Thirteenth Year1999A teen learns that his birth mother is a mermaid after he begins to grow fins and slimy scales on his thirteenth birthday.[4]
She Creature2001Circa 1900, a carnival barker named Angus discovers a mermaid held captive in a tank by a disturbed old man. Angus steals the mermaid and loads her on a ship headed for America. When the mermaid is discovered, Angus's lover Lily begins to suspect that the mermaid is more dangerous than she first seemed.
Mermaids2003Erika Heynatz, Nikita Ager, and Sarah Laine are a trio of mermaids who solve their father's murder.
Mermaid in the Manhole1988A Tokyo-based shock film centered around a decaying mermaid found living in the Tokyo sewer system. This is a very gruesome film; it focuses on the mermaid's decay and subsequent death from exposure to toxic environment of the sewer.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe2005Mermaids appear briefly at the end of the story.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire2005Merpeople appear briefly during the second task.
Mermaidia2006In this Barbie doll direct-to-video movie, Elina travels to Mermaidia to save her friend Nalu, the merman Prince, who's been kidnapped by the evil Laverna. It's up to Elina to stop them with the help of Nori, a headstrong mermaid who doesn't trust outsiders.
Aquamarine2006The title character is a mermaid (Sara Paxton) who is washed ashore after a violent storm. She decides to search for true love on land, and makes two good human friends (Joanna "JoJo" Levesque and Emma Roberts) along the way.
Legend of Sudsakorn2006The main character, Charlie Trairat, is the son of a mermaid who is sent on a magical quest to find his father, a prince.
Peter Pan2003Mermaids appear in a small segment: the narrator says they "are not like the mermaids in stories" though Wendy is thrilled by them. These mermaids have webbed fingers and markings on their faces. Peter asks them if Captain Hook has kidnapped John and Michael, which the mermaids confirm. One of them also tries to drown Wendy.
Sirène song2005Short feature by Fanny Jean-Noel. A mermaid is seeking for a job.
Princess2008Starring Shileen Paton as a mermaid named Cala who lives under the pond.
Bedtime Stories2008A mermaid appears in the book that Skeeter gives to Bobbi and Patrick.
Ponyo2009Japanese film starred by Noah Cyrus, Frankie Jonas and directed by the Legendary directer Hayao Miyazaki.
Hoshisuna no Shima no Chiisana Tenshi (Mermaid Smile)2010Japanese film starring D-Boys members Tetsuya Makita and Masashi Mikami, and Riho Iida of Love Live! fame. The story is of a girl who is found washed up on the shore in a tourist area of Okinawa, and suspected of being a mermaid.
Barbie in A Mermaid Tale2010In this Barbie doll direct-to-video movie, Barbie stars as Merliah, a surfing champion from Malibu. One minute she's a normal teenager and the next she learns a shocking family secret: she's a mermaid! Merliah and her dolphin friend Zuma set off on an undersea adventure to rescue her mother, the queen of Oceana.
Empires of the Deep2011A human falls in love with a mermaid in a fantasy world.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides2011During his search for the Fountain of Youth, Jack Sparrow encounters several mermaids.
Barbie in A Mermaid Tale 22012In this Barbie doll direct-to-video movie sequel, Merliah heads to Australia for the ultimate surfing competition. When the evil mermaid Eris escapes from her whirlpool, thanks to Kylie Morgan who steals Merliah's necklace, with plans to take Callissa's spot on the throne of Aquellia and get the power of Merilia, Merliah and her sea friends dive in to stop her.
Barbie: The Pearl Princess2014In this Barbie doll direct-to-video movie Barbie stars as Lumina, a mermaid who dreams of being a princess. Lumina and her best friend Kuda, a pink seahorse, embark on an adventure to a majestic mer-kingdom. There, she discovers that her magic is the key to unlocking her true destiny and ultimately saving the kingdom.
Maidens of the Sea2014The second feature film by writer/director Kerri Kuchta, this film tells the story of a lonely sailor who discovers an island of mermaids.
The Lure2015Polish horror-musical film directed by Agnieszka Smoczyńska which chronicles two carnivorous mermaids who begin working as nightclub performers in 1980s Warsaw.
The Mermaid2016Chinese film starred by Lin Yun and directed by the Hong Kong comedian Stephen Chow.
The Legend of Sarila2013Features a mermaid-like goddess named Sedna.
Small Fry2011Part of the Toy Story Toons short animations. Buzz Lightyear meets a plastic mermaid named Neptuna who always carries her trident and sits on a rock.]]

