The word Guyana, the name itself means ‘Land of Many Waters’ so surely there are bound to be as many stories about nonhuman water-dwelling manifestations as they are on land. Our Guyanese folktale is diverse and rich, consisting of many legends and myths the most famed are the Ole Higue, Kanaima, Moongazer, Massacooraman and the Baccoo. A lesser-known figure is the Mermaid, a female water spirit locally known as Fairmaids, which you must have come across at some point.
In Guyana, these mermaids are believed to have more of a sinister nature, like the Sirens of Greek origin. The Mermaids in Guyana are believed to frequent riverbanks, singing irresistible tunes and brushing their long, free-flowing hair. They like to leave their gold combs for the unsuspecting victim to steal and then reward them with often gruesome punishment in the dark depth of the rivers and oceans. However, according to some stories, Mermaids are shy and dives underwater to hide from people. The male version of the Mermaid is the Merman, but there are no local stories about this.
Mermaids are known as Ribba Mooma (River Mother) in Jamaica and Mama Glow or Mama Dlo in islands with French history. Mermaids or rather Fairmaids do not exist only in Guyanese culture but in many others, spread out across the world, from Africa to Arabia, Wales and Europe. Nevertheless, the history of Mermaids has been interwoven into Guyanese folktale and literature, with a strong influence from the African version, Mami Wata.
Interesting Tip
- Christopher Columbus claimed to have seen Mermaids in the Caribbean. This was later determined to have been manatees.
Mermaid with the tail of a Luknani Fish(Cichla ocellaris) – Art by Leon Hardowar
Origin of Mermaids
The legends of Mermaids were first created around c. 1000 BC in Assyria, now known as Iraq and Turkey. Some believe Mermaids are a version of Mami Wata, an African deity. Mami Wata, meaning Mother Water is believed to have the tail of a serpent or sometimes, a fish. Mermaids exist in numerous cultures around the world, like Scottish, Wales, African and Arabian.
Description of Mermaids
A Mermaid is a creature of the sea, often described with the curvy, beautiful upper body of a woman, and a body which ends in the tail of a fish. Her breasts are often exposed, or in the modern version, covered with seashells. In the European culture, Mermaids are fair but in the African culture, are dark-skinned like the Mami Wata. One feature that is prevalent in all the cultures, is a very long flowing hair, that she is famous for brushing; it seems the mermaid takes great care in grooming. The bottom half of their bodies resemble the fins of fishes and vary in colour and patterns.
Myths About Mermaids Around the World
- In the Shetland Islands, Scotland Mermaids were beautiful women, living under the sea but can visit land. They acquire their tails temporarily by wearing the skin of a fish. If they lose this while they were on land, they will never be able to return home under the waters.
- Mermaids were also prevalent in German folklore. Heinrich Heine, a German poet was inspired by these creatures to write the ballad of Lorelei of River Rhine. Her melodious voice attracts sailors and fishermen, who try to find her, but instead fails and crash into the rocks by the Rhine’s riverbank.
- Perhaps the most famous Mermaid is Ariel, from the Movie the Little Mermaid, produce by Disney Studios. This was based on the story of the Grimm Brothers, famous authors. Ariel was outwitted by the witch and given the option to kill her prince. As a result of resisting, she died and dissolved into seafoam.
- Margaret Atwood, a Canadian poet and novelist channelled the modern Greek’s interpretation of these sea creatures. She too described them as very beautiful, tempting women with irresistible voices. Sailors are captivated by their singing and sail towards them to their death on rocky precipes.
Superstitions of The Mermaid in Guyana
- A common Mermaid superstition is that the creature likes to sit on rocks and brush her hair with golden combs.
- These golden combs are a thing of great beauty and greedy humans are prone to pocketing them, to the rage of the Mermaids who takes their life in revenge.
- Other Guyanese stories show that the Mermaids and kind to those who return her comb and reward the with many riches.
- One particular story about Mermaid, portrays the aquatic creature with the ability to walk on land but preferring the water.
Mermaids in Guyana
While there is not much evidence to confirm the existence of Mermaids, they still play a dominant role in storytelling. Mermaids, or rather Fairmaids remain a part of Guyanese folklore and continue to inspire many poems and stories. Guyana is the Land of Many Waters and has many legends of the sea, with the Mermaid or Fairmaid, being one of the most popular. Our rivers and waterways are numerous and some even left untouched, so one may never truly know what lies beneath the waves. Do you know any Guyanese stories about these water spirits? If you do, tell us all about it in the comments!
Article References
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mermaid
- https://www.rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/what-mermaid
- https://www.stabroeknews.com/2015/07/12/sunday/arts-on-sunday/death-destruction-and-enchanting-folklore-maidens/
- https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2009/10/04/the-mermaid%E2%80%99s-revenge/
- https://www.livescience.com/39882-mermaid.html
- https://thenyceffect.wordpress.com/2017/08/16/scary-folklore-from-the-caribbean-guyana-part-2/
- https://www.wired.com/2014/10/fantastically-wrong-strange-murderous-sometimes-sexy-history-mermaid/
