The 14th 'Mermaid Mummy' Discovered in Japan
Appearance Combining Fish, Monkey, and Reptile Features
The identity of the 'mermaid mummified corpse' discovered in Japan in the 1990s has been revealed.
The 'Mermaid Mummy' discovered in the waters off Japan in the early 1990s. [Photo by Northern Kentucky University]
According to reports from major foreign media on the 24th (local time), Northern Kentucky University in the United States announced that the mermaid-shaped mummy found in Japanese waters in 1906 appears to be a mixture of at least three different species.
The mummy was discovered by an American sailor in Japanese waters in 1906 and was donated to the Clark County Historical Society in Springfield, Ohio. The mummy had a bizarre appearance that seemed to combine features of a fish, monkey, and reptile. It was known for its furrowed expression, large sharp claws, and gray hair.
Dr. Joseph Kress, a radiology expert at Northern Kentucky University, conducted research to uncover the identity of this mummy.
The research team performed X-ray imaging and CT scanning, concluding that the creature called the 'mermaid mummy' appeared to be a life form composed of at least three different species mixed together.
Dr. Kress said, "It has the head and torso of a monkey, but the hands resemble those of a crocodile or a type of amphibian like a lizard. Also, the tail has the typical appearance commonly seen in fish. It has the form of a combination of at least three species, making it difficult to classify precisely."
He added, "It seems to have been created like 'Frankenstein.' We will continue research to determine which species' DNA has been combined."
'Mermaid Mummy' discovered in the early 1990s in Japanese waters. [Photo by Northern Kentucky University]
Meanwhile, this is the 14th mermaid mummy discovered in Japan to date.
According to the Okayama Folklore Society, mermaids are very familiar mythical creatures to the Japanese, with legends saying they can predict illness or heal the sick.
Because of this, 'mermaid mummies' are occasionally found in Japan. One mermaid mummy discovered in the late 1800s and analyzed for the first time this year was revealed to be a 'fake' made of paper rather than an actual living creature.
Also, a mermaid mummy believed to be from the 17th-century Edo period, kept at a temple in Asakuchi City, Okayama Prefecture, was confirmed by researchers from Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts in Japan to be a man-made sculpture after a year of investigation.
The Okayama Folklore Society stated, "Mermaids are familiar beings to the Japanese, with legends across various regions about them predicting illness. It seems that mummies were made as one means of expressing mermaids."
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