Mermaids and Mermen Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mermaids are closer to fish while Sirens are closer to birds

Sirens are often incorrectly depicted with scales and fish tails, especially in modern interpretations. However, Sirens, which are of Greek origin, are described as having wings in Homer's "Odyssey". Homer also says that Sirens, although they lived near the sea and lured sailors, are not sea creatures. Mermaids, however, are significantly more fishlike with their scaled tails and aquatic habitat.

Answer: She killed her lover

Although it is common to refer to Atagaris as a mermaid, the legends involving her do not call her such. Instead, it is said that she was embarrassed about accidentally killing her husband and retreated into the ocean in shame where the bottom half of her body turned into a fish while he top half remained human.

Interestingly, all icons of Atargatis from ancient times depict her as wholly human.

Answer: Triton

The King Triton depicted in Disney's "The Little Mermaid" is based on this Triton from Greek mythology. However, there are some significant differences. For instance, in the film King Triton is often seen caring a trident. While Triton did carry a trident, he was more often associated with a conch shell, hence his nickname.

He also was not the father of Ariel, but rather Pallas, and his whole body was covered with scales and barnacles, not just the bottom half. Triton eventually gave his name to a species of mermen who acted like messengers.

Answer: Finnish

Nakki are sometimes called vesihiisi. The legend goes that when Finnish children look into a body of water and see their reflection, a nakki will pull them under if they try to touch their reflection. Nakki are shapeshifters, meaning that they have no true form, but they often appear as mermen-like beings.

Answer: Manatees

Manatees live around Florida in the southern United States, which is near the Caribbean and Central America. It is quite possible that manatees and dugongs lived in greater numbers in the Caribbean at Columbus' time. While manatees would have a hard time passing as half human when viewed face to face, they appear skinnier underwater and perhaps blurry to lonely, drunk sailors. Columbus claimed that they were ugly and nothing like how they were painted.

Answer: Nommo

Amma created the Nommo than separated it into four different Nommos, which then spread across the world to populate it. Although often referred to as a merman, the Nommo is actually genderless in Dogon culture, although icons clearly depict it as having masculine features. Also, unlike most merpeople, the Nommo has limbs on the upper half of its body, in addition to fins on the lower.

Answer: They can go on land and often did to marry human males

Irish mermaids would remove their scales and go on land to mate with men. In "The Little Mermaid", Ariel acts similar to an Irish mermaid but Irish mermaids could willingly go on land. There are numerous Irish familial crests that depict mermaids as some families believe they are descendants of mermaids and human males.

Answer: There is virtually no difference in behavior between mermen and mermaids

Generally speaking, mermen are just male versions of mermaids and they both exhibit similar behavior. While it is generally (and stereotypically) recorded in literature and myth that female creatures would lure a man away, mate with him and kill him, most cultures' mermen will do the same. Both mermaids and mermen have been blamed for sinking ships by either luring the sailors away with their singing voice or by causing a devastating storm.

Answer: Immortality

Japanese myth has a mermaid-like creature called a ningyo, which looks like a monkey crossbred with a fish. It is considered bad luck to catch a ningyo and they are thrown back into the ocean, otherwise, sailors risk their ship sinking.

Answer: False

It was actually a monkey sewn to a fish. However, Barnum had people fooled for years. The merman hoax was not actually Barnum's idea; no one knows exactly were it originated and Barnum was not the first to showcase it. When Barnum's museum burnt down in the 1860s, it is believed the merman burned with it, but this has not been proven.