Watch the video: Researchers solve riddles about mermaid mummy.
Mystery solved: A mermaid mummy, which caused various myths in Japan, has now been examined more closely. With surprising results.
The figure, reminiscent of a mermaid, is said to have been fished out of the Pacific Ocean around 300 years ago.
She has spent the last 40 years in a chest in a temple in Japan.
Scientists from Kurashiki University examined the creature more closely in 2022 using computed tomography and DNA analysis.
Now they have published the sobering result in a final report: The creature is a man-made doll made of animal parts, paper, fabric and cotton. Created sometime in the late 19th century.
The curious thing: the lower part of the creature is a real fish tail. However, he was sewn on. The torso is attributed to a monkey, the jaws and teeth are said to come from a fish. The hair comes from a mammal. This hybrid being has never lived like this. It is believed that this type of fake mermaid was “made” by local people to sell to curious tourists.
In Japan, great importance is attached to the mythical creature: many Japanese believe that the flesh of a mermaid will bring immortality to those who eat it. Or a mermaid washed up on the beach is considered an omen of war and misfortune.
With the publication of the final research results, the scientists have now cleared up the myth of the mysterious mermaid once and for all.