I grew up loving the ocean and
everything about it. There is something
so powerful and magical about the endless sea of blue and its
inhabitants. The most intriguing of which, at least to me, is the
mermaid. Mermaids are mythical creatures that are described as being
half human but having a fish-like tail. They are often portrayed as
beautiful and seductive, and even michievous and evil, depending on the
story. In many stories, mortals fall in love with mermaids, begging
them to be their brides; in some stories, it's the mermaids who come to
love mortal men. Either way, there is a great deal of enchantment and
romance behind the stories of mermaids from all over the world.
Mermaids often embody freedom and confidence, and are famous for their
beauty and mystery. Even the mermaid's more devious kin, the
Siren, is pictured as beautiful and seductive-luring men to their
deaths with her beautiful voice and (sometimes) irresistible physical
beauty. I know that I always wanted to "be a mermaid" when I was
little, and it's not hard to see why, even now. Mermaids are beautiful,
sensual creatures, with the whole ocean as their kingdom, and they are
often portrayed as living free and luxurious lives with the beauties of
the sea surrounding them.
In the coming pages I retell the tales of mermaids
from around the
world, usually from their points of view. The stories I tell include
the tales of Sedna, the Inuit Goddess of the Sea; Sirena of Guam;
Johnny Croy; and the Lady of
Gollerus. These tales and legends paint varying pictures of the mermaid
from around the globe, but regardless of the specifics or the origin,
the mermaid is beautiful, strong, and confident in her own way.
I have retold these stories from the perspective of
Julia, a beautiful
young woman born in Ireland. Julia's mother, Nerissa, left her children
and husband when Julia was only a few months old. Nerissa simply
disappeared one day while the children were napping and never returned.
Julia's father was heartbroken, and rarely spoke of the incident.
Nerissa left her children and husband a large sum of money as a parting
gift, and was never heard from again. Now Julia's father has passed
away, so she decides to take a trip with the money left by her mother.
Julia has grown up with a love of
the ocean and is an avid SCUBA diver, which is where this story begins.
I retell these tales in the form of a dive log or journal, in which
Julia recounts what she has seen and heard on her journey.
Dive
into the story...
September 12
At least my mother was good for something-she left us quite a bit of
money when she bailed on us. Never saw her again after that day, but
who cares. I was too young to remember it, really. But anyway, since
Dad passed away and won't be needing me to take care of him
anymore I am going to put this money to good use. I'm finally going to
take that trip I've always wanted to. I've got all new SCUBA gear and
I'm going to travel around the world diving. I've heard of some really
amazing dive sites and I can't wait to see them. I just wish Josh (my
boyfriend) was coming too; I'm really gonna miss him. I offered to pay
for his trip, but he didn't want to leave home. I don't want to end
things with him, but I'm going to be gone so long, and so far away, I
just don't think it's going to work out. I have to take this trip, it's
like something is pulling me towards these dives. I can't just sit at
home and be the happy housewife-that's just not me. I have to do what
makes me happy, and who knows, maybe I'll find some magical "treasure"
along the way or something. Ha ha. Anyway, I've told him goodbye-I'll
write him when I can-and my plane leaves early tomorrow morning. My
first stop is the Arctic region of Canada, off the coast of Labrador.
This is going to be my most difficult dive of all-the waters there are
unbearably cold, but I believe I am ready. I want a record of my dives
and experiences, so I'll keep updating this as I go along.
In the first story, you will meet Sedna, an Arctic Mermaid. Sedna
experienced a horrific ordeal with her father and an arranged marriage.
Read the story, and get to know Sedna. The second story introduces
you-the reader-to Sirena. Sirena is a beautiful mermaid in Guam, who
was banished to the sea by her mother. Julia then goes on to meet
Nerissa, a mermaid living off the coast of Scotland. Nerissa lives with
her large family, minus one son. Julia learns the heartbreaking
tale of how Nerissa left a child behind when she returned to the sea.
In the fourth story, Julia travels back to Ireland in search of another
mermaid, a specfic recommendation from Nerissa. Read on to learn the
details...
Return to
the
Coverpage...
Experience the First Tail...
Dive
Into the Second Story
Swim Into the Third Tail
Travel to the Fourth and Final Story
Image Info: Cenote Diving. Web
Source: About.com