Mythology

Water Babies

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Tradition / Region: Paiute Mythology, American Mythology
Alternate Names: Paakniwat, Pa’oha’a, Pā’ōna, Paohmaa, Pangam kiktam, Pa’-nawi-s, Pa-nugis, Para Ub, s’o:lmexw; Water-Baby Spirits
Category: Mermaid

The Myth

In springs, quiet pools, and lonely streams of the western lands, people tell of beings called Water Babies. They are small spirits who dwell where water rises from the earth, rarely seen but often heard.

Most often they appear as human infants — tiny, beautiful, and helpless-looking. Sometimes, however, they are said to have fish tails, or strange reptilian bodies, and only imitate the cries of a child. Their voices echo from reeds, from rock pools, or from the dark mouth of a spring, sounding exactly like a lost baby wailing in distress.

Those who hear the crying are warned not to go searching for it. In many traditions, the sound itself is a sign that death is near, a warning carried on the water. In others, the danger comes from pity: anyone who follows the cry and tries to pick up the unseen child may be seized by the spirit, pulled into the water, or struck by misfortune soon after.

Because of this, the cries of Water Babies are feared. They are the voices of the springs themselves — calling, mourning, and luring — and wise people turn away from the sound and leave the waters undisturbed.

Gallery

Sources

native-languages.org contributors. (n.d.). Water Babies. In native-languages.org, from https://www.native-languages.org/water-babies.htm

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Waterreus

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: none recorded
Category: Mermaid, Shapeshifter

The Myth

Along the coast near Scheveningen, people once spoke of a being who rose from the sea and wandered near the shore. From above the water he appeared as a handsome young man, fair-faced and strong, so beautiful that any girl who saw him might fall in love at once. Yet those who knew the tale warned that beneath the surface he was no man at all, but a sea-being with the tail of a fish.

It was said that if a girl truly wished to keep him in the world of humans, there was only one way. She had to draw the sign of the cross upon his forehead three times. If she succeeded, the water spirit would lose his sea-form and become fully human, bound to live on land.

Because of this tale, the people of the coast spoke of such beings as water giants, or waterreuzen, and the name came to be used for others of their kind. They remained figures of both longing and caution — beautiful strangers from the sea, who might be turned into husbands, if only the right sign were made before they slipped back beneath the waves.

Gallery

Sources

abedeverteller.nl contributors. (n.d.). Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten. In abedeverteller.nl, from https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

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Jinjahime

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: Himeuo, Ojinjahime, Kamiikehime, Shrine Princess
Category: Mermaid, Yokai

The Myth

In the spring of 1819, a strange fish washed ashore on a beach in Hizen Province. A man named Hachibei went to see it, and as he approached, the creature spoke.

“I am a messenger from the Dragon Palace,” it said. “My name is Jinjahime. For the next seven years there will be good harvests. But after that, a terrible disease called Korori will spread among the people. Paint my image and display it, and those who look upon it will be spared the sickness and granted long life.”

The creature was said to be long-bodied like a great fish, with a human face, two horns upon its head, and a tail shaped like three blades. Its belly shone red like fresh blood. After delivering its prophecy, it disappeared.

People quickly spread drawings of Jinjahime, believing that the image itself carried protection. Copies of the strange fish were painted, printed, and passed from house to house so that many might be saved from the coming illness.

Other stories soon followed of similar beings—fish with human faces who rose from the sea to warn people of disaster and promise protection through their likeness. Yet it was Jinjahime, the Shrine Princess, whose image first spread widely, remembered as the sea-messenger who came ashore to foretell both prosperity and plague.

Gallery

Sources

tyz-yokai.blog.jp contributors. (n.d.). Jinjahime. In tyz-yokai.blog.jp, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1077741611.html

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Jiao Jing

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Tradition / Region: China
Alternate Names: Jiaoshou
Category: Mermaid, Shapshifter, Shark

The Myth

In ancient Chinese legend there is a creature called the Jiao Jing, also known as Jiaoshou. The name “jiao” is associated with the shark, and the being is said to dwell in deep waters.

It is told that the Jiao Jing is no ordinary beast of the sea, but a spirit capable of transformation. In certain accounts, the mermaid spirit can assume the form of a beautiful woman, or even that of a man. In this guise it walks among human beings, hiding its true nature beneath flawless skin and graceful form.

One tale speaks of a young woman who appeared before a household bearing sorrowful claims. She said she had been mistreated and abused by her stepmother, and a kindly couple of the Zhao family took pity on her and offered her shelter. She was quiet, strange, and unlike other women. In time it was discovered that she was not human at all, but a shark spirit in disguise.

Thus the Jiao Jing is remembered as a being of the waters who may rise from the depths wearing human beauty as a mask, moving silently between sea and shore.

