HOLY MERMAID MUMMY JUST AN OLD DOLL
After puzzling scientists for almost 300 years, the mystery of Japan’s mermaid mummy has been solved— and it turns out that it is a man-made doll.
Researchers have concluded that the “creature,” worshiped by locals at a temple in the city of Asakuchi for 40 years, is made of paper, cloth, cotton, and fish parts.
The 12-inch-long object was long believed to have been “caught” in the Pacific Ocean off the island of Shikoku between 1736 and 1741.
With a frightened expression on its face, pointed teeth, hands, and hair on both its head and brow, it resembles a human. Except, the lower half of its body has a fish-like appearance, earning it the “mermaid” label.
Locals believed it bestowed immortality to those who bit its flesh. Some even thought it would aid in ending the coronavirus pandemic.
Last year, the Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts decided to probe its origins using a CT scanner.
“Based on our analysis and the history of mummy creation in Japan, we can only conclude that the mermaid mummy was probably man-made,” said Takafumi Kato, a paleontologist working on the project.
X-rays conducted by the university showed that it did not have a spine, ribs, or other skeletal bones.
However, some parts of its body belong to fish.
Its jaw and teeth were taken from a fish, and its arms, shoulders, neck, and cheeks are covered with fish skin. The lower part of its body also contains fish bones.
Radiocarbon dating has determined that the figure was fabricated in the late 1800s.
A dozen other mermaid mummies have been found around Japan and are assumed to have been created during the country’s historical Edo period, which lasted from 1603-1868. That period saw rampant diseases like smallpox and measles, and the doll creatures were believed to bring good luck.
“Japanese mermaids have a legend of immortality,” Hiroshi Kinoshita of the Okayama Folklore Society said. “It is believed that, if you eat the flesh of a mermaid, you will never die.”
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