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or bad weather, the male merrow sits on a rock, scanning the sea for cases
of brandy lost from wrecked ships. He is a friendly fellow with a red nose
(could be from the brandy!!). He is a bringer of good luck. He wears a
red cocked hat and has a green body, with green hair and teeth. He has
the eyes of a pig, scaly legs, arms like fins and wears no clothes (except
his hat). It's no small wonder that the beautiful female merrows seek husbands
in mortal lands.
The female merrow (mulrruhgach), also called a mermaid (murúch) or a sea-maiden (maighdean mhara), is lovely and graceful. She has the tail of a fish and web-like scales between her fingers. She sometimes wears a gown as white as the sea foam. The gown is trimmed with red and purple seaweeds. The sea water on her hair glistens like dew when the rays of the sun's morning light shines upon it. She also wears a red hat which suits her alluring face with its mocking eyes. Sometimes she wears a dark sleeveless cloak that clings about her, half-revealing the voluptuous curves of her body. She teases men with her beauty. In legends the singing of a mermaid, or her sirensong, is described as irresistible. As she lounges upon the rocks, she attempts to attract fishermen to her. But if he comes too near, she dives into the sea, laughing at the men. Little joy do they get from her, for her presence always ensures a storm or a disaster at sea. When a sailor fails to come home from the sea it is sometimes said he "married a mermaid". She upsets the waves and causes rain to fall from the sky. Ships at sea are cracked like straws. Small boats and rafts capsize. To her this is a delightful diversion. On the
sea she is as wild as she is alluring, but on land she becomes shy and
submissive to men. Many Irish women emigrated to other lands causing many
fishermen to linger by the sea long after work in hopes that a female
If a man can capture her red cap or cloak, she will forget her past life and quietly marry him. She is an obedient and loving wife. Although she is always mindful of her husband and her household duties, she never quite adjusts to living on land. A married merrow laughs rarely. Her greatest emotions are ones of a quiet caring. If she finds her cap or cloak she soon sets the cap on her head or the cloak about her body, she will remember her past watery life and will joyfully abandon her home and her mate for the sea. When she remembers her past marine life she regains her youth and beauty that she lost while among the mortals. |
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