There are many mermaid stories from Japan, but this one story based on ancient legends 1,400 years ago.
One story that comes from the story of Shinto belief in Fujinomiya City near the foot of Mount Fuji, Japan.Not known for sure whether the legend about the mermaid comes from a true story or not. However, based on scientific studies in several waters in the past, dugongs are often told, it was inhabited by the animals special.
Some of the special animals that until now still live in fresh or salty waters. These animals are often mistaken for mermaids. Perhaps because of his habit, shape and performance that are similar. Especially when viewed from a distance.
These animals are known as " dugong "," manatee "and" sea cows (sea cow) . " All three of these species have similar body forms, but living in different aquatic environments. Classified as a mammal who likes to feed and bask on the rocks and the edges of the waters, or complain and speak out.
Dugong is a sea mammal-eating plants. Can be found in shallow coastal waters of India, South Pacific (from the east coast of Africa to northern Australia), coastal waters of Papua, and other islands in the Pacific. Dugong brown-gray, his body was 2.7 meters long and can live up to the age of 70 years.
Manatee .
There are three types of known manatee. There is life in the waters of the Caribbean and along the southeast coast of South America.
Something along the coastal and estuarine waters of Florida (USA), and the third type that live in fresh waters of the Amazon river. Manatee is there that live in freshwater and saltwater. Manatee color gray, with a body length of 4 meters in size.
Sea Cow (sea cow) .
First discovered and identified in the year 1741 near the Commander Islands in the Bering Sea. Sea cow typically likes to live in shallow water near shore. Body size can be 7.6 meters long and the color is gray-brown with a pattern of dots vague.
The three aquatic animals who breastfeed their children is included in group order (group) water mammals, called Sirenia .
Naming the group of aquatic mammals is made by scientists based on ancient beliefs (mythology) that animals this is the first sirenian believed the sailors as Sirens or mermaids.
Dugongs first appeared in the mythology in Assyria (1000 BC). Atargatis , the mother of Assyrian queen, Semiramis, was the goddess who loved a shepherd, but then he killed her because of her love was rejected. Feeling embarrassed he jumped into the lake and turned into fish. In the transformation redeem shame that he turned into a mermaid.
Then in the period 500 BC, the story of dugongs heard again from a philosopher of the Ionian (Greek region) named Anaximander . He argues that humans originated from a single species of aquatic animals. This was later referred to as the evolution of aquatic animals to humans. This opinion is considered as a justification that the dugong is an animal of water that is being evolved into humans.
Once the popularity of these mermaids, which are listed in parchment and old manuscripts. Whereas in the notes to Alexander the Great , the ruler of Macedonia, (356-323 BC) mermaid story also slipped in there. Alexander's sister namedThessalonike mentioned turned into a mermaid after her death.
Mermaid legends and stories are spread everywhere. Narrated by the sailors and explorers of the ocean. Generally described as a beautiful woman mermaids fish-tailed, long-haired, melodious voice, like sunbathing on the rocks and the beach.But there was no definite evidence of its existence. Except that remains in the form of ancient sketches and painted on the currency of the Corinthian (Greek).
But there is a long book, published in 1718 in Amsterdam Netherlands, which explores the life of different animals in the Indian Ocean. This book features descriptions of articles, various sketches and drawings.
In this book there is a record detail about mermaids:
"There's a tangible monster woman half fish, caught in the waters of Amboyna (cluster of islands of Maluku, Indonesia).
Based on the measurements has a body along the 59-inch (147.5 cm), shaped like sea eel (moa). This being can only survive for 103 hours (4.5 days) after the arrest, and died at the aquarium. During confinement fed small fish and other seafood, but he did not respond to the food. "
It seems that dugongs are still a mystery. Believed to exist, but evidence was never seen until now sure about the form of dugongs in the legend. The experts even concluded that the possibility that mermaids are aquatic mammals known as the dugong, manatee and sea cow (sea cow), which disalahtafsir by sailors of the past.
source: http://hakiembunitas.blogspot.com/2010/06/putri-duyung-adalah-misteri-legenda.html
