Merfolk

Merfolk or merpeople are legendary water-dwelling human-like beings. They are attested in folklore and mythology throughout the ages in various parts of the world.

"Merpeople" redirects here. They are not to be confused with Mer people.
For other uses, see Merfolk (disambiguation).

Female merfolk may be referred to as mermaids, although in a strict sense mermaids are confined to beings who are half-woman and half-fish in appearance. Male merfolk are called mermen. Depending on the story, they can be described as ugly or beautiful.

Folkore

Several types of beings which may fall under "merfolk" are mentioned in the Shanhaijing (Classic of Mountains and Seas) dating to the 4th century BC.

China

The jiaoren (蛟人 "flood dragon people" or 鮫人 "shark people")[lower-alpha 1] that appear in medieval writings are considered to be references to merfolk.[2][3]

This mythical southern mermaid or merman is recorded in Ren Fang's Shuyi ji "Records of Strange Things" (early 6th century CE).[5]

In the midst of the South Sea are the houses of the kău (Chinese: 鮫; pinyin: jiao; Wade–Giles: chiao[6]) people who dwell in the water like fish, but have not given up weaving at the loom. Their eyes have the power to weep, but what they bring forth is pearls.[7]

Similar passages appear in other texts such as the Bowuzhi (c. 290 CE).[8]

These aquatic people supposedly spun a type of raw silk called jiaoxiao 蛟綃 "mermaid silk" or jiaonujuan 蛟女絹 "mermaid woman's silk". Schafer equates this with sea silk, the rare fabric woven from byssus filaments produced by Pinna "pen shell" mollusks.[9] Chinese myths also recorded this "silk" coming from shuiyang 水羊 "water sheep" or shuican 蠶水 "water silkworm".

  • Merfolk, a fictional race of humanoids that live underwater in Dungeons & Dragons.
  • Merfolk, humanoid aquatic creatures with fish-like characteristics in Magic: The Gathering.
  • Merfolk, humanoid aquatic creatures with fish-like characteristics in Spectromancer.
  • Merfolk, a race of people with a fish-like body from the waist down in One Piece.

Explanatory notes
  1. The conception of them seems to have shifted from half-reptilian to half-fish in later periods.[1]

References
Citations
  1. Nakano (1983), p. 143.
  2. Sugimoto, Akiko (2006). Translated by William Wetherall. "Chasing the Moon (Part 9)" 追月記. Journal of the American Oriental Society. 42 (3): 40. Jiaoren (鮫人 mythical fish-human, mermaid, merman). website
  3. Nakano (1983), p. 143; Matsuoka (1982), p. 49
  4. Nakano (1983), p. 140.
  5. Ren Fang, Shuyi Ji, second volume.:[4] "南海中有鮫人室水居如魚不廢機織其眼泣則出珠晉木𤣥虚海賦云天琛水怪鮫人之室" (translation quoted below).
  6. Schafer 1967, pp. 217–218
  7. Schafer 1967, p. 220
  8. Zhang Hua 張華. "Book 2, "Foreigners" section; 卷之二「異人」". Bowuzhi 博物志 – via Wikisource. 南海外有鮫人，水居如魚，不廢織績，其眼能泣珠。
  9. Schafer 1967, p. 221
Bibliography

See also

Merfolk can often be mistaken with mermaids or merpeople whereas these are usually women.


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