Gallery

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 鲛精. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 14, 2026, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%B2%9B%E7%B2%BE

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Zeeridder

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Tradition / Region: Dutch Mythology
Alternate Names: Sea Knight
Category: Mermaid

The Myth

In the year 1305, fishermen sailing on the open sea off the coast of Friesland made a strange capture. In their nets they found not a fish nor a beast, but a figure shaped like a man — a knight of the sea.

He appeared clad in armor, wearing a helmet as though he had come from battle beneath the waves. At first glance he seemed handsome, with a great moustache and thick flowing hair. But when the fishermen looked closer, they saw that both hair and moustache were made not of human strands, but of seaweed, tangled and dripping with saltwater.

The Sea Knight made no attempt to resist, yet neither did he speak. He refused all food and drink, answering no question and uttering no sound. Silent and unmoving, he was taken ashore and brought from town to town across Friesland, where crowds gathered to see the strange being drawn from the depths.

For three weeks he was displayed in villages and cities, a wonder of the sea and a mystery no one could explain. But he never spoke, never ate, and never gave any sign of life beyond his silent presence.

At last, in the town of Dokkum, the Sea Knight died.

And with his death, whatever secret he carried from the depths of the ocean died with him, leaving only the story of the armored man of the sea who had once been hauled from the waters and walked, briefly and silently, among the people of Friesland.

Gallery

Sources

abedeverteller.nl contributors. (n.d.). Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten. In abedeverteller.nl, from https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

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Finfolk

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Tradition / Region: Scottish Mythology
Alternate Names: Finnfolk, Finman, Finwife
Category: Mermaid, Shapshifter

The Myth

In the seas around the Orkney Islands lives a mysterious race known as the Finfolk, powerful shapeshifters who dwell beneath the waves in their hidden kingdom of Finfolkaheem. From that deep and glittering realm they rise each year in the warmer months, wading, swimming, or rowing silently to the shores of the islands in search of human captives.

The Finfolk are masters of magic and deception. They can disguise themselves as fishermen, animals, floating weeds, or drifting clothes upon the sea, drawing close to their chosen victim before suddenly seizing them. Fishermen working too far from shore, or young people wandering near the water’s edge, may be carried off in an instant and never seen again.

A captive taken by the Finfolk is forced into marriage and bound to a life beneath their rule. A man captured by a Finwife is carried to her people’s domain or sometimes to the enchanted island of Hildaland, where he must remain forever as her husband and servant. A woman taken by a Finman becomes his unwilling bride, doomed to live in fear of his temper and magic.

The Finman is said to be tall and gaunt, with a stern and gloomy face. He commands strong enchantments: he can cross the sea between Norway and Orkney in only a few strokes of his oars, hide his vessel from sight, and summon phantom fleets upon the waves. He fiercely guards the waters he claims as his own, wrecking the boats of those who intrude. Yet he is said to fear the sign of the cross, and some fishermen would mark it secretly on their boats for protection.

The Finwife begins her life as a creature of striking beauty, often appearing as a golden-haired mermaid with a voice as enchanting as any siren’s. She seeks a human husband, for only by marrying a man of the land can she keep her beauty. If she fails, she must wed a Finman, and from that time she grows steadily uglier, forced to labor and send her earnings back to her husband. Some tales say she keeps a black cat that can change into a fish and carry messages to her kin beneath the sea.

The Finfolk possess two homes. In winter they dwell in Finfolkaheem, a vast underwater palace lit by the glow of sea creatures, its halls hung with drifting curtains of weed and surrounded by gardens beneath the waves. In summer they travel to Hildaland, a magical island hidden by mist or lying just beneath the surface of the sea, where the stolen men and women live out their lives in captivity.

Because the Finfolk prize silver above all things, some say that a victim may escape by throwing coins into the water, distracting the creature long enough to flee. Yet many are not so fortunate, and the old stories warn that once a Finfolk hand has closed upon you, the sea will claim you forever.

Thus the Finfolk are remembered in Orkney lore not as gentle sea-folk, but as dark masters of the deep—
shapeshifters of the tide,
hunters of human brides and grooms,
and rulers of a hidden kingdom beneath the waves.

Gallery

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Finfolk. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 14, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finfolk

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Nixie

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Tradition / Region: German Mythology
Alternate Names: Nix, Näck, Nøkk, Nykur, Näkki, Neck, Nicker
Category: Mermaid

The Myth

In the rivers, lakes, and waterfalls of the northern lands lives a spirit known by many names—the Nixie. It is a being of the water, ancient and changeable, sometimes seen as a man, sometimes as a creature, and sometimes not seen at all until it is too late.

Most often the Nixie appears as a beautiful young man seated beside a brook or on a rock in the rapids. There he plays music—usually on a violin, though sometimes on a flute or horn. The melody is so enchanting that anyone who hears it feels compelled to follow. Women, children, and wandering travelers drift closer to the sound, stepping into the water without realizing it, until the river closes over them and they vanish beneath the surface.

At times the spirit is not cruel, only lonely. Some stories tell of people who approached him with offerings—drops of blood, drink, or tobacco—and in return he taught them music so powerful that trees swayed and waterfalls seemed to pause. Yet even in such tales, the Nixie never leaves the water for long, and sooner or later he returns to the stream that is his true home.

