Unveiling the mystery behind the “mermaid” mummy in Japan

Researchers in Japan are currently investigating the origin of the 300-year-old strange “mermaid” mummy. This mummy has been worshiped for a long time because of its special appearance. Initially, scientists determined that this creature has the upper body of a monkey, the lower body of a fish and is equipped with human hair and fingernails.

Hiroshi Kinoshita, a board member of the Okayama Folklore Association, discovered a mermaid mummy about 30.5 cm long inside a box at a shrine in Okayama Prefecture. He first became aware of mummies when he saw a strange specimen image in the encyclopedia of mythical creatures. A fisherman discovered this specimen sometime between 1736 and 1741 and later sold it to a wealthy family. Researchers still don’t know exactly how the mermaid mummy ended up in the temple.

Takafumi Kato, a paleontologist at Kurashiki University of Arts and Sciences, and his colleagues began to understand the origin of the mummy after Kinoshita successfully persuaded the temple to let scientists investigate the remains. abnormal.

(Photo: The Asahi Shimbun)

On February 2, scientists took the mummy for a CT scan and in the future, they will also extract the mummy’s DNA to be sure which species combined to make up the mermaid. The results of this study are expected to be announced later this year.

It is known that the appearance of this mummy has similarities with Amabie – a mermaid with a beak instead of a mouth and three separate tail fins, and Ningyo – fish-like creatures with a human head in Japanese folklore. Both of these creatures are associated with miracle stories and the ability to cure diseases and increase longevity. One of those stories mentioned Yao Bikuni – a woman believed to have lived for 800 years after accidentally eating a Ningyo.

The monks living in the temple considered the mummy as a good omen in terms of health. Kozen Kuida – one of the monks said: “We worship this creature and hope that it can help alleviate and alleviate the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Previously, the mummy was displayed in a glass cabinet at the temple for the public to admire and pray, but 40 years ago, it was preserved in a fireproof safe to prevent damage and deterioration. .

The monks at the shrine in Okayama Prefecture said they hope that the research will contribute to preserving the mermaid character in folklore and continuing it to future generations.

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