Mermaids In Greek Folklore

Mermaids, Fairies, and Witches are some of the most prominent mythical characters in today’s entertainment. These creatures are common characters in Folklore from various countries around the world. Folklore from other countries and cultures often affects how authors portray these creatures in the movies, books, and TV shows that are familiar to the citizens of America. One such country is Scotland, which is filled with multitudes of different folk stories. Scottish Folklore in particular has many tales about these three well known creatures. The most commonly known folklore from Scotland has had a huge impact on some of the most well known entertainment in the United States today. One of these creatures, the mermaid, is the most widely known

In fact, the movies do not even have to show the mermaids as evil creatures to incorporate details or ideas from Scottish Folklore, as shown by the famous Disney movie, The Little Mermaid. In this tale, Ariel has an amazing voice that she is loved for and is a major part of the plot (Johanningmeier scene 2). Ariel’s voice is a major part of her character as a mermaid. When she becomes human, she loses her voice entirely, associating the amazing voice with being a mermaid. This emphasizes the trait from Scottish Folklore of mermaids being creatures that possess unnaturally beautiful voices. King Triton is originally spoken of because of his powers over the sea (Johanningmeier scene 1). The fishermen claim that as a merperson, he has the ability to control the ocean and its waves. It is no wonder, with many of Scotland’s folk tales describing mermaids having various magical powers. Even with the entirety of the movie showing the goodness and beauty of mermaids, the writer of The Little Mermaid still managed to sneak in a reference to a darker side of the sea dwelling creatures. When the fishermen sing about mermaids, they include the lyrics “...Look out, lad, a mermaid be waitin' for you, In mysterious fathoms below,” (Johanningmeier scene 1). This paints mermaids as creatures that are waiting to enchant and drown the men on board. Even in a children’s movie with nice mermaids, Scotland’s

This influence is shown by the White Witch, Jadis, who is depicted as remorseless in her display of how she carelessly turns those that annoy her into stone (Shmoop para 1). Finally, The Little Mermaid, once again shows the influence of Scottish folklore by depicting Ursula the Sea Witch as evil and murderous (Johanningmeier scene 8-end). Once again, Scotland’s folk tales have influenced the depiction of a favorite character. The tales of witches that are malevolent and hideous has obviously had a large impact on today’s