Mermaids in Michigan
The final installment of my Underwater themed blogs for the Summer of 2024
Growing up by the waters of the Great Lakes, I heard many a story of shipwrecks, ghosts under the waters, lake monsters, and mermaids. At one point I was convinced that the longer I stayed in the water, the more likely I would obtain a mermaid tail and swim around the Lakes, maneuvering around the salmon, pike, and outwitting Mishepeshu (an Ojibway mythic undersea creature).
While I did not become a mermaid in Michigan, I did, however, collect many books filled with stories about mermaids, undersea creatures/monsters, and Selkies. I find the Celtic and Nordic tales of the Selkies to be beautiful and tragic at the same time, especially when told in their traditional languages. Mermaids have long been a part of folklore all around the world. Sirens have their roots in Homer's Odyssey, where they lure sailors to their doom with their songs. And Selkies are predominantly a part of Celtic and Norse folklore, often times women who are known for their beautiful singing voices, and can shift between being human and being a seal.
Book List:
Of course, here at San Jose Public Library, we have many books filled with folktales from all over the world. We also have fictional novels featuring fantastical tales of mermaids, sirens, and selkies. Dive in and swim through these waters!
Movie List:
Some Final Thoughts:
- The painting chosen for this week's blog is by John William Waterhouse, who is one of my favorite painters of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
- One of the first songs I learned in the Irish language is a traditional song about a mermaid and her daughter "An Mhaighdean Mhara".
- I've been known to sing at the edge of the waters in the Irish language. At one point, I was singing on the shores of Puget Sound, and some seals popped their heads up out of the water for a listen. My friend Mark, who was well-versed in Celtic and Norse mythology, to me to be careful because the seals might be calling me back to the sea.
It only seems fitting to end this blog series as it began, with some lines of poetry.
"The Sea" by Seamus O' Mangain (James Clarence Mangan)
"Like the swell of some sweet tune, Morning rises into noon.
May glides onward into June.
Southward still the sea-winds veer, Southward still the skies are clear, Southward still we draw more near."
Until we meet again.
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