Music

Sheet music cover for "Mermaids' Song" by Charles Kinkel, which was featured in the 1826 opera Oberon by Carl Maria von Weber

Mermaids have long been associated with music, and much like that of Orpheus, the power of their singing voices is said to have had the ability to enthrall. Along with their legendary vanity, the hair-combing and mirrors, the association of mermaids with music is coupled with another association of a vocal nature: they are said to be able to confer verbal eloquence, much like the Muses of the ancient Greek myths.

  • In the 18th-century sea shanty, "The Keeper of the Eddystone Light", the singer's father is a lighthouse keeper and his mother is a mermaid.
  • Alexander von Zemlinsky's symphonic poem Die Seejungfrau (The Mermaid), first performed in 1905 but then forgotten until its second performance in 1984, is based on Andersen's detailed fairy story. Zemlinsky briefly explained its plan to Arnold Schoenberg; a more detailed matching of story and music is provided by its second conductor, Peter Gülke.[5]
  • 1985 hit by French duo Les Rita Mitsouko, "Marcia Baila", includes the verse "...la sirène en mal d'amour" (A lovesick mermaid). The song's video clip includes a mermaid.
  • In Finnish musician J. Karjalainen's song Merenneito ja minä ("Mermaid and Me"), he describes a wonderful tour in the underwater kingdom with a mermaid with whom he has fallen in love. In the song he is able to breathe under water due to the mermaid's magic medicine.[6]
  • Another Finnish song, Koskenlaskijan morsiamet ("Brides of Log Driver") is about a mermaid who falls in love with a skillful log driver. Unfortunately, he is already engaged to a human woman. When the mermaid sees her love riding the rapids with his human bride, she in a burst of jealousy raises a rock off the river bed, drowning them both. Seeing them drown and die, she immediately regrets her deed, and in the end of the song she is left weeping alone on the rock.
  • Joanna Newsom's song "Colleen" tells the story of a girl from the sea who adapts to life on land, but is plagued by dreams and memories of her past. The song is told from the girl's perspective, and it is left open to interpretation whether or not she eventually returns.[7]
  • The music video for "Cherish" by Madonna includes several merman and a merman child.
  • Another Madonna music video, Music had an animated Madonna turn into a mermaid while diving into a martini.
  • In the music video for "Mermaid Sashimi" by Mexican singer Juan Son, a mermaid is in a restaurant ready for being cooked.
  • The mermaiding performers of Weeki Wachee Springs appear in the 2005 music video for the track Low C by Supergrass.[8]
  • The Weeki Wachee Mermaids also briefly appear in the music video for the 2012 Kelly Clarkson song, Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You).
  • The death metal virtual band Dethklok have a song called "Murmaider," about mermaid murder. In the second episode of the animated series Metalocalypse, the band state that fish had "no good metals to listens to" so they recorded The DethWater Album. "Murmaider" appeared as the first track of the band's real album, The Dethalbum.
  • Sade appears as a lovestruck mermaid in the music video for her 1992 single "No Ordinary Love."
  • Among the outrageous claims made in the Lonely Island song "I'm On A Boat" is the claim by T-Pain that he has had sex with a mermaid. The video shows an African American mermaid in the background behind T-Pain as he sings this verse.
  • Danish bubblegum singer Ni-Ni (Nynne Qvortrup) released an album in Japan and Denmark on February 16, 2001 called Mermaid which included the song "A Mermaid's Tale."[9]
  • A recently formed high school band, Jarrod and the Mermaids, is immensely popular in the region Bay of Plenty in New Zealand. They have a distinct style of magic.
  • Tori Amos references a mermaid in her song Silent All These Years. and was inspired by reading Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid story to her little niece, Cody.[10]
  • Lady Gaga dressed as a mermaid named Yuyi for the video for "You and I."
  • Lana Del Rey released a song Mermaid Motel in 2010 on Del Rey's debut album, Lana Del Ray A.K.A. Lizzy Grant.
  • In 2007, Japanese pop group SMAP recorded a song titled "Mermaid", which was originally intended as a single, but ended up being released as the 7th track of their 2008 Platinum album, Super Modern Artistic Performance. The song was used for Japanese media coverage of select swimming events during the 2008 Summer Olympics.
  • "FT Nesli - Mermaid" sung by Turkish singer Neslihan Evrüz 2008 in English by Burak Yeter from the album Mermaid.
  • Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies features a mermaid in the musical number "Beautiful/The Beauty Underneath".
  • In 2011, Japanese group Aldious released a single, "Mermaid". The PV had one of the girls of the band as a mermaid.
  • In 2011, Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish released Imaginaerum, which contained the song "Turn Loose the Mermaids".
  • In 2012, French singer Nolwenn Leroy appeared as a mermaid on the cover of her album Ô Filles De L'Eau, and in the music video of her single "Sixième Continent."
  • In 2012, American pop rock band Train released a new single titled "Mermaid" from their sixth studio album, California 37.
  • The opera The Enchanted Island features mermaids in the end.

