Abstract
Mermaids have remained the creatures of mythology for quite some time now, and they are also being featured in many of the present day movies and TV shows apart from the children’s cartoons. That is all well for we know that these media are a work of fiction, but shockingly enough, the subject has very recently come up but this time, the classification has not remained in the genre of fiction. Today people are asking if mermaids could actually exist or if the myths had come out of a few very overactive imaginations. The controversial issue has become even more complex since the renowned channels ‘Animal Planet’ and ‘National Geographic’ aired documentaries with the underlying hint that mermaids are not as many creatures of our imagination as we might have earlier presumed. In this paper, we are going to explore the reality of those documentaries and make an attempt at putting the matter to rest about whether or not mermaids are creatures of the sea or if they just reserve play in the folklore.
The Truth behind Mermaids
The idea of mermaids has fascinated the human mind since time immemorial. Sometimes, it is out of pure fantasy and at other times, individuals and organizations front evidence to support the claims of the existence of mermaids. However, no single answer has been agreed upon despite the debates that this question has faced. I have always doubted the existence of a half human in water. I have believed the issue to be a strong myth. However, the mention of mermaids in different forums and disciplines as well as numerous researches and documentaries on the existence of mermaids carries significant weight and probably mermaids do exist. This research proposal will seek to respond to the question, “do mermaids really exist?” as I seek the truth on this fascinating yet controversial debate that has raged on for thousands of years.
In order to research this subject appropriately, I will have to assiduously analyze the points provided by both sides of the aisle, that is, those who say that mermaids do exist and those who refute the concept of mermaids. Only after listing down the arguments and counter arguments will I be better able to understand the concept and reach an appropriate conclusion. Moreover, I will research about the credibility of the resources that I use in order to substantiate the claims made on both sides. The mere opinion will distort the research essay. I will have to separate opinion and hearsay from the solid facts.
Moreover, while researching about the existence of mermaids, I will also have to study some ancient myths and trace their source. Sometimes, stories that we presume to be myths today were actually based on some real event in the past centuries. Therefore, discarding myths merely on the basis of their being called so would not be advisable in my research. I will have to trace every detail to its origin as far as possible in order to determine its truth. In reaching my conclusion, I will make sure I point out the exact arguments that made me incline towards the conclusion that I penned down.
Starting with an objective view; what the leading websites have to say
Some of the sources I am going to use will be leading websites in discussing controversial matters. The first of these is slate.com, which carried an article titled “No, Mermaids Do Not Exist” by David Shiffman. Shiffman is a Ph.D. student at the University of Miami’s Abess Centre for Ecosystem Science and Policy. He writes for numerous science magazines and sites such as Southern Fried Science. In this article, he dispels claims by Animal planet which aired two documentaries claiming that there is scientific evidence for the existence of mermaids. He reveals several issues about the ocean to counter the allegations in the documentaries and asserts that indeed mermaids do not exist. The seriousness of this source stems from the scholar being a marine biologist and the valuable evidence that he fronts in an organized manner.
Another article titled “Mermaids do not exist, and five other important things people should, but do not know about the ocean” in the Southern Fried Science by David Shiffman also seeks to dispel the existence of mermaids. In this case, Shiffman educates people on issues about the oceans such as the exploitation of marine resources; the presence of rare marine life among others issues (Shiffman, 2015). Though related to the first, the knowledge about marine life helps the research to evaluate the soundness of a humanoid or a half-human to exist in water for all its life.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is claimed to have fronted claims on the existence of mermaids, and its assertion renders the research as a balanced exploration of the research topic. A blog claims that the NOAA wrote an article titled“Conclusive Evidence of the Existence of Aquatic Humanoids” in which it asserts on the existence of mermaids using Paleolithic evidence and the prevalence of mermaids in cave paintings. The blog bears video links to the figures that are claimed to be mermaids, and this serves as a good source to explore the validity of the claims. Later the NOAA claimed that there is no evidence of aquatic humanoids. However, it gives credit to the belief that has existed in varying literature for many years. It somehow leaves the debate open to historians, anthropologists, and historians.
The assertion by NOAA denouncing the existence of mermaids prompted Joseph Castro writing for livescience.com to write an article titled “are mermaids real?”. Castro was prompted by a show that aired on the Animal Planet television channel in 2012 claiming that mermaids exist. The video is one of the main basis of the research and watching it will open a gateway into studying to verify or denounce the existence of mermaids. Shortly after the documentary was aired, NOAA denounced claims stating that there is no evidence of the existence of mermaids. However, the existence of mermaids bears weight given the high prevalence of belief in their existence and the many years that people have, written, researched, and even claimed to have interacted with the mysterious humanoids.
