Mermaids

         

'Far, far from land, where the waters are as blue as the petals of the cornflower and as clear as glass,

there, where no anchor can reach the bottom, live the mer-people'.

                                     Hans Christian Andersen.

  

In spite of the fact that we live in the XXI century full of technical and intellectual success there is no need in explanation what mermaids are. Mermaids appear in the mythology of many cultures almost all over the world. They have been popular for centuries and have been playing a mysterious and decorative roles in human society. Their magical power of living under water has been thrilling loads of dreamers' minds. Of course, there is no proof of their existance. Mermaids live and prosper in legends due to alive well-read and well-wacthed-TV people. On the one hand, a majority of legends have plenty of uncertainty, never being entirely believed by the participants, but, on the other hand,  never being absolutely doubted.

In Slavonic folklore a mermaid has the name of Rusalka. This creature is not so kind and helpful as Walt Disney's Little Mermaid. This is a dangerous type of mermaids dwelling in swamps and rivers. They are the lost souls, spirits of drowned girls that continue their existance by drowning men and children, usually tricking or luring them to the water beforehand. 

Sirens in the Old Greek mythology, Nixen in German culture, Rusalki in Slavonic world show us how culturally united people are. May be the origin of almost the same marine creature in different countries doesn't prove the mermaids' existance but it certainly proves the fact of a close interaction of future nations long long ago BC.

          As Mermaids have no boundaries deep in the ocean, so dreamers have no limits in their endless vivid and fearless imagination.