Television

ShowYearNotes
Stingray1964Includes stop-motion puppetry that features a mermaid named Marina. However, unlike typical mermaids she has no tail; instead she swims with two legs and displays the ability to breathe underwater. Both more well known, and popularly known, are these particular character puppets also seen in the Thunderbirds series that was produced 1965–1966.
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea1967It has a story called "The Mermaid," (Season 3, Episode 77); at the opening of the episode one can see the mermaid unnoticed by Commander Lee Crane (David Hedison) go swimming by the S.S.R.N. Seaview submarine's monitoring window.
Night Gallery1972Episode 46, Season 2 called "Lindemann's Catch," with Rod Serling in his opening introductions, who also introduced The Twilight Zone series. A story about a sea captain whose desires are again awakened as he catches a mermaid on his little boat. As she has a tail from the waist down, she isn't of course quite what he wants. He seeks out a potion to change her into a complete woman. He gives her the potion and leaves her below deck. He expects that when he returns she will be a complete woman, but she is rather now having a fish torso. The analogy of the episode demonstrates a man's innate need for a woman - even as the captain is found grasping for her feet, now a horrendous malformed creature as she attempts to jump ship.
Danny and the Mermaid1978A pilot episode for a series that didn't get picked up. It was a 30-minute sci-fi comedy starring Ray Walston (famous for his previous successful series My Favorite Martian). Walston played Professor Stoneman, helping his student apprentice Danny Stevens (Patrick Collins) to be an oceanographer. Danny first learns of the mermaid, Aqua (Harlee McBride), a colorful blond mermaid with blue eyes and iridescent scales, when she swims by one of the portholes in their underwater lab. Later, he meets her and she communicates with them through a hatch on the lab's floor.
Mermaid Saga1984–1994A Japanese animation series in 3 to 4 volumes, depending on the country release distribution. It was based on the comic book by the same title which is a manga series by Rumiko Takahashi, which tells that when a person eats the flesh of a mermaid, they can gain immortality. In the United States, it has been dubbed into English except for its theme song which remains in Japanese. There are nine episodes in the American release (2003–2004): "Mermaid (Never) Smile", "The Village of Fighting Fish", "Mermaid's Forest", "Dreams End", "Mermaid's Promise", "Mermaid's Scar", "The Ash Princess", "Mermaid's Gaze" and "Mermaid's Mask".
Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch2003–2004A group of mermaid princesses who become pop singers to fight evil.
H2O: Just Add Water2006–2010Three teenage girls who, after encountering a mysterious island sea cave, transform into mermaids in ten seconds whenever water touches any part of their bodies. In addition, they each have supernatural abilities over water in each of its forms: water, rain, floods, ice, snow, hail, cold, sleet, steam, mist and fog.
Mako: Island of Secrets2013A spin-off series of H2O: Just Add Water.
Baywatch1989–2001Marliece Andrada plays a mermaid in the episode "Rendezvous".
Charmed1998–2006In the 2002 fifth-season episode "A Witch's Tail", a mermaid (Jaime Pressly) enlists the help of main character Phoebe Halliwell (Alyssa Milano) to fight against a sea witch. Mermaid was a Charmed spin-off developed for The WB, since the theme of mermaids was recognized to have potential for its own series, and a one-hour pilot was filmed. However, after The WB and the UPN merged into The CW channel, the resulting network passed on the series.
Aquaman2006The main antagonist of the television pilot is Nadia (Adrianne Palicki), a killer siren/mermaid-like creature .
Legend of Heaven and Earth - The Mermaid Beauty2000The Taiwanese fantasy series, which shows various stories and legends from Asian mythology, depicts a story similar to Hans Christian Andersen's "Little Mermaid" in which the main protagonist is the mermaid daughter of an undersea sorceress who is trapped in a conch shell for centuries until freed. While disguised as human, she explores the outside world and falls in love with one of three princely sons. The story focuses on how she manages to protect both her love and the undersea land that she comes from. The series was shown on AZN Television shortly before the network's cancellation in 2007.
Flipper1995–2000In an episode, Dean (Scott Michaelson), finds a mermaid (Rachel Blakely) in one of his dives. Michaelson played a merman in Sabrina Down Under.
