Greek mythology is populated by fantastic beings. Winged horses, giants, nymphs, satyrs…and, in the seas, accompanying Poseidon, we find the Tritons. The origin of these spectacular beings is possibly Phoenician, but in any case they triumphed in the collective imagination of later centuries. Mermaids, who initially had a winged form, became the female equivalent of mermen and both terms are confused. Mermaids and Mermen. Who were they? What function did they have?
Mermaids and Mermen
The terms mermaid and merman are synonyms. Mermaids and Mermen They are the same fantastic beings that have come to us from Greek mythology, although their origin is possibly more remote. During the Middle Ages they were considered responsible for the storms that, due to their violence, shipwrecked ships that sailed the seas.
Depending on the historical moment and the mythology that we study, the figure of the newt It is very variable both in appearance and behavior. They can be evil, horrifying beings that cause terrible storms and take human lives, or venerable old men with fish tails who seek nothing more than to help. Some are seductive and have melodious voices with which they attract humans, like mermaids, and others are repulsive with green hair.
What is a newt
The newts They are the descendants of Triton, the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, and the sea nymphs. They make up a race of divine creatures that are half human and half fish, which could be both male and female and who generally accompanied other superior marine divinities as escorts. In Greek mythology, they also used to carry a trident or a conch in their hand that they used as a trumpet to calm or agitate the waves of the sea. Newts can have a single tail or two, similar to the two legs of a human, but shaped like a fish tail.
Pausanias, the second century Greek geographer and historian, describes them like this: «The Tritons have the following appearance: on their heads they grow hair like those of swamp frogs not only in color, but also in the impossibility of separating a hair.» of other. The rest of its body is rough with fine scales just like the shark: under its ears it has the gills and nose of a man, but the mouth is wider and the teeth are those of a beast. Their eyes seem blue to me, and they have hands, fingers and nails like murex shells. Under the chest and belly there is a tail like a dolphin instead of feet.
famous newts
In the mythology there are some newts who have particular stories, the most important of which are Triton and Glaucus.
Triton
Triton, the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, is the most famous since he was the one who gave his name to the entire race: the mermen. Unlike his parents who had human form although they could remain underwater as long as necessary, Triton was born with the lower part of his fish body. He was a god and acted as a messenger in the deep sea. His attributes were the trident and the twisted shell with which he calmed or agitated the waves of the sea.
Glaucous
Glaucous He was the son of Poseidon and a naiad. Despite his divine origin, he lived as a humble fisherman by the sea until one day he consumed some magical herbs that turned him into a merman. His hair turned green like algae and his legs transformed into the tail of a fish and he submerged into the sea where he lived alongside the other sea divinities.
Mermaids and Mermen
For us the sirens They are mythological beings that have the torso of a woman and instead of legs the tail of a fish. However, mermaids in Greek mythology were half woman and half bird and this appearance was a punishment from Demeter for not taking care of his daughter Persephone and allowing her to be kidnapped by her uncle Hades. If you want to know the complete story, we invite you to read the post: Why do mermaids have fish tails? Discover the myth!
In this primitive sense, mermaids and mermen They did not have any type of relationship and those half-woman, half-fish beings were simply female mermen. It was later, in the Middle Ages, that the mermaids, who were really Nereids, and the mermen were paired as members of the same species of fantastic beings.
Triton in mythology
A Triton in the mythology from Ireland is a being that is half human and half fish, with an extremely unpleasant appearance. His nose is red, his hair, skin and teeth are green and his eyes are close together. An ancient Irish legend tells of a merman who captured the souls of drowned sailors and kept them locked in cages.
A Triton in mythology Cornish is depicted as a sad, lonely old man with green hair and scaly skin. The sailors offered him fish that they left on the beach to appease him and ensure that he did not cause storms. Also in Finnish mythology there was a being similar to the merman, but unlike other cultures, for them he was a wise and benevolent being who cured diseases and undid curses.
Ichthyocentaurs, horse-legged newts
There is no single type of merman in mythology Greek. There is a variant known as ichthyocentaurs which are newts with the legs of a horse, the torso of a human and the tail of a fish.
Did you know the newts? Have they reminded you of «King Triton», Ariel’s father? Do you think the Disney factory was faithful to the classic image of whats mermen and mermen?