Dive into centuries of mermaid lore with me Ana Karenina. I launch to you my enchanting podcast Mermaids, which brings together tales of mermaids from around the world. The oldest and most popular mythical beings, mermaids—in all their alluring, mysterious glory—have captured the imagination since long before Ariel sold her voice to a sea witch in the beloved Disney film adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." As far back as the eighth century B.C., sailors in Homer's Odyssey stuffed wax in their ears in order to resist the Sirens, who lured men to their watery deaths with song. More than two thousand years later, the gullible New   York public lined up to witness a mummified "mermaid" specimen that the enterprising showman P. T. Barnum swore was real. The Mermaids Podcast is a treasury of such tales about water spirits and merfolk from different cultures, from Scottish selkies to Hindu water-snakes to Chilean sea fairies.

Water spirits, like water, are powerful, unpredictable, and awe-inspiring—that is, both terrifying and wonderful. In stories across cultures, they may seduce, punish, or reward humans, though their actions are ultimately outside of human grasp. Like water, they are shape-shifters that resist being contained. Male and female water beings who are much more powerful than mermaids feature prominently in myths. They may be divine—as in the case of Poseidon and others—or at the very least have extraordinary powers.

So, every Tuesday is your special day to sit back, relax and allow me to take you to places you couldn’t even dream of.