The Black Mere mermaid, Staffordshire
Not all mermaids are from the sea. The word comes from the Old English “mere”, meaning lake or pool. The Black Mere mermaid frequented the latter. This inland, saltine pool has a couple of legends – one of a mermaid brought here by sailor, who haunted the lake following his death. Another of a demon mermaid, a young woman who was drowned as a witch in revenge for rejecting the advances of a man. The man was found dead days later, his face covered with claw marks. An attempt to drain the lake in the mid-19th century was stopped because, it’s said, a sighting of the mermaid spooked the workers.
The Mermaid of Zennor, Cornwall
First written down in the 19th century, this legend is based on a…
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The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, August 2016 - Issue 50