"Aye. Mermaids. Sea ghouls, devil fish, dreadful in hunger for flesh of man.Mermaid waters, that be our path. Cling to your soul, Gibbs, as mermaids be given to take the rest, to the bone."
Mermaids were mythical aquatic
creatures known through all manner of legendsand lore. Half woman, half fish, these lethally-minded
sisters of the sea rise up from the waves to lure men into their arms.
Beautiful, conniving and dangerous, mermaids would do anything to protect their
homes.
Some stories depicted mermaids as perilous creatures
associated with floods, storms, shipwrecks, and drowning. In other folklore (or
sometimes within the same folk tradition) they can be benevolent, bestowing
boons or falling in love with humans. The merfolk of Isla Sirena served as agents of the Sirens,
dragging many sailors down to a watery grave. Other tales told that mermaids
were known to gather at Whitecap Bay for hundreds of years, thereby
striking terror in the heart ofsailors and pirates alike. Drawn to the surface by man-made
light and singing sailors, these scintillating mermaids entrance their prey
before dragging them to the depths to devour them.
Contents
[show]
History
Legend
"What
is it? What is required?"
"...A mermaid, Jack."
"...A mermaid, Jack."
Sailors have speculated for centuries about these magical creatures.
Half woman, half fish, they rise up from the waves to lure men into their arms.[3] As
creatures oflegend and lore,
mermaids, while beautiful, were also feared creatures, being referred to as
"sea ghouls, devilfish" and known for their dreadful hunger for flesh
of man.[1]
Mermaids were also associated with legends regarding the Fountain of Youth, which was said to be discovered by Ponce de León in 1523.
Those seeking the Fountain, who had knowledge of the Profane Ritual, had to find and capture a mermaid at Whitecap Bay. Only a mermaid's tear, placed in one of the Chalices of Cartagena,
would set the rejuvenating forces of the Fountain to work. On many journeys to
the Fountain, the Jungle Pools have
been used to harvest mermaid tears. Tying mermaids within reach of water, yet
leaving their bodies to slowly dry out. When the creatures die, they leave
behind the remains of their marine form.[4] Some time
after Ponce de León's discovery, a mermaid would be drawn onto the Mao Kun Map, one of the few guides to the Fountain of
Youth.[1]
Jack Sparrow
The Sword of Cortés
"Our
song will tear open your heart, and you will beg for more. It will tease you
with your greatest desire till you grow mad. And this desire will eventually
burn so fierce that you will drive yourself directly to us. Then it is our
charge to deliver you to those to whom we answer."
Captain Jack Sparrow first encountered the mermaids in Isla Sirena, following the escape from Isla Esquelética,
during his quest for the Sword of Cortés. His
shipmates, the crew of the Barnacle, were affected by the song
of the Sirens, though Jack himself remained immune to its influence. Unable to
sway him, the mermaids instead transported Jack to Isla Sirena itself, where
they attempted to enslave him by robbing him of his freedom. Jack was tricked
into handing over a prized possession—the eye of Stone-Eyed Sam—in
exchange for the lives of his crew. Further, his freedom would be forfeit the
next time he visited Isla Sirena.[2]
Despite realizing this stipulation, Jack was forced to
return to the mermaids' lair in order to recover the eye to defeat the spirit
of Hernán Cortés. He
negotiated his enslavement with the blue-tailed mermaid leaders, and defeated
two predatory beasts in order to avoid eternal imprisonment. He was allowed to
leave the island, and later reclaimed the eye from Tia Dalma.[5]
War of Jolly Roger
During the 1740s, the undead pirate captain Jolly Roger planned
to take over the entire Caribbean and
make himself aPirate Lord. As he
intended to unleash his terrible curse on
the islands of the Caribbean, the mermaids somehow learned about his dreadful
plan and warned the buccaneers about his evil intentions. Thanks to this
warning, Jolly's plan wasn't successful.[6]
Quest for the Fountain of Youth
Mermaids flee after the battle at Whitecap Bay.
"We're
doomed. They be drawn to man-made light."
"Sharks?"
