Isaac Asimov's Worlds of Fantasy. Book 6: Mythical Beasties

Mermaid

There was an old belief that every land animal had its counterpart in the sea. There's nothing to that, of course, but we still see traces of that legend in the names given some sea creatures. The "sea horse" is a tiny creature, but it does have a head reminiscent of that of a small. bony horse. Then there is the sea cow (manatee), the sea hog (porpoise), the sea lion and sea elephant (seals), the sea robin and sea wolf (certain fish), and so on.

It would be astonishing if, under these circumstances, people didn't decide the sea must also harbor the equivalent of human beings-sea people, in other words.

They did decide that, and legends are full of ' 'mermen'' and "mermaids." (The prefix is from an archaic English word "mere" meaning "sea" or "lake.") There are many circumstantial tales of mariners having seen mermaids, but nevertheless they do not, in reality, exist. Some people suggest that sailors are fooled by the sight of manatees or dugongs (the "sea cows" referred to above). These have breasts in the human position, and a female manatee rising to the surface with one flipper clasping her young to her breast might, at a distance, and to a near-sighted sailor, suggest a mermaid.

Mermaids are sometimes viewed as malevolent creatures who deliberately lure ships onto reefs and rocks by exhibiting their beauty to sailors who have not seen a woman for a long time. In this way, mermaids resemble Andersen the sirens of Greek legend, and the lorelei of Teutonic legend. All may be personifications of wind and storm.

In more modem times, however, mermaids tend to be portrayed as sweet and innocent, playful and alluring, and in the following story, this is done.