Why people believe mermaids exist
The first evidence which may vouch for the existence of mermaids in the sea could be the documentary broadcasted by Animal Planet following which, speculation on the subject spread through the world like wildfire. The documentary kicks off by presenting for the audience all the evidence which points towards the existence of Mermaids on the planet and then shows the footage of the sighting of the creature shot by an American tourist touring in Israel. Even though some of the experts still refuse to accept that the creature is a mermaid, there is still evidence that has been documented and presented for the benefit of those who would like to believe.
Another factor which many believers place their faith in is the fact that there have been a number of sightings of the creature reported in the media. One such sighting was reported by the show which through the present day is famous under the name ‘Burnam and bailee’ which not only revealed to the audience that the creature had been seen off the coast of Greenland rather also released footage which had been seen by many with mouths gaping open. This is the story of the present day. History has also presented us with proof that mermaids are actually existent and one of the figures in the history to become a witness to their existence was Christopher Columbus. He had presented a claim that we had seen one near Haiti in the year 1493, and he even described this creature as not being as dreamy and fascinated as the people have made them out to be in the media.
One such sighting has also been contributed by a certain Captain John Smith and that sighting was later documented for everyone to read in the publication ‘Incredible Mysteries of Land and Sea.' As per the said account, the Captain had seen a mermaid with big eyes and shockingly, green hair very close to the coast of Newfoundland. The Captain had felt drawn to the creature, but that pull soon turned powerless one, he realized that the creature looked like a fish from the waist down.
This much evidence may have been plenty to turn a few people into believers over the existence of mermaids but there was still more for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also gave their opinions and went ahead to claim that mermaids actually exist and are more than mere works of fiction. The same claim had been delivered through the article published under the name ‘Conclusive Evidence of the Existence of Aquatic Humanoids’. There is even one author who says that we have hardly any knowledge of the life forms which dwell in the deeper and further parts of the sea, and considering how little the humans actually know about the creatures that are in far parts of the sea, there is some convincing possibility that mermaids may actually exist.
Shocking as it may seem there are also people who believe that mermaids may be real just for the reason that scientists discover new species of animals and sea creatures all the time. They say that since that is being seen and done; it increases the likelihood that there is very little that is not possible in this world.
Reasons to deny the existence of mermaids
Despite all of the evidence which stills floats on the subject of the existence of mermaids, there is also the large majority which is set in the opinion that the mermaids are a myth, one that has been blown out of proportion particularly lately. These non-believers also have plentiful evidence backing the lack of their belief in the existence of mermaids, some of which we are going to shed light on in the flowing few paragraphs. To begin with, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration might be vouching for the existence of mermaids now, but there was a time when the same debate has been denied by the organization during 2013. This denial was particularly in response to the Documentary aired on the channel ‘Animal Planet’ by the name ‘Mermaids: The Body Found’. The organization then gave the statement which said that there has so far been no evidence that has been gathered on the existence of mermaids and for this reason; there is no need for the people to indulge in the fear of creatures that occupy the seas. The Organization went ahead also to say that this was a debate which should be left to the scrutiny of the historians, philosophers, and the anthropologists.
We saw earlier how some people feel encouraged by the fact that scientists keep discovering new species of living things in the quest to believe in the existence of mermaids. David Shiffman, a student of Marine Biology at the University of Miami strongly condemns these beliefs and wakes people up from the faith of the fantasies. He uses quite a harsh language when he tells people to distinguish in between the fantasies that a real and ones which are believed to be true.
There have been more than a few scientist and experts who have contested the bogusness of the documentaries which had been aired in the name of informing the people because the people who had been interviewed and those who had presented most of the evidence were no experts and neither were they, scientists. They were mere actors who had been provided with a script, and a short disclaimer to the effect had also appeared at the conclusion of the same documentaries.
We may also present and agree with the claim that there is still more than 90% of the ocean which still remains to be explored by the humans, and this may somehow mean that mermaids may exist. The reality, however, is that had mermaids actually existed, the evidence that we have collected to far could have been more convincing of the fact. We may be unaware, but that does not mean that we should be ignorant as well.
Now that we most of the theories and the evidence proving the existence of mermaids has been debunked, we can now say for certain that there is no concrete evidence which proves the existence of mermaids, and this is the reason why there is the large majority towards the objective side of the debate; one which believes that mermaids are not real.
