Tales of mermaids have been around for thousands of years. Men have told these tales of beautiful and dangerous creatures who live primarily beneath the sea. The common image of the Merfolk, mermaids and mermen, is that they are humans from the waist up, but fishes from the waist down. They are said to have the tail of an aquatic animal such as a fish or dolphin. Their sighting was thought to be a bad omen, foretelling storms and rough seas. There are numerous folk tales describing mermaid's interactions with humans.
             Mermaids are generally described as having the upper body of a beautiful woman with long hair, and the lower half of their body from the waist down, was that of a fish. In many of the classic descriptions mermaids are to be found sitting on a rock just off the shore, combing their hair, singing sweetly, and admiring their beauty in a hand mirror. Their beautiful singing brings men into their clutches much like the classical sirens. Their unfortunate victims are either drowned, spirited to their world, or eaten in the depths of the sea.
             In some tales mermaids are benevolent, and have the ability to grant the gift of magical powers, but usually there is high price to pay. As well as granting wishes, there are tales of mermaids intermarrying with humans, and creating hybrid children with magical powers. Historically, here have been tales of creatures being part fish and part human for thousands of years. There have been several, actual recorded sightings of mermaids over the last few hundred years, even into the 20th century, especially in places where the old beliefs die hard. Although these sightings strain credibility, they may be related to the same mechanisms that cause people to see other imaginative figures.
             Stories of mermaids and mermen have circulated in many cultures for thousands of years. The first stories can be traced back to Babylonian and Greek mythology, and they have since passed dow...