Early civilisations were built around water, and the first known instance of a mer-creature in mythology can be traced back to a Babylonian god named Enki, also known as Ea, who appeared around 7,000 years ago. However, this figure was male. The first mermaid, in contrast, appears in the story of the goddess Atargatis, who, around 1,000 BCE, dove into a Syrian lake and transformed into a fish-like creature. Atargatis’s image can be found on ancient coins and carved into temples, showcasing the lasting appeal of these early mermaids that continue to captivate us today.
This series is about transformation and duality.
Mermaids’ hybrid nature, with a human upper body and a fishtail, symbolises the connection between the human and the natural world, the conscious and the unconscious.
Latifah A 