Where the discussions started from; tracing back to the myths
Mermaids have been the creatures of the legends for a time as far back as we can trace to. There is a very big name in the history of Greek poetry penned down as home, and it was the same poet who wrote about the mermaids in his poem The Odyssey. Also, in the Ancient cultures of the Far East, the same mermaids were believed to be the wives of very powerful dragons that ruled under the sea and here, the same mermaids served as the trustee envoys between their partners and the emperors of the sea. There are also people residing in Australia who call these mermaids yawkyayawks, a word which signifies mesmerizing songs sung amongst the people. This is probably where the idea of mermaids’ ability to sing beautifully stemmed from.
Although the beliefs of the presence of mermaids on the land have lived with the humankind for as long as they themselves have existed, but some 30,000 years before today, these beliefs had been turned into art with the appearance of these female figures in the cave paintings. The same mythologies also later expanded outward to incorporate the existence of other half-humans under the name of chimeras, and there were also the centaurs that were considered as the wise creatures and on went the additions. Today, there are many creatures in our fictitious stories that can never take a place in the realms of reality, and mermaids have been classified as one of the creatures of the same mythologies, probably the very first creature of the same mythologies.
Concluding the research; what the gathered evidence say
There have been many who have gone ahead to place faith in the reality of the mermaids because of the few documentaries released on the subject and also a few sightings which have been kept on record, through the history and now. The fact, however, is the many experts and research are questioning the credibility of the documentaries which have been aired and the information which has been imparted in the same documentaries. The sightings which have claimed the mermaids do exist have been treated in a similar fashion by the experts and many have called them cases of mistaken identities where other creatures of the sea are being manipulated to appear the way we want to believe them to appear.
The evidence itself is sufficient to convince us of the idealism of the existence of mermaids, and after we scrutinize and rule against the facts which are supposed to convince us of their existence, even we could present verdict that there is no evidence which could be linked to the existence of mermaids. What we have, we could easily call make-belief and resultantly say that even though we have believed that mermaids exist since the start of time, just as long have we failed to prove that they are real. This could mean only one thing; that mermaids do not actually exist.
Why it is important to assert that mermaids are not real
Some say that there is not a lot wrong with believing in the possibility of mermaids. The trouble, however, is that there are problems when a lot of people start believing that mermaids are real. The first reason why it is important for us to prove the non-existence of mermaids is so that we can draw a very clear boundary between fiction and reality. We should not we searching for a concept in reality which we may have so long witnessed in the fiction that we encounter.
The second important reason is because we have been spending millions of dollars in research and documentaries which have so fun given us nothing by way of proof for the existence of mermaids. If we could establish once and for all that there is no reality such as a half human and half fish, we could allocate our precious resources to causes that could prove more worthy to us in the long run, like the preservation of marine life and protection of the same marine species that have become or are at a danger of becoming extinct.
Conclusion
The existence of mermaids may not be a reality, but it does not in any way imply that the world that resides under the sea is any less interesting just because there are no mermaids in the world. There are still many very interesting creatures which should be preserved for the scientists to discover and the people to catch a glimpse of. Just because of the wonders which have not yet come to our attention, it is important that we preserve the life that presides under the sea. We have to watch out very carefully for the toxic waste that we dump upon the habits of the millions of the species of marine life, and we should make the investment to have the toxic wastes that have been dumped into the seas cleaned to the best of our abilities.
These are all creatures that exist to quench the curiosity of the best of us and without this beauty; the world would surely be a lesser place. Mermaids or no mermaids, the marine life, requires preservation.
References
Mermaids are real, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2015, 5-February). Retrieved 2016 йил 29-February from https://missiongalacticfreedom.wordpress.com/2015/02/05/mermaids-are-real-says-the-national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration/
Castro, J. (2014 йил 25-May). Are Mermaids Real? Retrieved 2016 йил 29-February from Livescience: http://www.livescience.com/45733-are-mermaids-real.html
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . (2015 йил 26-February). Are mermaids real? Retrieved 2016 йил 29-February from http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/mermaids.html
Shiffman, D. (2013 йил 3-September). No, Mermaids Do Not Exist. Retrieved 2016 йил 29-February from http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/05/mermaids_aren_t_real_animal_planet_s_fake_documentaries_misrepresent_ocean.html
Shiffman, D. (2015). Mermaids do not exist and five other important things people should, but do not, know about the ocean. Retrieved 2015 йил 29-February from http://www.southernfriedscience.com/mermaids-do-not-exist-and-five-other-important-things-people-should-but-do-not-know-about-the-ocean/
Vultaggio, M. (2013, May 26). Do Mermaids Exist? Animal Planet's ‘Mermaids: The New Evidence’ Ignites Twitter Debate About The Creatures Being Real [VIDEO]. Retrieved from International Business Times: http://www.ibtimes.com/do-mermaids-exist-animal-planets-mermaids-new-evidence-ignites-twitter-debate-about-creatures-being
