After reading Chapter 1, I was intrigued by the growth of mermaid mythology, which revealed that these enigmatic beings underwent a tremendous shift over the medieval and Renaissance periods. These mythical creatures were diverse, representing both beauty and danger across cultures. As the story evolved into the medieval era, I became interested in how the Church Christianized mermaids. The deliberate use of mermaids in Christian imagery shows a complicated interplay between church power and society narratives. Christianity merged with old pagan ideas, ushering in a new era of mermaid symbolism. The Church’s use of mermaids to communicate ideas about masculinity, femininity, wonder, and danger became an intriguing component of medieval art and sculpture. Moving on to the medieval interpretation, Pliny the Elder’s “Natural History” and later bestiaries depicted tritons and nereids vividly. It was fascinating to see how medieval historians, influenced by Pliny’s descriptions, regarded these beings as half-human, half-fish. The following sexualization of mermaids in illuminated manuscripts was a fascinating look at the junction of religious symbolism and artistic freedom. The contrasted images of mermen, frequently dressed in monk’s robes, emphasized the Church’s emphasis on piety and self-discipline. The recorded encounters with merpeople during medieval times helped to bridge the gap between myth and reality, supporting the Church’s vision. Folktales depicting mermaids as terrible sirens capable of causing men to suffer and die added another layer to the unfolding storyline. The journey through the evolution of mermaid mythology was more than just a chronological progression; it was also an engrossing investigation of the relationship between mythology, religion, and societal attitudes. From ancient myths to Christianized emblems, the mermaid’s transformation reflected larger transformations in cultural perceptions and religious power relations, finally ingraining these mythical figures profoundly into Western folklore and society.

Reading this text, I was able to see and decipher many new meanings of the symbolization of a mermaid that I had never seen or thought of before. While some and most ideas I read about were fascinating, there was one mentioned around the beginning of the introduction that caught my attention. “Humanity maintains a tenuous balance between wonder and order,civilization and savagery.” (Vaughn,9). While the text goes on to explain and share the origin of mermaids and merpeople, this concept stayed with me throughout. It made me question a couple of things, along with humanity and just what it means to be a “human.” Since this was mentioned, it made me think of the fine line between human and monster, or animal, when it comes to a mermaid. What this might mean for humans, and made me think that maybe there is also a fine line for humans between humanity, empathy and monstrosity (whatever that may mean for everyone individually). While I wasn’t surprised by the sexualization of mermaids, I was disappointed. The fact that even as mythical creatures, women can’t seem to catch a break from men, is overwhelming. Mermaids we’re seen as derivatives of beasts, and we’re to blame for men’s lust, which was another thing that was upsetting. While learning of these origins might’ve not been the ones expected, it was interesting to learn how mermaids can hold so much symbolization and significance, when I had never thought of it before.