Mermaids

Ben Williamson, Christopher Halls, Axel Müller

Description

Women with fish tails are among the oldest and still most popular of mythological creatures, possessing a powerful allure and compelling ambiguity. They dwell right in the uncanniest valley of the sea: so similar to humans, yet profoundly other. Mermaids: Art, Symbolism and Mythology presents a comprehensive, interdisciplinary and beautifully illustrated study of mermaids and their influence on Western culture. The roots of mermaid mythology and its metamorphosis through the centuries are discussed with examples from visual art, literature, music and architecture—from 600 BCE right up to the present day.

Our story starts in Mesopotamia, source of the earliest preserved illustrations of half-human, half-fish creatures. The myths and legends of the Mesopotamians were incorporated and adopted by ancient Greek, Etruscan and Roman cultures. Then, during the early medieval period, ancient mythological creatures such as mermaids were confused, transformed and reinterpreted by Christian tradition to begin a new strand in mermaid lore. Along the way, all manner of stunning—and sometimes bizarre or unsettling—depictions of mermaids emerged. Written in an accessible and entertaining style, this book challenges conventional views of mermaid mythology, discusses mermaids in the light of evolutionary theory and aims to inspire future studies of these most curious of imaginary creatures.

Preface

Memorial note

1 Introduction: Why mermaids?

2 Mermaids conceived: hybrid goddesses and beasts in antiquity

3 Christian adaptations in the Romanesque to Baroque eras

4 Mermaid passions: obsessive fixation in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century art

5 Mermaids everywhere: postwar commercialization and trivialization

6 Mermaids rationalized: evolutionary theory confronts the fantastic

References

Acknowledgements

Index

Sujets

• Arts visuels
• Histoire des Arts
• Histoire des Arts
• Social Science
• Sociologie, société et politique
• Folclore
• History of art
• Art movement
• General officer
• Mermaid
• Mythology
• Evolution
• Cultural anthropology
• Anthropology
• General
• History
• ART
• Folklore

Informations

• Publié par: University of Exeter Press
• Date de parution: 26 avril 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781804130056
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 140 Mo

Extrait

MERMAIDS ART, SYMBOLISM AND MYTHOLOGY

MERMAIDS ART, SYMBOLISM AND MYTHOLOGY

AXEL MÜLLER cHRISTOPHER HALLS BENWILLIAMSON

Fîrst puîséd în  y Unîvérsîty o Exétér Préss Rééd Ha, Stréatam Drîvé Exétér EX QR, UK

www.exeterpress.co.uk

Mermaids: Art, Symbolism and Mythology

Copyrîgt © Axé Müér, Crîstopér Has and Bén Wîîamson 

Axé Müér, Crîstopér Has and Bén Wîîamson avé assértéd téîr rîgts undér té Copyrîgt, Désîgns and Paténts Açt  to é îdéntîIéd as té autors o tîs work.

A CïP çataogué réçord or tîs ook îs avaîaé rom té Brîtîs Lîrary.

DOï: ttps://doî.org/./DïJï

ïSBN: ---- (Hk) ïSBN: ---- (éPu) ïSBN: ---- (PDF)

Covér îmagé: Aérîç îs Séduçéd y té Vîsîon o té Rînémaîdéns: îustratîon or ‘Das Réîngod’ (înoçut) © Pî Rédord / Brîdgéman ïmagés

Typését în Garamond and DïN  y BBR Désîgn, Séiéd

Prîntéd în Waés y Gomér

1

Preace Memorîal note

Introduction: Why mermaids?

CONTENTS

2 Mermaids conceived: hybrid goddesses and beasts in antiquity Mésopotamîa: té çradé o mérmaîd îmagéry hé unçértaîn roé o té mérmaîd goddéss Atargatîs A gréat dîvérsîty o mérmaîd ançéstors hé Etrusçan Sçya, té réa mérmaîd ançéstor hé spréad o mérmaîd ançéstors troug té Roman Empîré

3 Christian adaptations in the Romanesque to Baroque eras Bîrt o té mérmaîd, té séduçtréss o éîévérs hé réîrt o mérmaîd mytoogy Baroqué mérmaîds, a énd o açt and Içtîon

4

Mermaid passions: obsessive fixation in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century art Mérmaîds éçomé çîdrén’s rîénds hé Irst oom o Iné mérmaîd arts Mérmaîds as musés Japanésé mérmaîd mummy çréatîons hé séçond oom o Iné mérmaîd arts hé çréatîon o îçonîç mérmaîd sçupturés

vîî îx

1

7 7 11 16 30 34

39 39 54 68

77 77 81 85 92 99 101

viART, SYMBOLISM AND MYTHOLOGY MERMAIDS:

5

hé égînnîng o té déçîné o Iné mérmaîd arts Hardy any traçés o mérmaîds Mérmaîd éauty strîppéd away

Mermaids everywhere: postwar commercialization and trivialization Mérmaîds orgottén în Iné art hé éxpandîng çutura nîçé or mérmaîds Mérmaîds éçomé movîé stars Mérmaîds as tréasuréd çîdrén’s toys Mérmaîdîng