"Worse than sharks, boy. There'll be mermaids upon us within the hour, you mark my words! And we're the bait!"
"Sharks?"
"Worse than sharks, boy. There'll be mermaids upon us within the hour, you mark my words! And we're the bait!"
During the quest for the Fountain of Youth, Blackbeard and his crewjourneyed
to Whitecap Bay to
capture a mermaid for the Profane Ritual. Blackbeard used his crew as living
bait, as well as using man-made light from the lighthouse to lure the mermaids. Scrum was
forced to sing My Jolly Sailor Bold to
attract the mermaids, and successfully attracted the attention of Tamara. As Tamara continued singing Scrum's song, other
mermaids appeared to the longboat. Their beauty fascinated the sailors, but
Tamara revealed her true form. The mermaids began a lethal attack on
Blackbeard's crewmen. Jack Sparrow managed
to set an explosion on the lighthouse to scare them away, even meeting an old
flame, Marina, in the process. A young mermaid later named Syrena, who proved to be very different from her
vicious kind, was left behind to be captured by Blackbeard's men.[1]
Biology
and appearance
"All
these beautiful mermaids. Creatures of legend and lore, right in front of me!
What an exciting adventure, indeed!"
Tamara and other mermaids from Whitecap Bay.
The mermaids were amphibious beings, a hybrid of human
and fish. The average mermaid had the appearance of a beautiful woman with
long, flowing hair, and skin flecked with scales. From the waist down, however,
a mermaid was comprised of a long, shimmering scaly fish like tail.[2] Further
undermining their conventional beauty, mermaids hid sharp, fang-like teeth in
their mouths.[1]
The true form of mermaids however was very different to
their beautiful guise; The mermaids of Isla Sirena had hair the colour of the
sea and pearly skin covered in scales but if viewed peripherally, they lost
their outward beauty and seemed to transform into creatures with clawed
tentacles, fangs, and barnacles and boils covering their scales. They often
spoke in harmony, singing a melody commonly attributed to the Sirens.[2]
However the mermaids of Whitecap Bay appeared as very
beautiful human women of different nationalities above the water, but once
under water their skin became covered in scales, fangs grew in their mouths and
their eyes changed to unnatural colours and would appear at times to glow
fiercely.
Morveren, Aquila, and Aquala at Isla Sirena.
Mermaids were incredibly beautiful and incredibly
seductive and they lured seamen to their deaths. Their greatest weapon was
their radiant appearance. The light of the moon illuminated their skin, their
long locks fell seductively, and their deep-as-the-ocean eyes possessed the
power to entrap any adventurer.[4]
Mermaids
possessed superhuman strength and were strong enough to break through solid
wood with their bare hands. In large numbers, they have even been known to
topple great ships. The mermaids of Whitecap Bay were known to have fed on men,
seeing them as something that sustained them. They may look lovely, but they
can shred a human limb from limb in seconds. These mermaids have been known to
use long strands of seaweed as a form of lasso to pull sailors off ships or
cliffs out of reach.
Their long and powerful tails made them very fast
swimmers, adapt at hunting prey, and gave the mermaids the capability of
leaping out of the water to take any unfortunate sailor in midair off of the
decks of boats, before diving back in. Their tails were covered in a scaly translucent
membrane which floats around them like tendrils in the water and was shed when
they gained legs. They can survive long enough on land to drag a sailor back
into the sea, where they can entangle them in a powerful grip. The mermaids of
Whitecap Bay also have the ability to go on land in human form, beneath the
skin of their tails was the suggestion of the legs they gain on land. However
if they were partially in the water, trapped in mermaid form but not enough in
the water to live, they can dry out and die. They also appeared to have red
blood as shown when Philip Swift stabbed Syrena's fin.[1]
Mermaids were known to have special abilities. It was
common knowledge that a kiss from a mermaid would protect a sailor from
drowning. In legends concerning the Fountain of Youth, particularly the Profane Ritual, a mermaid's tear was one of the required items
needed in order to make the Fountain work. But as proud and ferocious as the
seas in which they live, mermaids do not weep lightly. It was said that tears
of joy were the more potent.[1]
Mermaids also appeared to have some degree of psychic
ability. Syrena seemed to show these abilities when she
savedPhilip Swift because she sensed he was
"different" and that he "protects" compared to other men
she and her kind encounter. Syrena also appeared to have sensed that the Chalices of Cartagena had
fallen into the waters of the Fountain, and that Angelica needed saving as she told Jack Sparrow to not waste her tear.[1]
Society
and culture
Stories and legends of mermaids commonly depicted sweet
and innocent creatures, though more sinister versions told of corrupted merfolk who aligned themselves with the Sirens.
