Mermaid
c. 1000 BCE – 2026 CEattested
Syria, then the whole seafaring world
- Widespread
Begins with the Syrian goddess Atargatis and turns up wherever there are sailors. Columbus recorded three off Hispaniola and noted they were less beautiful than reported.
Known for
- half woman, half fish
- lures sailors
- probably manatees
Dates are estimates. A great deal of what this atlas covers is only datable to within a century.