Scientists research 300-year-old mummified mermaid that "gives eternal life"
A terrifying-looking creature with a human face and fin employs researchers trying to decipher whether it is a true 300-year-old mermaid or another distorted marine creature.
Many believe that eating mermaid meat gives eternal life
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23/03/2022
Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 11:40 p.m.
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Is it a mermaid's skeleton?
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Well, Ariel is not, but something that looks like a mermaid with a distorted human face and a fin is attracting worldwide attention, as teams that researchers are now trying to decipher what originated.
The frightening-looking creature, seemingly caught in the Pacific Ocean off Japan between 1736 and 1741, looked horribly similar to a human - with a contorted face, pointed teeth, two hands and hair on his head and forehead.
In fact, it has a frightening human appearance - except for its fish-like lower half.
The mysterious creature, which reaches a length of 30 cm, is allegedly found in the Pacific Ocean, near the Japanese island of Shikoku, and has since been kept in a temple in the city of Asakuchi.
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Hiroshi Kinushita of the Okayama Folklore Society, who is in charge of the project, said the strange creature might have religious significance.
"In Japan there are people who believe that mermaids give eternal life," he said. In the legend, they used to eat mummified mermaid scales. "
In the corona era, mermaids can also serve as an ominous message, according to local folklore, "there is also a legend that a mermaid has contracted an infectious disease," Hiroshi said.
A historical letter from 1903 - probably written by its former owner - was stored next to the mummy and gives some information about its origin.
"The mermaid was caught in a net catching fish at sea in front of Kochi district," the letter read.
It is not clear how and when the mummy arrived at the Angain Basakuchi Temple, but the chief priest, Cousin Quida, said it was displayed in a glass box about 40 years ago and is now kept in a fireproof safe.
"We worshiped her, hoping it would help alleviate the corona plague if only a little," he told Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun.
What will the CT scan reveal?
Kinoshita, on the other hand, gives a more pragmatic view of the creature.
He believes he created at some point in the Edo period - an era of Japanese history that stretches from 1603 to 1867. "Of course, I do not think it is a real mermaid," he said, "I think he was made to export to Europe in the Edo period. The mermaid legend occupied all "Therefore, I can assume that people at that time were very interested in it."
He continued: "I think it is made from a combination of animals and we would be happy to identify them by CT or DNA testing. It looks like a fish with scales on the lower body and a primate with hands and face on the upper body."
Scientists examining the mummified mermaid will publish their findings later this year.
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