The Vision of Escaflowne1996In episode 14, Dryden Fassa helps a mermaid named Sylphy return to her home.
Pokémon1997-currentAsh Ketchum's friend Misty appears as a mermaid in two episodes: "The Misty Mermaid" from Pokémon: Indigo League and "Cerulean Blues" from Pokémon Chronicles.
Dyesebel2008A drama-fantasy series based on Mars Ravelo's creation in GMA Network in the Philippines. Marina is also a drama-fantasy series in ABS CBN and Marinara is a comedy-fantasy series in GMA Network.
Bakugan2009–2010In this anime, Klaus's guardian Bakugan, Sirenoid, is a mermaid.
Renkin 3-kyū Magical? Pokān2006In the anime, a mermaid princess appears in episode 5, "A Tiring Spell Is a Trip to the Beach/Love's Spell Is a Trip to the Beach".
Faerie Tale Theatre1982–1987In an episode, Treat Williams and Pam Dawber help stage a production of The Little Mermaid that follows Andersen's story much more closely than the Disney film that came out three years later.
Dexter's Laboratory1996–2003In the episode "Ocean Commotion," while the family visit in the beach, Dee Dee (in a mermaid costume) gets kidnapped by some maniac sailors and Dexter and Moby Dick are the only ones to save her. This is a parody of Disney's The Little Mermaid, and of Moby Dick.
My Bride Is a Mermaid2007A boy named Nagasumi Michishio is saved by a mermaid named Sun Seto, but it is the mermaids' law, when a human sees a mermaid's true form, the human or the mermaid has to be killed. The only way to solve this problem for him is to marry her.
Cyberchase2002–presentA mermaid character named Binary who lives in the Aquari-yum. She is green and purple and she tames several sea animals.
Magi-Nation2007–2010In one of the episodes, Edyn turns into a mermaid complete with aquatic fish ears, webbed hands and a mermaid's tail, and dives into the depth of the water with her friends. Some other characters are mermaids and one of them, Traptika, is very friendly.
Fantasy Island1977–1984Mermaids are occasionally depicted as being in conflict with Mr. Rourke (Ricardo Montalban). Most notably Naya (portrayed by Michelle Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas fame), who appeared in two episodes in 1979 and 1980.
Sailor Moon R1993–1994The wicked mermaid Cardian Amphibia appears in "Raye's Day In The Spotlight" from Sailor Moon R.
Rupert1991–1997In one of the episodes, a young blond mermaid named Marina befriends the main protagonist Rupert Bear.
My Parents are Aliens1999–2006In an episode "The Tail of the Knitted Map", Sophie morphs into a mermaid.
Undersea Boy Marine1969Marine Boy has a friend named Neptina who is a young mermaid who has long flowing hair and wears a magic pearl around her neck.
Jake and the Never Land Pirates2011–2016In this Disney Junior series, a young mermaid named Marina befriends the young pirates and helps them on their adventures.
Sofia the First2012–2018In this Disney Junior series, features the mermaids Queen Emmaline and her daughters Cora and Oona. Ariel from Disney's The Little Mermaid also makes an appearance in an episode of the series.
Black Cat2005–2006One of the main characters, Eve, uses nanomachines to give herself transformation abilities, and once she transforms into a mermaid.
Rosario + Vampire2008A band of mermaids makes up the school's Swim Club, where they lure the male students in to suck their life force for survival.
Zig and Sharko2010The French animation series features Marina the mermaid. Zig the hyena wants to eat her but her friend and bodyguard Sharko the shark protects her.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch1996–2003Sabrina and a friend turn into mermaids in the episode "Wiccan of the Sea". A similar event happens in the movie Sabrina: Friends Forever.
Kero Kero Chime1997The protagonists help a mermaid reach out to her prince, after gaining the ability to assume human form when dry, in three days or she will turn into sea foam.
Sgt. Frog2004–2011The main human male protagonist, Fuyuki, befriends a mermaid while she is in human form.
Tokyo Mew Mew2002–2003The character Lettuce can use mew power around her legs to form a mermaid-like tail to move underwater.
Smile Pretty Cure2012–2013In episode 30, the heroines assume mermaid tails to battle underwater.
Dragonball1986–1989Goku has to meet Master Roshi's demand to bring a beautiful girl to him to receive his teachings; one of the girls he brings is a mermaid, much to Roshi's surprise.
Doctor Who1963–presentIn the sixth season, a mermaid or siren-like creature appears in the episode "The Curse of the Black Spot".
