The Finnish Nakki play their silver harps o’ nights; the water imp or Nixey of Germany sings and dances on land with mortals, and the “Davy” (Deva), whose “locker” is at the underside of the deep blue sea, are all poetical conceptions of the same description. Within the “Bestiary” of Philip de Thaun he tells us that “Siren lives within the sea, it sings on the approach of a storm and weeps in superb weather; such is its nature: and it has the make of a girl right down to the waist, and the feet of h falcon, and the tail of a fish. This can give you a similar estrogen/testosterone stability as a typical cis girl. The identical may be mentioned of the Merminne of the Netherlands, the White Lady of Scotland and the Silver Swan of the German legend, that drew the ship wherein the Knight Lohengrin departed never to return. The lawyer general could sue to collect the penalty. It is probable that some variety of the seal family will be the prototype of this fascinating delusion. The Austrian household of Estenberger bears for crest a mermaid without arms, and having wings.
Belfast has the sea-horse for sinister supporter and also for crest. Poseidon or Neptune, the youthful brother of Zeus (Jupiter), typically appears in heraldry, often as a supporter. His mythical duties as attendant on the supreme sea-divinity would, as an emblem in heraldry, suggest an analogous obligation or office in the bearer to an awesome naval hero. The tales of the Mirrow, or Irish fairy, hold a outstanding place among Crofton Croker’s “Fairy Legends of the South of Ireland.” Round the shores of Lough Neagh old individuals still inform how, in the days of their youth, mermaids have been supposed to reside within the water, and with what worry and trepidation they might, on their homeward method in the twilight, method some lonely and sequestered spot on the shore, expecting every moment to be captured and carried off by the witching mere-maidens. The legendary mermaid still retains her place in common legends of our sea coasts, particularly in the remoter parts of our islands.
In international heraldry the mermaid is generally termed Mélusine, and represented with two fishy extremities. The arms of the princely house of Lusignan, kings of Cyprus and Jerusalem, “Une sirène dans une cuvé,” were founded on a curious mediæval legend of a mermaid or siren, termed Mélusine, a fairy, condemned by some spell to change into on sooner or later of the week only, half girl, half serpent. Early voyagers inform fantastic stories of those “fish-ladies,” or “women-fish,” as they termed them. The historic chronicles certainly teem with tales of the seize of “mermaids,” “mermen,” and related strange creatures; stories which now solely excite a smile from their utter absurdity. As we all know, mariners in all ages have delighted in tales of the marvellous, and in less enlightened instances than the current, they were not unlikely to have discovered many keen listeners and sound believers. Sometimes they appear altogether like birds, only with human faces; at other instances with the bodies of girls, by which case they often hold devices of music of their arms. The profitable Sydney bid for the Olympics within the year 2000 featured a major case for environmental points and this was one in all the principle causes for the success of their bid.
Parthenope, the ancient identify of Neapolis (Naples) was derived from one of many sirens, whose tomb was shown in Strabo’s time. Their names have been, Parthenope, Ligea, and Leucosia. Based on modern common notions, nevertheless, the siren or mermaid, and triton, or merman as they sometimes time period him, look like considered as male and feminine of the identical creature (in heraldic parlance baron and femme). Baron Hawke of Tarton, Yorks, 1776. The dexter supporter is a figure of Neptune, his mantle vert, edged argent, crowned with an jap crown, or, his dexter arm erect and holding a trident pointing downwards within the act of placing, sable, headea silver, and resting his left foot on a dolphin proper. The supporters of Baron Balfour are an otter and a swan, which can account for the heads appearing in the hands of the mermaid, as an alternative of the traditionary comb and mirror. Ellis (Glasfryn, Merioneth).-Argent, a mermaid gules, crined or, holding a mirror in her right hand and a comb in her left, gold.
