Where, oh where, do we begin with the twin-tailed mermaid?
What is her origin? Is it split-tailed, double-tailed, twin-tailed, or what? Why is she called a Melusine in France, or a Baubo Siren today? Aren’t Sirens bird women? And for the love of all that is Mer, how did she become “the whore of the sea” that unfortunate nickname of the original Starbucks logo?
I don’t have concrete answers, but I have some interesting food for thought. So let’s do this...
As with mermaids in general, the origins of the split-tailed mermaid is a mystery, or at least findings are inconclusive. Mermaid and mermaid-like water creatures, spirits, and elementals are found in every culture around the world. Mermaid lore is older than Greek mythology, Egyptian mythology, and civilizations before that. No one can prove definitively when, where, and by whom these mythical creatures originated.
If you Google “split-tailed mermaid” or siren, your search results will yield a number of sculptures and black and white illustrations of mermaids holding a tail in each hand. These split-tailed maids are usually European in origin and heraldic in nature. Heraldry, to put it simply, is the symbol of a name. During medieval times, many families in Europe had coats of arms and other armorial bearings emblazoned with mermaids, tritons, fish, and double-tailed Melusines. (FYI: we’re going to talk more about Melusine, also known as Melusina, in another post, so I won’t go in depth right now.)
Mermaids are inherently provocative, so a split-tailed mermaid is almost too much to handle. A divided fish tail mimics human legs, and when those tails are held up to her ears, all I can think is: Oh my God she looks totally spread eagle!
But then I digress and remember the symbolism behind this pose, that it comes from ancient history, and has very little to do with being a loose woman. Many scholars believe that split-tailed mermaids imbiber Sheela Na Gigs, largely misunderstood fertility motifs from Europe, with roots as deep as ancient times. (We’re talking cave man ancient.) Fertility goddesses are some of the oldest works of art by mankind, their purpose is deeply spiritual, and was mostly used to increase fertility, enhance virility, and bless a pregnancy. Yes these sculptures are sexual, but they are far from being perverted.
Another term for the split-tailed mermaid is a Baubo Siren. To paraphrase, because it’s a gross story really, Baubo was a hag in Greek mythology who flashed her old lady parts at the Goddess Demeter to lift her spirits, or something like that. In turn, Baubo’s name became the go-to-moniker for explicit figurines, jewelry, and other symbols of femininity, including our dear split-tailed mermaid.
Now, not all twin-tailed mermaids are depicted with their fins in their ears. There are plenty of artists who create mermaids and mermen with their tails in various positions, to varying degrees of fin-to-leg ratios, like these paintings by Edvard Munch and Louis Moe.
So there you have it. Stay tuned for more twin-tailed mermaid fun…
Images via Flickr