In reality, there were thousands of the latter type in Isla Sirenaalone, and this legion was known to
congregate to drag sailors down to the depths, a trait also shared with the
mermaids of Whitecap Bay.
Isla Sirena
A mermaid drags young Jack Sparrow toIsla Sirena.
"We
are not the Sirens. We are the merfolk. We sing our own melody and we do the
bidding of the Sirens."
The mermaids of Isla Sirena were part of the merfolk that did the bidding of theSirens,
who were in turn ruled by Davy Jones. They resided in chambers within Isla
Sirena, and had control over various creatures that inhabited Davy Jones' Locker,
including iguana monsters and sea beasts.[2] The
merfolk also had contact with Tia Dalma, and were aware of legendary artifacts such
as the Sword of Cortés.[5]
There were at least three separate sub-species of merfolk
in Isla Sirena, distinguished by the color of the scales on their fish-like
tails. Those with green tails were analogous to soldiers, and operated as the
military arm of the society. They confronted sailors lured to Isla Sirena and
dragged them down to the island itself. Red-tailed merfolk were the servants of
mermaid society, and were commonly found wading around waiting for orders. They
acted as guards and workers in Isla Sirena. Finally, blue-tails served as the
leaders of the mermaids. The three blue-tails encountered by Jack Sparrow, Morveren,Aquala and Aquila,[5] were
named as "chairwomen" by the green-tails.[2]
Whitecap Bay
"I
heard it said a kiss from a mermaid protects a sailor from drowning.'
"Don't be a fool. Mermaids are all female, son. And lovely as a dream of heaven. But when it comes time to churn butter, so to speak, they snatch a sailor out of a boat or off the deck of a ship, have their way, and then the sailors are pulled to bottom, and drowned, and eaten."
"Or, sometimes, the other way around."
"Don't be a fool. Mermaids are all female, son. And lovely as a dream of heaven. But when it comes time to churn butter, so to speak, they snatch a sailor out of a boat or off the deck of a ship, have their way, and then the sailors are pulled to bottom, and drowned, and eaten."
"Or, sometimes, the other way around."
Doom awaits any misguided mariner who sought out the
perilous waters of Whitecap Bay. Myths
tell of mermaids lurking beneath the pale, foaming breakers, but few knew that
these briny beauties were actually flesh-eating creatures. WhenBlackbeard located these denizens of the deep, he
and his crew found themselves surrounded by vengeful foes. Legend had it that
man-made light and song attracted the sirens of the sea, so the longboat full
of Blackbeard's
crewmen—sent as the bait—is lit by the beam of the lighthouse and Scrum sings
a swaying sea shanty.[7]
Mermaids swimming at Whitecap Bay.
The mermaids in Whitecap Bay seemed to be more
independent from Sirens, and they also appeared to be far more aggressive and
bloodthirsty. Beautiful, conniving and dangerous, these mermaids would do
anything to protect their home in Whitecap Bay. Drawn to the surface by a
man-made light and singing sailors, they entrance their prey into coming close
before dragging them to the depths of the Bay to devour them.[8] However,
if the men caught on, which would presumably be right after the first one was
taken, the mermaids would abandon their gentle disguise, and attack viciously,
acting in a similar manner to sharks in a feeding frenzy. They were apparently
very driven to catch their prey, so much that they clawed and punched through
wood in attempts to snare their targets. The mermaids appeared to be very
territorial, which was noted during the battle with
Blackbeard's crew, as well as the sinking of the HMS Providenceshortly
after its arrival to the Bay.
