A mummified mermaid in Japan has been worshipped for centuries due to the local's belief that it has healing powers. However, after examining the item, it turned out that it wasn't as mysterious because it was only artificial.
Mummified Mermaid in Japan Is Man-Made?
There is a myth in Japan that the 300-year-old mummified mermaid will grant immortality to anyone who tastes its flesh. The mysterious item is in the Enjuin Temple in the city of Asakuchi and has been put on display for four decades.
The mummified mermaid has hair visible on its head, sharp, pointy teeth in its mouth, a body and a fish-like tail, giving the locals the idea that it's a mermaid.
Chief priest Kozen Kuida told Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun that they worshipped it, hoping it would help them deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
Researchers have been examining the mummified mermaid. They subject it to several tests to determine if it's an organic using CT scans and other high-tech tests.
They concluded that the mummified fish is artificial. It has no skeleton as its body is made of paper, cloth and cotton, Daily Star reported.
The scientists confirmed that the lower part of the body was from a fish's tail, but they believed it was only added by whoever created it. Its jaw and teeth were also taken from a fish and its head was from a mammal.
More About The Mummified Mermaid
The outlet noted that the mummified mermaid was found in the Pacific Ocean, off the Japanese island of Shikoku between 1736 and 1741. It measures 30 centimeters, with its two hands reaching toward its grimacing face.
In a previous report from Science Times, Hiroshi Kinoshita, a board member of the Okayama Folklore Society, became aware of its existence after seeing a photo of the bizarre creature in a mythical encyclopedia. It still remains a mystery how the mermaid mummy ended up inside the Okaya temple.
Takafumi Kato, a paleontologist at the Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts, and his colleagues examined the specimen to determine its origin after Kinoshita convinced the Okayamam temple to let researchers investigate and analyze the remains.
On Feb. 2, 2022, researchers scanned the mummified mermaid for DNA samples. They said the results would be published in a year and the analysis.
Other Mythical Creatures in Japan
The mummified mermaid draws similarities to other two mythical creatures in Japan - the Amabies and Ningyos.
Amabies are beaked mermaids with three distinct tail fins. Ningyos are fish-like creatures with human heads.
Both creatures were associated with stories of immortality - miraculous health and increased longevity. There was a popular story about a woman named Yao-Bikuni, who accidentally ate the flesh of the mermaid and lived for 800 years.
Those who believed in the legend used to consume the scales of mermaid mummies, Metro reported.
RELATED ARTICLE: Are Mermaids Real? Experts Investigate Japan's Mummified Creature with Human Face and Fish Tail
Check out more news and information on Archaeology in Science Times.
