the past years, people have found very strange objects and even mummified beings from history, but nothing comes close to this mummy that seems to look like a mermaid, as depicted in ancient mythology. Based on European folklore, mermaids and mermen were natural beings that lived in the sea with fish. Strangely enough, these beings had no soul but were still mortal.
The mummy had been found preserved in a box at a temple in Okayama prefecture, in the southern part of Japan’s Honshu island. The exact origin of the mummy remained unknown until researchers started to analyze the mummy and after a CT scan, found the truth behind this petrified being. It is believed that the mummy had been found by fishermen off the coast of present-day Kochi prefecture in Japan, between 1736 and 1741.
It measures 30 centimeters long and, with a tail and hands raised to its screaming face. The Tail seems to be very similar to one of a fish and the way it is incorporated into the body, seems to be a perfect description of what a mermaid or merman looks like in old folklore. Specialists from the veterinary hospital of Kurashiki University of Science had decided to take a closer look to understand what exactly they are looking at.
Reporters from the Asahi Shimbun Company had taken a video of the mummy being transported to the University and the CT Scan it went through. The researchers are also planning to take DNA tests to see the origin of this being. if it turns out that mermaids are real, we must find out from what animals they evolved or what animal they would have evolved. Researchers are planning to publish their findings later this year after more analysis had been done.
The mummy was previously put on display in a glass case at the temple for visitors to pray to, but it has spent the last 40 years in a fireproof safe within the temple to prevent it from deteriorating.
The head priest from the temple in Okayama prefecture said that they have worshiped the mummy, thinking it had been a mystical being left by divine power:
“We have worshipped it, hoping that it would help alleviate the coronavirus pandemic even if only slightly. I hope the research project can leave records for future generations.” (Source: Independent)
It must be mentioned that in 2012 a similar sort of mummy, representing what looked like a mermaid had been found. It turned out that what the mummy represented or better said, the petrified being, was a monkey’s head with a torso made out of wires and dead flesh stuck to the tail of a fish.
Steven C. Levi, an expert in Western Folklore had mentioned in one of his papers that this was a practical joke made by fishermen to scare the locals. Although researchers have their skepticism reserved, they still have hopes that this specific specimen could be something different than bad humor. Despite having another similar example previously discovered, this is considered to be the oldest of its kind which is what gives researchers hope.
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