Listen to hear about the history of mermaids/sirens, the major historical figures who documented their sightings, Mami Wata, La Sirène, and mermaids today.     Cultural & Myth Background Sources Homer’s Odyssey – Sirens lure Odysseus with their song.Perseus Digital Library – Odyssey, Book XII Ovid’s Metamorphoses – Sirens as maidens transformed after Persephone’s abduction.Perseus Digital Library – Ovid, Metamorphoses V British Library Blog – Medieval depictions of mermaids and mermen in manuscripts.Of Mermaids and Mermen – British Library Encyclopedia Britannica – Overview of mermaid lore in history and literature.Mermaid – Britannica Wikipedia – Global mermaid traditions (Ningyo, Rusalka, etc.).Mermaid – Wikipedia Encyclopedia Britannica (Rusalka) – Slavic mythology of dangerous water spirits.Rusalka – Britannica Transformation of Sirens into Mermaids British Library Blog – Of Mermaids and Mermen – Medieval manuscripts depicting Sirens/mermaids, mirrors and combs as symbols of vanity.British Library Blog Encyclopedia Britannica – Mermaid – Cultural and literary overview of mermaids through history.Mermaid – Britannica Wikipedia – Mermaid (Global Lore) – Cross-cultural traditions including Sirens’ shift from bird to fishtail in the Middle Ages.Mermaid – Wikipedia Encyclopedia Britannica – Rusalka – Slavic mythology: water spirits luring men to watery deaths.Rusalka – Britannica Public Domain Review – Mermaids and Tritons in the Age of Reason – Explains Linnaeus’s 1749 scientific interest and medieval bestiary depictions of fishtailed Sirens.Public Domain Review Historical Sightings & Non-Fiction Accounts Christopher Columbus (1493) – Reported mermaids near Haiti.Lethbridge News Now – Mermaid SightingsRipley’s – Mermaid Myths Captain John Smith (1614) – Claimed sighting of a green-haired mermaid.Lethbridge News Now – Mermaid Sightings Scottish Sightings (1809) – Reported mermaids off the coast of Thurso, Scotland.Mimi Matthews – Mermaid Sightings in the 19th Century Carl Linnaeus (1749) – Responded to reported mermaid in Sweden, urged scientific study.Public Domain Review – Mermaids in the Age of Reason Mermaid Sightings Archive – Compiled global reports from fishermen and locals.Rubens ANU – Mermaid Sightings Sources for Story 2: Mami Wata Encyclopedia Britannica – Mami WataOverview of worship across Africa; associated with wealth, fertility, healing, danger, and water spirits.Mami Wata – Britannica Wikipedia – Mami WataDetails on iconography (mirrors, combs, snakes), spread across Africa and the diaspora, psychological/clinical accounts.Mami Wata – Wikipedia American Museum of Natural History – Mythic Creatures: Becoming MermaidsExplains her evolution, blending African water spirits with Indian snake-charmers and European mermaid imagery.AMNH – Becoming Mermaids Medium (Kevin Garwood) – Cultural Confluences: The Evolution of Mami WataDiscusses how Mami Wata became a global icon by merging African, Indian, and European influences.Medium – Cultural Confluences Wikipedia – Mami Wata (Psychiatric Studies in Liberia)Notes from 1960s psychiatry studies showing possession cases where men described being taken by Mami Wata, gaining wealth or gifts, then punished for disobedience.Mami Wata – Wikipedia (Psychology & Psychiatry section) Rubens ANU – Mermaid Sightings ArchiveIncludes African fishermen’s reported encounters with Mami Wata in rivers and oceans.Rubens ANU – Mermaid Sightings Sources for Story 3: La Sirène Background & Role in Vodou Wikipedia – La Sirène (Vodou)Overview of La Sirène as a loa in Haitian Vodou: wife of Agwé, associated with the sea, music, dreams, luxury, and transformation.La Sirène – Wikipedia   Symbolism & Rituals Vodou Symbols and Worship Practices (via Wikipedia references)Details on her attributes: mirrors, combs, jewelry, perfumes, and blue/white cloth. Associated with sacred numbers, dreams, and offerings.La Sirène – Wikipedia Hermit’s Journey Blog – La Sirèn