The attraction to man-made light and song was often used
as a way to capture mermaids. However, they were naturally afraid of fire,
though this could be interpreted as a fear of any forms of general warmth,
which can cause them to dry out. This can be noted by mermaids fleeing
Blackbeard's Greek fire as
well as legends of the Jungle Pools.[1]
"We
say the One pours death into life, and life into death, without a drop
spilt."
"I like that."
"I like that."
A mermaid's bond with her sisters was hard to tell, but
appears to be rather cold, as when Syrena was captured, the other mermaids retreated
without any visible concern. Also, when Syrena was forced to look at the many
mermaid corpses, and Blackbeard's
taunting of the death of her fellow mermaids, she didn't seem to be
particularly affected. However, she did apparently show a slight trace of
emotion, perhaps anger at the men for their actions. Mermaids have been
described by Blackbeard as being tough, and strong willed, making it rare for
them to genuinely shed tears. Their tears of joy were said to be the most
potent type of tear.[1] The
mermaid people believed that "the One pours death into life, and life into
death, without a drop spilt."[4]
However, not all mermaids were vicious. Some were capable
of having a compassionate and loving side, most notably from Syrena. Syrena appeared to be unique among her kind as
she was the only known mermaid to actually develop feelings for a human. Though
it wasn't the same case with Marina, who had a
relationship with Jack Sparrow at
some point in her life.[1]
Notable
mermaids
§
Syrena
§
Tamara
§
Marina
§
Morveren
§
Aquala
§
Aquila
Behind the
scenes
"I
heard Jack Sparrow once had the favor of mermaids."
"Is that story still out there? A mermaid's favor, perhaps. That I might believe."
"Is there a female anywhere, of any kind, safe from you?"
"Is that story still out there? A mermaid's favor, perhaps. That I might believe."
"Is there a female anywhere, of any kind, safe from you?"
§
On
Stranger Tides was the first of the POTC
films to include mermaids, though they were first mentioned in The Curse of the Black Pearl.
However, the mermaids first appearance in the POTC universe was
in The Siren Song,
the second book in the Jack
Sparrow series.
§
The portrayal of mermaids differ throughout the POTC
universe. In the Jack Sparrow series, the
mermaids served as agents of the Sirens;
while in On Stranger Tides, the mermaids appear to have
siren-like qualities.
§
While filming On Stranger Tides,
all the mermaids were women who wore skin-tight swimsuits on with dots on them,
which would make them 3-D
Computer-generated with the work done by Industrial Light & Magic.
Their performances were recorded using motion capture during actual filming on
set, rather than in a motion capture studio during post-production.[9]
§
In the first screenplay draft of At
World's End, Hector Barbossa starts to search for the Fountain of Youth, using thecaptain's journal of Juan Ponce de León that
he took from Tia Dalma who
in turn received it from a mermaid.
A mermaid skeleton in the POTC ride.
§
On October 2012,
mermaids were added to the Pirates of the Caribbean
attraction at Walt Disney World. At the grotto scene, after guests
ride past the ghostly projection at the start of the ride, a shape splashing in
the water can be seen as guests enter the scene with skeletons on a beach,
where a mermaid skeleton can be seen. An audio of the song My Jolly Sailor Boldcan
also be heard at this part of the ride.[10]
§
Mermaids, as well as the song My Jolly Sailor Bold, also appeared in 2012 attraction The
Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow.
§
Shortly before the battle at Whitecap Bay, Garheng briefly mentions of Jack Sparrow's previous encounter with mermaids. That
scene was cut out from the final version of the On
Stranger Tides movie, but it was
written in the film's original script as well as being included in the film's junior novelization.
Appearances
The Pirates of the
Caribbean wiki has a collection of images and media
related to Mermaid.
Sources
See also
§
Merfolk
§
Merman
External
links
Notes and
references
1.
↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Pirates
of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
3.
↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual
Guide, p56-57: "The Mermaids"
7.
↑ Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: The Visual
Guide, p.54-55: "Whitecap Bay"
10.
↑ Mermaids added to Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Magic
Kingdom - Orlando Attractions Magazine
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