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Nearly every culture on Earth possesses
mermaid lore. They appear all over the world.
Those lacking oceans have fresh-water
mermaids who inhabit springs, lakes, wells,
rivers, and swamps. Archaeologists in the Middle
East have excavated three-thousand-year-old
bronze images of mermaids.
In general, mermaids share the following traits
and talents:
? The power of prophecy.
? The ability to grant wishes and fulfill petitions.
? The power to bestow or remove fertility,
prosperity, and abundance.
? A volatile temperament to varying degrees.
? Mermaids are not inclined to turn the other
cheek; they are vengeful if angered or wronged.
Many but not all mermaids are skilled healers
and quite a few are psychopomps leading dead
souls to their next realm. Mermaids are
associated with female sexuality and power.
Cultures bearing ambivalence toward that power
often portray the mermaid as dangerous and
alluring, the seductress with evil intent.
Mermaids eventually became symbols of lust
and sin for the medieval Church.
Iconography:
Images of mermaids appear as carved motifs in
European cathedrals, including Auxerre, Basel,
Beauvais, Cologne, Freiburg, and Lyons. They
often appear holding or nursing babies similar to
a Madonna with child.
Attributes:
Fish, seashells, musical instruments, human
babies and especially combs and hand mirrors. In
English, comb is an innocuous word with a single
meaning. The Greek word for ?comb,? kteis, also
signifies ?vulva? and ?seashell.? The Latin word
for ?comb,? pecten, can signify ?vulva,? too.
Element:
Water
Planet:
Moon
Amulet: Coral is traditionally perceived as the
petrified menstrual blood of mermaids and thus
an exceptionally powerful protective charm.