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Ancient mummified ‘mermaid’ to be examined by scientists


Eldorado

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1 hour ago, Eldorado said:

An ancient mummified ‘mermaid’ that supposedly grants immortality to anyone that tastes its flesh is to be examined by scientists.

All that flesh didn't seem to work  too well for the poor mummified mermaid.

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I saw one of these "mermaids" at a travelling fair when I was a kid, along with two headed babies, beared ladies, a dragon and all manner of wierd stuff. Inventive taxidermy and skill with paper mache, add a good showman and a gullible audience and "reality" is created.

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I'm curious however what it is. Looks like there is something

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I'm betting on "very good fake". We'll see. 

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I am 100% sure this is a gaff a version of Barnums fiji mermaid, my dad was a very skilled taxidermist and was going to make me one, i made a few "mud creatures people" that have various back stories, i have had a live long interest and affection for sideshows.

Most fiji mermaids are a monkey top sewn to a fishes tail, some lower end ones are on ebay, really nice ones might fetch several 100 bucks,  there are other versions like jake the alligator boy, a monkey head on a gator body,

I find it hard to believe anyone would be baffled by these fakes.

The ones i like are Naree pon, while the back story is fiction these gaffs are just wonderful and i am curious just what they used to make them.

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I wonder why would anyone between the 1736 and 1741 bother to falsify a ‘mermaid’at all? Didn't they have a big problem dealing with the Plague and other evil things?

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8 hours ago, jethrofloyd said:

I wonder why would anyone between the 1736 and 1741 bother to falsify a ‘mermaid’at all? Didn't they have a big problem dealing with the Plague and other evil things?

Yes and no, entertainment has almost always prevailed and sideshow type stuff was always popular with that said we only have vauge no provenance stories how old this gaff really is.

The testing if legit will be humiliating.

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  • 1 month later...
On 4/17/2022 at 6:58 AM, jethrofloyd said:

Haunting 'mermaid' mummy in Japan is probably a gruesome monkey-fish mix

The haunting remains are most likely a gruesome amalgam of a monkey's torso sewed onto a fish's tail, potentially embellished with hair and nails from a human. 

https://www.livescience.com/mummified-mermaid-in-japan

 

They didn’t have gorilla glue back then. Gut sinew for the sutures would last 400 years in the right conditions but would be visible. I’m super interested in how this turns out. 

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