Mermaids in Popular Culture

Mermaids , like many other creatures of mythology and folklore, are regularly depicted in literature, film, music, and popular culture. In the folklore of some modern cultures, the concept of the siren has been assimilated to that of the mermaid. For example, the French word for mermaid is sirène , Italian sirena , and similarly in certain other European languages. This usage existed by the Middle Age.

Literary Work Year Author Notes The Mer Series 2018-2019 M. Culler A young woman about to embark on her "perfect" post-college life faces an unexpected and fatal twist during a beach vacation. She is offered a choice between death as a human or immortality as one of the mysterious Mer. The Mer are a race of mermaid-like creatures that are all former humans. Choosing the name Val for herself, she soon finds herself embroiled in a mystery and a love-triangle. Aquamarine 2001 Alice Hoffman Two 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 Trouble 1994 R. L. Stine The 19th book in the Goosebumps series. A boy named Billy Deep finds a mermaid. The Chronicles of Narnia: 1950–1956 C. S. Lewis In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first book published in The Chronicles of Narnia series, mermaids sin...

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,...

Ariel and other characters from Disney's The Little Mermaid appear as supporting characters in the Kingdom Hearts video game series, a crossover between various Disney franchises and Square Enix's Final Fantasy franchise. Attina and Andrina, two of Ariel's mermaid sisters, make cameos in Kingdom Hearts II during its final musical number. 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. Feeding Frenzy and Feeding Frenzy 2 - A mermaid gives starfish for bonus points after successful levels. The Goonies II - The climax of the game involves rescuing a mermaid. Insaniquarium - The puzzle game published by PopCap Games features...

Film Year Notes The Mermaid 1904 Silent 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 ) 1911 Silent film starring Annette Kellerman as the first mermaid to actually swim in a costume tail in a film. Neptune's Daughter 1914 Starring Annette Kellerman. A Daughter of the Gods 1916 Starring Annette Kellerman. Queen of the Sea 1918 Starring Annette Kellerman. Venus of the South Seas 1924 Starring Annette Kellerman. King Neptune 1932 King Neptune and an array of sea creatures come to the rescue of a mermaid captured by lecherous pirates. Ikan Doejoeng 1941 From the Dutch East Indies Miranda 1948 Starring Glynis Johns Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid 1948 Starring Ann Blyth Million Dollar Mermaid 1952 Based on the life of Annette Kellerman. Peter Pan (1953 film) 1953 Produced by Walt Disney and released by R...

Mermaids have long been associated with music, citation needed 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, citation needed much like the Muses of the ancient Greek myths. citation needed 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. 1985 hit by Fre...

Show Year Notes Stingray 1964 Includes 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, citation needed are these particular character puppets also seen in the Thunderbirds series that was produced 1965–1966. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea 1967 It 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 Gallery 1972 Episode 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 th...

In 2013, while signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (now Impact Wrestling), female wrestler SoCal Val did a photoshoot in costume as Disney's Ariel.