Folk+Tales



Perhaps the most famous of all mermaid tales is Hans Crhistian Andersen's story, The Little Mermaid, however there are hundreds of traditional folk tal es from around the world about Mermaids. The idea of the Mermaid as a creature of beauty, with the body of a woman with a fishes tail is consistent across most tales, however the variation is not in her appearance, but her personality. Many original folk tales of Mermaids are of ravenous creatures who lure men to the sea, using their beauty and enchanting song to entice men so they may be drowned or taken prisoner under the sea. Click on the links below to read from a small selection of traditional mermaid folk tales.