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Louise Pryke, Honorary Research Associate, University of Sydney

A long and fishy tail: before Disney’s Little Mermaid, these creatures existed in mythologies from around the world

Disney Hans Christian Anderson Shakespeare Mami Wata Flood Wikimedia Commons
13th century painting of mermaids from a house in Barcelona. Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona

Mermaids are multicultural mythical figures, reflecting the continuing human fascination with the sea in stories echoing thousands of years into the past. Mermaids are found in cultures across the globe.

In Australia, special water spirits appear in the rock and bark art of First Nations people in Arnhem Land.

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