Researchers Recently Examined The Remains Of A Mummified “Mermaid” That Was Brought Back To The U.S. From Japan Over 100 Years Ago And Found That The Strange Specimen Is A Mix Of Fish, Monkey, And Lizard Parts Joined Together
More than a hundred years ago, a mysterious, mummified “mermaid” was brought back to the United States from Japan. The mermaid was accompanied by documents claiming that a fisherman had caught it sometime in the mid-1800s.
Recently, a team of researchers has been able to examine it further. The strange specimen is quite a sight to behold. It appears to be a jumble of fish, monkey, and lizard parts joined together to produce a monstrous-looking creature.
The creepy mummy is 11.5 inches long and closely resembles the “Fiji mermaid,” which was an elaborate hoax concocted in the 1840s by a showman named P.T. Barnum.
For the first time, researchers used X-rays and CT scans to analyze the mermaid’s remains. The investigation found that the head and upper body of a monkey were sewn onto a decapitated fish. Its clawed hands most likely come from a Komodo dragon.
A pair of wooden stakes inside the remains held the creation in place. One stake ran across the shoulder blades, and the other was positioned from head to tail.
The team plans to recreate models of the mermaid to send to zoos and aquariums in the hopes that experts there can help identify the exact species the mermaid consists of.
This is actually the second mummified mermaid from Japan to have been scanned recently. A similar specimen was studied in March of 2022 after researchers came across a hidden box in a Japanese temple.
Unlike the latest mermaid, the one from the temple was made from cloth, cotton, and paper and held together by pins. It was also decorated with mammal hair and the skin and teeth of a pufferfish.
The above-mentioned mermaids all take after the descriptions of “ningyo,” a fish and human hybrid from Japanese mythology. Ningyo is a symbol of longevity. According to one myth, a woman lived for 800 years after eating one of the creatures.
eyetronic – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Fishermen wanting to capitalize off of the tale might’ve crafted the mermaids to sell to wealthy people seeking to improve their health and prolong their lives.
The beliefs surrounding ningyo are still present in Japan today. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people prayed to the ningyo and even picked off some of its scales to eat in an attempt to ward off the virus.
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