Once Upon a Time2011–2018Ariel (Joanna Garcia) appears in season three of the ABC series. A pod of mermaids also attack The Jolly Roger.
Tom and Jerry: The Fast and the Furry2005In the animated direct-to-video film, racer Steed Dirkly spots a mermaid on an island, but it turns out she is a Mirahna, a cannibalistic mermaid who feeds Steed to her offspring. She is a cross between a mermaid and a piranha, with a beautiful body, long orange hair, yellow sea-shells for a bra, a magenta fish tail, aquatic fish ears, and the head of a piranha.
The Idle Mermaid (잉여공주)2014A tvN drama series.
The Legend of the Blue Sea (푸른 바다의 전설)2016A SBS's drama series.
Riptide1984-1986"Catch of the Day" (Season 2, Episode 3) involved a mermaid.[11]
Fairy Tail2009–presentThe main female protagonist, Lucy Heartfilia, uses celestial spirits, one of which is a mermaid called Aquarius. Also, another character, Lisanna Strauss, uses animal-based transformations, and one of her tricks is to turn into a mermaid (in an anime-only episode). Furthermore, in the final arc, Lucy and another character, Brandish Mu, are temporarily turned into mermaids when Aquarius takes them to the Memory of the Stars to show them the truth about their mothers.
The Starry Night, The Starry Sea2017The Chinese drama series on Hunan TV features the love story of a merman and a young woman.
  • Many comedy series, such as Family Guy and Robot Chicken, satire mermaids' inability to reproduce without genitalia.
  • In the Japanese tokusatsu television subgenre (and its Americanized counterpart ), there are a few mermaid-based elements:
    • Dengeki Sentai Changeman (1985) is the design theme for the heroes of which was mythological creatures – Sayaka Nagisa (Hiroko Nishimoto) transformed into a white-colored ranger called Change Mermaid. Some of her attacks were based on underwater movement.
    • The short film Hikari Sentai Maskman (1987) features a mermaid named Lelai, who is tricked into using her beautiful singing voice to create earthquakes that would destroy the world.
    • In Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue (2000), Blue Ranger Chad Lee befriends and falls in love with a mermaid named Marina (Kamera Walton). She appears in only two episodes, "Ocean Blue" and "Neptune's Daughter"; the second time forced to lure the Lightspeed Rangers into a trap. (No mermaid appeared in the previous original 1999 Japanese series, Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGo-V.)
    • Mahou Sentai MagiRanger (2005) - Urara Ozu (Asami Kai) harnessed the power of the water Heavenly Saint Splagel, who is a mermaid; thus, Urara's MagiMajin form is MagiMermaid (whose legs can merge to allow her to swim underwater). However, when she upgrades halfway through the series into her Legend form, her body joins with her two older brothers' and younger sister's to form the Legendary Majuu MagiLion. Then in Power Rangers: Mystic Force which aired the following year, Madison Rocca (Melanie Vallejo) is the Blue Mystic Force Ranger. She draws her powers from an ancient titan who was shaped as a mermaid. Since the giant monster battle footage from PRMystic Force is taken directly from MagiRanger, Madison's giant Mystic Mermaid form mirrors that of Urara's MagiMermaid.
      • Madison's name is perhaps an intentional pun and tip of the hat since that was the name of the mermaid character played by Daryl Hannah in the 1984 film Splash.

Professional wrestling

See also

References

  1. ↑ Unpleasant Tales, Eibonvale Press, 2010
  2. ↑ John Grant and John Clute, The Encyclopedia of Fantasy, "Mermaids" p 639 ISBN 0-312-19869-8
  3. ↑ Splash, Too (1988) (TV)
  4. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200208/
  5. ↑ Peter Gülke, "Zemlinski: The Mermaid: An Introduction", booklet for the compact disc of Zemlinsky's Die Seejungfrau and Psalm XIII (London: Decca, 1987).
  6. ↑ "Mermaid and Me". (from Google Translate). LyricsBox.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Colleen". Joanna Newsom Lyrics.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  8. ↑ Tampa Bay Times, 2005-10-11
  9. ↑ "Ni-Ni- Mermaid (CD, Album)". Discogs.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  10. ↑ Silent All These Years Songfacts
  11. ↑ Abbot, Jon (2009). Stephen J. Cannell Television Productions: A History of All Series and Pilots. (from Google Books). McFarland. p. 160.
  12. ↑ "TNA Knockout SoCal Val Little Mermaid Photoshoot". Daily Wrestling News.com. July 27, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
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