Mermaid

Millalobo

by

Tradition / Region: Chilean mythology
Alternate Names: none recorded
Category: Mermaid

The Myth

In the mythology of Chiloé, the lord of all waters is Millalobo, ruler of the seas, rivers, and lakes, protector of all creatures that live within them, and father of the sea maidens.

Millalobo was born from the union of a beautiful human woman and a mighty sea lion. Because of this, his form is neither fully human nor fully beast. From the waist up he has the powerful torso of a man, but below he bears the body of a great sea creature, like a pinniped. His face carries both human and animal traits, and his skin and hair shine with a golden color.

Though he cannot speak with human words, Millalobo communicates through deep, roaring sounds like those of a sea lion. Anyone who hears these cries understands his meaning clearly.

From his throne in the waters, Millalobo governs the movement of the tides and the bounty of the sea. When he flaps his great arms, the waves rise and fall. Storms, gales, and calm seas alike answer to his will. He sends fish, shellfish, and all marine riches to humans when he is pleased, and withholds them when angered.

He is also the father of the sea damsels who inhabit the waters around Chiloé, and through them his presence spreads across the coasts and islands.

Thus the people say that whenever the sea roars or the tides shift, it is Millalobo moving in his domain—
the golden lord of the waters,
whose power governs all that lives beneath the waves.

Gallery

Sources

Bestiary.us contributors. (n.d.). Miialobo. In Bestiary.us, from http://www.bestiary.us/miialobo

Interpretive Lenses

Religious Readings
  • Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
  • Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
  • Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
  • Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
  • Marxist Deep Dive
Other
  • How to Invite The Millalobo

Maupun

by

Tradition / Region: Polish Mythology, Ukranian Mythology
Alternate Names: Maoupunu, Maupunu
Category: Mermaid, Zombie

The Myth

In the marshlands and river regions of eastern Polesia, it is said that not only girls become rusalki after death. Sometimes a boy may share their fate.

If a child dies before baptism, his soul cannot rest. Such a boy may return as a wandering spirit, bound to the waters and the fields. One such spirit is known as Maupun.

Maupun was once an unbaptized boy. After death he did not pass into the world of the dead, but instead came to dwell among the rusalki—the restless spirits of girls who died before receiving baptism. Over time, he became their leader and chief, ruling over them as they wandered the wetlands and meadows.

The rusalki under Maupun’s command are said to appear as pale girls with bright, shining eyes and wild, shaggy hair. During Trinity Week they leave the waters and roam the rye fields and grassy places, laughing loudly, singing, and playing together beneath the open sky.

But their laughter is dangerous. Anyone who encounters them must flee at once. If they catch a person, they will tickle and clutch them until they die.

And it is Maupun who leads them—
the boy who never received baptism,
now lord of the wandering mermaids of the marsh.

Sources

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

Sedna

by

Tradition / Region: Inuit Mythology, Greenlandic Mythology, Canadian Mythology
Alternate Names: Nuliajuk, Sassuma Arnaa, Nerrivik, Arnakuagsak, Arnapkapfaaluk
Category: Mermaid, Goddess

The Myth

Long ago, there lived a young woman named Sedna, daughter of a man who could not find a husband worthy of her—or, in some tellings, a maiden who refused every suitor who came.

At last a stranger arrived, promising riches and plenty of food. Sedna’s father agreed to the marriage, and she went away with the man. But once she reached his home, she discovered the truth: he was not a man at all, but a great bird spirit. She lived in misery among the cliffs and the screaming birds until her father returned to rescue her.

They fled together in his kayak across the sea. But the bird-spirit raised a terrible storm. Waves rose high, and the sea roared around them. Terrified that the boat would sink, Sedna’s father pushed her overboard.

She clung to the side of the kayak, begging for help. In fear for his life, her father took a knife or axe and cut off her fingers one by one. As they fell into the water, her fingers became the creatures of the sea—seals, walruses, whales, and all the animals hunted by humans.

Sedna sank beneath the waves and fell to the bottom of the ocean. There she did not die. Instead she became the great mistress of the deep, ruler of the undersea world and guardian of all marine animals.

From that time on, the people believed that the success of every hunt depended on her will. When she was angered by human wrongdoing, she kept the animals hidden, and famine followed. Shamans would then journey in spirit to her underwater dwelling, where Sedna sat with tangled hair she could not comb because she had no fingers. The shaman would soothe her, wash and braid her hair, and calm her anger so she would release the animals again.

And so Sedna remains beneath the sea, watching over the creatures of the deep and deciding whether the hunters above will live or starve.

Sources

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

Koralpe Mermaid

by

Tradition / Region: Austrian Mythology
Alternate Names: Water Nymph of the Koralpe; Lake Maiden of the Koralpe
Category: Mermaid

The Myth

On the Koralpe mountain range there lies a dark lake surrounded by high cliffs. In this lake, people say, a water nymph dwells. Only a few old folk claimed to have seen or heard of her, and they told that she granted protection and prosperity to the shepherds of the mountain, so long as they did not disturb her peace.

One young shepherd, however, was seized by the desire to see her with his own eyes. He went to the lake and, taking up a heavy stone, hurled it into the water.

At once a wild storm broke out. From the depths of the lake the beautiful water nymph rose, and the waters began to swell higher and higher, rushing toward the shepherd. He tried to flee, but the rising water overtook him.

The next morning he was found dead upon the shore, while the lake lay once more calm and silent, as if nothing had happened.

Sources

sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Der See auf der Koralpe. In sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/oesterreich/kaernten/franz_pehr/derseeaufderkoralpe.html

Water Baby

by

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.

Sources

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

Waterreus

by

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

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.

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/

Jiao Jing

by

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

Interpretive Lenses

Religious Readings
  • Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
  • Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
  • Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
  • Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
  • Marxist Deep Dive
Other
  • How to Invite The Jiao Jing

Zeeridder

by

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.

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/

Nixie

by

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

The Myth

Nixies are supernatural water spirits found throughout Germanic folklore, particularly in Scandinavian traditions. Their appearance and behaviour vary between regions. The German Nix and Scandinavian Näck are generally male, while the German Nixe is a female water spirit often depicted as a river mermaid. They inhabit lakes, rivers, streams, and waterfalls, where they can appear as humans, animals, or mysterious objects floating on the water.

Nixies are also known for their shapeshifting abilities. They may appear as musicians beside waterfalls, strange animals, or water horses. In Swedish folklore, the Näck can take the form of a horse, a dog, a cat, or even a floating treasure. Various traditions describe protective measures against these spirits, including placing a knife in the ground before swimming or throwing a piece of steel into the water. Calling a malicious nixie by its name was also believed to defeat it.

Other legends portray nixies as lonely beings who long for companionship or salvation. In a Swedish tale from Lake Fagertärn, a poor fisherman promises his daughter to a nixie in exchange for abundant fish. When she reaches eighteen, she refuses to become his bride and takes her own life rather than enter his underwater kingdom. According to the story, her blood turns the lake’s water lilies red.

Related spirits appear across Northern Europe under different names, including the Finnish and Estonian Näkki and the English knucker. Some traditions associate these beings with drowned people or dangerous waters, while others emphasize their connection to music, nature, and supernatural transformation. Together, these stories portray the nixie as an unpredictable spirit whose beauty and gifts may conceal considerable danger.

Sources

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

Margyg

by

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.

Sources

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