Faroe Islands Mermaid
In 1723 a Royal Commission from Denmark visited the Faroe Islands in the Norwegian Sea to investigate claims of a mermaid being in the area. They saw a merman approach their ship, submerge then surface to stare at them intently with deep set eyes. Unsettling those aboard, the vessel was commanded to withdraw and as it pulled away, the creature puffed out his cheeks, roared and submerged again. An account of this appears in Jerome Clark’s ‘Unexplained! Strange Sightings, Incredible Occurrences & Puzzling Physical Phenomena’
I wonder if a seal of some
I wonder if a seal of some sort wasn’t the culprit. They have forward facing eyes like humans and water distortion can make them seem slimmer than they appear on land. The puff and roar certainly sounds like a bull seal.
I think you may be right
I think you may be right Columbine. Basically it all boild down to how reliable the witnesses are familiar they were with sea live I suppose.
I found another account from around the British Isles (but I don’t have any idea which part). On 4 June 1857 a seaman from Scotland saw mermaid descibed as being, "in the shape of a woman with full breast, dark complexion, and comely face."
The mermaid tradition around
The mermaid tradition around the North Sea (including Scotland) is very much centered around seals. The Selkie and the Norwegian “lady playing violin to the seals” are well known instances.
The “…puffed out his cheeks…” part makes me think about a Hooded Seal (Cystophora cristata), a large seal from the Artic which often roams as far south as the Canary Islands whose adult males happen to have an inflatable appendage on their noses.
Now if someone would care to explain me how soemthing like a seal or a manatee can look like an attractive woman even to a sailor confined for months on a boat I’d definetely be grateful…
In Distortion We Trust
Re: The mermaid tradition around
"Now if someone would care to explain me how soemthing like a seal or a manatee can look like an attractive woman even to a sailor confined for months on a boat I’d definetely be grateful…"
I remember reading a book about the Falkland Islands and the troops over there (no idea what book was called) the author was stationed over there and when he first arrived wondered why all the troops stationed were letching over a barmaid who was wasn’t exactly an oil painting, by the time he had finished his tour he was doing exactly the same thing. Not a great analogy maybe, but who knows – there was a lot of rum on board ships at the time of these sightings: perhaps beer goggles were much more powerful back then 🙂
Re: Faroe Islands Mermaid
Well, at least she was part of our own species… 😀
In Distortion We Trust
Re: Faroe Islands Mermaid
okay i agree but i dont even know why they would have mermen and mermaids well its not that i dont beleve in them i do beleve in them but saying why would they put a mermaid in the title becuase in the story it says mermen AND seriously whats the haunting have to do about mermaids but wow its said to be mermaids resting places WOW!!!
Re: Faroe Islands Mermaid
I saw two people kissin in the middle of the sea whhich was very wierd!!