Because the Nixie is a shapeshifter, he does not always appear as a man. He may become a horse standing beside a stream, inviting riders onto his back before plunging into the water with them. He may appear as floating treasure, driftwood, or some harmless animal near the bank. In all these forms he draws people closer to the water’s edge.

There are also tales in which he takes a human lover, living for a time among people. But these unions never last. The Nixie cannot live long away from flowing water, and he always returns to the river, leaving the human world behind.

In some regions it is said that before a drowning occurs, the Nixie cries out at the place where it will happen. Those who hear the call know that the water is about to claim a life.

Thus the Nixie remains in the folklore of the north:
a musician in the rapids,
a shadow beneath the lake’s surface,
and the unseen hand that waits in deep water.

Gallery

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Nixie (folklore). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 14, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixie_(folklore)

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Margyg

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Tradition / Region: Norse mythology, Greenlandic Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Mermaid

The Myth

Sailors in the northern seas told of a strange being that appeared only when storms were near.

It was called the margyg.

Those who saw it said it rose from the sea like a woman from the waist up, but vast and unsettling in form. Its chest was heavy, its arms long, and its hair streamed down wet over its shoulders. Its head and neck resembled those of a human, yet its face was coarse and fearsome, with a wide mouth, heavy cheeks, and a low brow. Its hands were large, and the fingers were joined together by webbing like the feet of seabirds.

Below the waist, it was wholly a fish, covered in scales with fins and a powerful tail.

The margyg was said to appear rarely, and almost always before a great storm. Sailors would spot it rising above the waves, holding a fish in its hands.

If it swam toward a ship, tossing the fish toward the vessel or playing with them as it approached, the crew believed disaster was coming and feared they would not survive the storm.

But if the margyg ate the fish, or threw them away from the ship and turned aside, the sailors took heart. Though the storm might still strike, they believed they would live through it.

For this reason, the margyg was not merely a monster of the sea, but a sign — a creature whose brief appearance foretold the fate of those who sailed beneath the darkening sky.

Gallery

Sources

Bestiary.us contributors. (n.d.). Margjug. In Bestiary.us, from https://www.bestiary.us/margjug/

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Haan Phaayaan

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Tradition / Region: Laotian Mythology
Alternate Names: Mekong Mermaid
Category: Mermaid

The Myth

Along the wide waters of the Mekong River, people speak of a being who rises when evening falls and the river turns to silver under the moon.

She is called Haan Phaayaan.

Fishermen say that on quiet nights, when the current slows and the air grows heavy, a figure can sometimes be seen rising from the dark water. She appears as a beautiful woman of the river, her form half human and half aquatic, her hair wet and shining as she sits upon rocks or drifts near the shore.

Those who see her are said to feel a strange pull toward the water. Travelers resting by the banks, and fishermen alone in their boats, have told of hearing a soft voice or song carried over the river’s surface. Some follow the sound, thinking it comes from another person nearby, only to find the river empty.

Others say the Haan Phaayaan watches silently, slipping beneath the water if approached, leaving only ripples behind.

For this reason, many along the Mekong treat the river with caution after sunset. For while the water gives life and food, it is also the home of the unseen — and on certain nights, the Mekong Mermaid is said to rise once more from the depths, watching those who pass along her river.

Gallery

Sources

ling-app.com contributors. (2023). Lao myths and folktales. In ling-app.com, from https://ling-app.com/blog/lao-myths-and-folktales/

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Pretty Molly

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Tradition / Region: Bahamian Mythology
Alternate Names: –
Category: Mermaid

The Myth

On the quiet shores of Little Exuma lies a small beach known as Pretty Molly Bay. The sand there is pale and soft, and the water lies calm, but the place carries an old story the island has not forgotten.

Long ago, there lived a young woman called Molly. Some say she was enslaved and suffered greatly in life. One night she drowned in the waters of the bay, and after her death her spirit did not leave the place.

In one telling, Molly returned as a ghost. People claimed that on certain nights a woman could be seen walking along the shore, pale in the moonlight, wandering the beach where she died. Those who glimpsed her said she moved silently, as if still searching for something lost.

In another telling, Molly did not remain a ghost. Instead, the sea took her and changed her. She rose again from the water as a mermaid, young and beautiful, living beneath the waves of the bay. Fishermen and villagers said she could sometimes be seen in the water at dusk, watching from the shallows before slipping back into the deep.

To this day, the bay carries her name, and some who pass along the quiet beach still watch the water at sunset, wondering whether the figure they glimpse is only the light on the waves — or Pretty Molly herself, still lingering where land and sea meet.

Gallery

Sources

tastywithkc.com contributors. (2024). Legends of the Bahamas: Tales of Mythical Creatures. In tastywithkc.com, from https://tastywithkc.com/legends-of-the-bahamas-tales-of-mythical-creatures/

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