Mermania. Rachel Federman

there such things as male mermaids?

      INDEED – THEY’RE CALLED

       mermen.

      THE GREEK GOD TRITON, FOR EXAMPLE, LOOKS LIKE WHAT YOU MIGHT IMAGINE A MERMAN TO BE. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE MALE MERROW COOMARA (‘SEA-HOUND’) HAS GREEN TEETH AND SCALY LEGS.

      Take a look at your cup the next time you’re at Starbucks.

      YOU’LL SEE THE WOMAN IN

      the logo

      is a two-tailed mermaid,

      THOUGH THE GRAPHIC HAS CHANGED CONSIDERABLY SINCE 1971 WHEN IT FIRST APPEARED AND SHOWED A LOT MORE SKIN (AND SCALES).

      The company’s name came before its logo.

      STARBUCKS CAME FROM MR STARBUCK, FIRST MATE OF THE PEQUOD IN HERMAN MELVILLE’S CLASSIC MOBY-DICK.

      TO CONTINUE THE MARITIME THEME, ADVERTISING CONSULTANT TERRY HECKLER CREATED THE ICONIC MERMAID

      logo we know today.

      IF TOURING CORNWALL (FOR ITS MERMAID LORE, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON), YOU’LL WANT TO AVOID THE

      Doom Bar

      WHERE THE RIVER CAMEL MEETS THE SEA. LOCAL LEGEND ATTRIBUTES ITS CREATION TO A MERMAID’S REVENGE FOR HER DEATH AT THE HANDS OF A SAILOR. TRUE OR NOT, MANY A SHIP HAS BEEN DESTROYED ON THIS SANDBANK.

      IN JAPANESE FOLKLORE,

      eating Ningyo

      (mermaids)

      IS SAID TO GRANT LONGEVITY.

      ‘The water spirits were known under such names as oreades, nereides, limoniades, naiades, water sprites, sea maids, mermaids, and potamides. Often the water nymphs derived their names from the streams, lakes, or seas in which they dwelt.’

      – THE SECRET TEACHINGS OF ALL AGES, MANLY P. HALL (1928)

      IN 2009, SEVERAL

      independent reports of mermaid sightings

      IN THE SMALL TOWN OF KIRYAT YAM, ON THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST OF ISRAEL, LED TO AN OFFER OF

       $1 million

      FOR THE LUCKY PHOTOGRAPHER WHO MANAGED TO CAPTURE THE CREATURE ON FILM.

      So far the reward has gone unclaimed.