I almost called this blog "Some strange mermaid stories from Dorset" but
some of these accounts may be of dugong or manatees though what a manatee may be
doing on the coast of Dorset is probably unanswerable.
All these stories can be found in Dorset Customs ,Curiosities and
Countryside by Mary Brown (1990)
" A mermaid captured in Greece in 1775 was said to be very beautiful with
blue eyes and white teeth with fish-like gills for ears. She had a beautiful
"membrane" running from her temples like a headdress instead of the usual long
golden hair. She had female breasts but no nipples, and no nails on her
fingers. From the waist down she was like a cod-fish with three sets of fins.
She was only three feet long including her tail, and was said to have an
enchanting voice. It is not surprising to learn that this example too,was
believed to be a fraud.(1)
Cornwall ,as one would expect, is rich in mermaid stories. The most famous
one concerns the `Mermaid of Zennor` who, disguised as a beautiful woman used to
regularly attend services in the church . All the congregation were agog at her
marvellous singing voice. Finally she tempted away the best tenor in the choir,
who was never seen again. A representation of her was carved on an ancient bench
end, now made into a chair, in Zennor church. Dorset`s most famous mermaid does
not compare to her in beauty. Hutchins described her with what Treves calls
`scientific solemnity`. She was thrown ashore at Burton Bradstock in June
1757,and Hutchins says...
"...This romantic individual, being no less than 13 feet in height or
length, was evidently a giant of the species. Her upper or better half had a
human form, while her extremity was that of a fish. The head of this unhappy
creature was partly like that of a man and partly like that of a hog. Her fins
resembled hands. She had a masculine jaw-bone and 48 teeth in both the upper and
the lower jaw." (2)
1. Dorset Customs,Curiosities and Country-Lore Mary Brown (1990) p.65
2. Ibid p.65
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