The story of mermaids is one of the most thrilling stories told by human beings. This is because of the mystery that surrounds such story and the observation that different people report different things on the same. Celts have their own stories about women who were and are beautiful and mortal. This article is going to discuss about the Celtic mermaid.
The Celtic Mermaid
The particular word for a mermaid colonizing the seas in Ireland is merrow. Stories in Ireland reported magical creatures that moved from Iberia to Ireland. The Celtic mermaid, like other mermaids, was sub-merged in the water.
Li Ban is a mermaid saint in Ireland and forms a great part of the history of Ireland. Li Ban has been preserved both in story-telling and in the medieval writings, and this information has been passed from generation to generation. Li Ban, the daughter of a king, has an interesting story in that she survived flooding that swept the land. All the other living things were drowned, leaving only Li Ban and her pet dog. In order for Li Ban to survive from this point, she had to be turned to a mermaid.
It should be noted that the Celtic mermaid is not known to be very dangerous when compared to other mermaids in other parts of the world. For example, they could protect the mortal men from drowning at the sea and could extend their hand of help in other cases.
Impact
The mermaids are known to lure the men to come to the sea and follow their lives; and this is not an exception on the Irish mythology. The men are given the choice to follow the life of the mermaid but with some conditions. For example, they could be told that they will not give forth children. In return, they are promised a life of success and prosperity.
The Celtic mermaid, like many other cases of mermaids would cause a disaster around Ireland. Therefore, the people would fear these magical creatures. This is because some of the disasters would lead to death.
Whereas many of the tales about the Celtic mermaid have been threatening, not all have carried this narrative. Mermaids have interacted with human beings in a very positive way, at least in some cases. In turn, the human beings have been rewarded for the same.
For example, some fisherman in Ireland rescued and carried a stranded mermaid to the sea, and in turn, the mermaid rewarded the fisherman with a treasure. There is also a story about a Scottish family which regularly gave gifts to the mermaid, and was later rewarded for this action. The reward was a long life and prosperity.
Conclusion
Stories about the mermaids will continue fascinating people all over the world. It is therefore important that these stories are recorded as they are reported. This will give more information to the existing literature which is not comprehensive. Overall, the Celtic mermaid is a significant component of the Irish mythology.
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