Mermaids - Spirits or Goddesses?   For thousands of years, men
have told tales of beautiful and dangerous creatures that
inhabit the waters of the world. But what do we really know
about them? Are Mermaids goddesses or spirits? In European
folklore, Mermaids (and more rarely, Mermen) were natural beings
that, like fairies, had magical and prophetic powers. Although
very long-lived, they were mortal and had no souls. There�s more
to the story than this, though. So many creation myths concern
female sea dragons and/or serpents that I feel that there could
be a connection in these beliefs and myths to the Mermaid
legends. It was later, in the Old Testament, that serpents and
dragons became associated with the Devil and Satan - dragons are
potent symbols of good fortune in Eastern religions. The fish is
a covert Christian symbol 'ichthys', the initials of Jesus
Christ, the Fisher of Men, and the ritual food - the Christian
canon draws connections between Mary Magdalene and the ocean.
Throughout, we see a pattern