107 110 113

115 115 120 125 131 132

6 Mermaids rationalized: evolutionary theory confronts the fantastic135 Reerences141 Acknowledgements148 Index152

PREFACE

Our purposé în émarkîng on tîs ook aout té çutura îstory o mérmaîds was twood. Fîrst, wé wantéd to îustraté and désçrîé té aéstétîçs and dîvérsîty o mérmaîd-réatéd art trougout uman îstory. ïn tîs réspéçt, our çontrî- utîon résémés an art ook tat çronîçés and çéératés mérmaîd symoîsm rom îts çonçéptîon moré tan , yéars ago în Mésopotamîan çuturé, troug çassîça antîquîty and up to té présént day. hé çéar tîméîné o té narratîvé éps guîdé té réadér troug a wéat o oéçts and înormatîon. hîs îs suççînçt ratér tan çompréénsîvé, as té numér o known art oéçts and îmagés îs ar too gréat or a popuar and îgt ovérvîéw o tîs kînd (and wé téréoré apoogîzé to anyoné wosé avorîté éxampés aré mîssîng). Wé admît tan somé o our çoîçés o îmagés aré aîméd at întrîguîng or évén provokîng té réadér or séék to aççéntuaté té otén çomîça and îzarré naturé o té suéçt mattér—atoug ît soud é ovîous wéré tîs îs té çasé, and wé éîévé tat ît doés not undérmîné té açtua asîs o té work. Our séçond réason or wrîtîng tîs ook îs sçîéntîIç, în tat ît îs proay té Irst o îts kînd to désçrîé té évoutîon o mérmaîd mytoogy and symoîsm usîng îstorîça and çrédîé sourçés. Wé opé tat tîs approaç résuts în a work tat îs o road întérést and oférs énoymént to té sçîéntîIç çommunîty as wé as amatéur éntusîasts and té moré çasua réadér. Oné o té îgîgts îs a dîsçussîon o mérmaîds troug té prîsm o évoutîonary téory, wîç évauatés a rangé o strangé and sométîmés umorous myts and déçéptîons în té îgt o modérn sçîénçé. ïn addîtîon, wé oréground té împortançé o mérmaîds în myts, égénds and popuar çuturé în ordér to împrové undérstandîng o té înkagés étwéén tradîtîons în tîmé and spaçé. Wé opé tat our ook wî înspîré néw sçîéntîIç studîés on tîs çurîous topîç. Naturay, somé o our çomméntary îs tongué-în-çéék, sînçé wé do not éîévé în té pysîça éxîsténçé o mérmaîds, préérrîng to régard tém as symoîzîng té poténtîa or good and ad în a o us, and té pîtas o ust and grééd.

viiiART, SYMBOLISM AND MYTHOLOGY MERMAIDS:

hé îdéa or tîs proéçt was orn out o té rîéndsîp étwéén té autors. Durîng géoogîça Iédwork on Capé Cornwa, wé çançéd upon té Mérmaîd o Zénnor çaîr în St Sénara’s Curç, tén spént ong événîngs gazîng at té oçéan wondérîng wat séçréts ît may od. ïn té yéars to çomé, wé éçamé moré and moré întrîguéd y mérmaîd dépîçtîons and symoîsm, akîn to ow séaarérs wéré séduçéd y mérmaîds çénturîés éoré. So, wé spént many ours on réséarç, sééîng mérmaîd îmagés and désçrîptîons în paçés and oéçts unknown to us éoré, în té proçéss méétîng many otér mérmaîd éntusîasts and învovîng rîénds and amîy în tîs advénturé as wé. Wé wîs you as muç énoymént wén you réad tîs ook as wé ad în wrîtîng ît.

MEMORIAL NOTE FOR CHRISTOPHER HALLS

Crîs, té maîn înîtîator o tîs ook, was our muç ovéd and réspéçtéd rîénd and çoéagué wo passéd away—ar too éary—on Good Frîday,  Març , atér a ong and çouragéous atté agaînst çançér. Wén é was on îs déatéd, wé promîséd to puîs tîs ook. Crîs graduatéd în géoogy at Unîvérsîty Coégé London în  and réçéîvéd îs PD rom té samé înstîtutîon în . Hé workéd as a çonsutant mînér- aogîst or a Canadîan réséarç organîzatîon, réturnîng to téaçîng and réséarç at té Roya Sçoo o Mînés (ïmpérîa Coégé) în London în . Hé workéd on té génésîs o méta mînéraîzatîon and déposîts în Boîvîa, Cornwa and Sout Cîna. Crîs took a çosé întérést în îs many studénts at a évés and was îgy réspéçtéd trougout té mînîng îndustry, réguary workîng as a çonsutant on dîférént proéçts. Atér é rétîréd rom ïmpérîa Coégé, é çontînuéd as a sçîéntîIç assoçîaté at té Natura Hîstory Muséum o London. hat was wén wé mét and startéd workîng togétér. On té wéékénd, wé woud réguary méét at Crîs’s ousé at Hîgér Boéwyan néar St Just, wîç wé çaéd ‘Numér Eîgt’ and wîç éçamé our ‘Cornîs mérmaîd réséarç çéntré’. héré wé woud spénd tîmé togétér, îkîng aong té çoast and troug té magîça Cornîs andsçapé, vîsîtîng oça rîénds, çoéçtîng storîés and wrîtîng în ront o té Irépaçé at Numér Eîgt, wîç sééméd to é té navé o té word în tosé days. Crîs îs sady mîsséd. hroug tîs ook îs mémory çontînués.