The Many Tails of Irish Mermaids – Monday Morning Mermaid Lessons #5

I apologize this lesson comes not on our usual Monday, yet it does land on International Mermaid Day, so here we go to dive deep into our Irish Mer roots and for the last Monday of March.

Back in 2016, I originally post about one of the many Irish mermaid tales (there are 15!) and I focused on the Children of the Mermaid that comes out of the County Sligo, Ireland. Other mermaid tales come from Connacht, County Mayo, County Clare, County Cork, County Meath, and with the most tales, County Kerry, having six!

As we continue with these lessons, you will learn that around the world, there is many different names for mermaids. In Ireland, mermaids are known as merrows or murucha.

Mermaids of all names were really gaining speed in Medieval times and by the eleventh century, mermaids became a symbol of danger for Christians. (Last week’s blog lesson just touched on how mermaids are the product of Cain from the Bible. We will start to see a startling trend how often mermaids are mixed in with religions, especially Christianity in future blogs.)

https://seaangeljenn.com/2022/03/mermaids-and-leprechauns-related-to-cain-monday-morning-lesson-4/(opens in a new tab)

Books that describe all animals, real and imaginary, (called Bestiaries) often include the mermaid. They were depicted as creatures with enigmatic powers to attract men and made them act badly. Once again, females (mythological or not) take the blame for men’s poor behavior.

I find it interesting that during this era when Christian churches were using mermaids as a way to remind people on how to behave, that the most common mermaid stereo-types you know today, stemmed out of this Christian propaganda. Mermaids were carved into church pews and other wooden decorations around the church or holy grounds.

Funny enough, I got to appear as my Sea Angel Jenn self at a former church a few years back. Very progressive to have a mermaid there to entertain the families.

Mermaids were shown holding a mirror and/or comb, which were symbols of one of the seven sins, vanity. (Lust is another one of the “sins” associated with mermaids as well.)

Back to my original post in 2016:

The Children of the Mermaid comes from County Sligo, Ireland. The seven stones
traditionally known as the Children of the Mermaid are on private
land and often are completely obscured in the brush. It is for this
reason that by some accounts the legend associated with them
has migrated, as did the mermaid in the story below, to :
different group of stones at the tidemark beach. old days, when
the O’Dowds were Lords of Tireragh, the then chief, when
walking early in the morning along the sea-shore, discovered
amongst the rocks a mermaid lying asleep, enveloped in a
gorgeous mantle, Now everybody-or at least everybody in that
locality-knows that if one can only get possession of this
special article of a sea-nymph’s costume she at once loses her
aquatic nature both as regards form and disposition, and
degenerates into an ordinary mortal!
O’Dowd, therefore, stepped forward stealthily, and became the
happy possessor of the magic mantle. In this case the wooing
was not long in doing, for the chief took the metamorphosed
nymph home as his bride, and carefully concealed the gorgeous garment.

If you would like to read more on Irish Mermaid Lore, here is the list and I will share the first in poem.

1. The Merrow-Maiden and Merrow Man -Ireland

“When, by moonlight, the waters were hush’d to repose, That beautiful spirit of ocean arose; Her hair, full of lustre, just floated and fell, O’er her bosom, that heaved with a billowy swell.

“The maiden she gazed on the creature of earth, Whose voice in her breast to a feeling gave birth, Then smil’d; and abash’d, as a maiden might be, Looking down, gently sank to her home in the sea.” – Crofton Croker

2. The Overflowing of Lough Neagh and Liban the Mermaid – Ireland

3. Liban, the Sea Woman – Ireland

4. Water Spirits and Mer Folk of Connacht, Ireland – Connacht, Ireland

5. Children of the Mermaid (posted above, original post) County Sligo, Ireland

6. The Fisherman Who Had Seven Sons – County Mayo, Ireland

7. Water Spirits and Mer-folk of County Clare – County Clare, Ireland

8. The Lady of Gollerus – County Kerry, Ireland

9. Flory Cantillon’s Funeral – County Kerry, Ireland

10. The Soul Cages – County Kerry, Ireland

11. The Lord of Dunkerron – County Kerry, Ireland

12. The Wonderful Tune – County Kerry, Ireland

13. Donald and the Mermaid – County Kerry, Ireland

14. White Cow, Red Cow, Black Cow – County Cork, Ireland

15. Two Legends from County Meath – County Meath, Ireland

I must give a shout out to my most go-to Mermaid book. ‘Mermaid and Other Water Spirit Tales from Around the World.’ This book has been my main foundation for all mermaid history and sparked my pitch for a Mermaid Traveling Show.

Speaking of Mermaid history and travel, let’s have some fun and say you DO travel to Ireland. While I could not find an iconic mermaid statue to visit on your (imaginary trip) which is so odd, since they have so many mermaid stories, you might have to visit a few churches to get in your old, nostalgic mermaid art. Like the Clonfert Cathedral mentioned above.

For food to try, (because let’s be honest, a real great travel history show should have some foodies galore!

I personally love a great Bangers & Mash with minted peas. Since my daughter is vegetarian, we made this years St. Paddy’s day dinner Bangers & Mash with vegan Apple & Sage sausages and it was damn tasty!

Share with us! Have you been to Ireland? If not, is it on your bucket list? Do you like Irish Cuisine, or does the amount of meat they eat turn you off?

Thanks for this little trip to Ireland with a Mermaid!