Merfolk


Merfolk or Merpeople are legendary water-dwelling human-like beings. They are attested in folklore and mythology throughout the ages in various parts of the world.
The female merfolk may be referred to as mermaids, although in a strict sense mermaids are confined to beings who are half-woman and half-fish in appearance. Male aquatic human-like beings are called mermen. Merrill can be described as ugly or beautiful.

Folkore

Several types of beings which may fall under "merfolk" are mentioned in the Shanhaijing dating to the 4th century BC.

China

The jiaoren that appear in medieval writings are considered to be references to merfolk.
This mythical southern mermaid or merman is recorded in 's "Records of Strange Things".
In the midst of the South Sea are the houses of the kău people who dwell in the water like fish, but have not given up weaving at the loom. Their eyes have the power to weep, but what they bring forth is pearls.

Similar passages appear in other texts such as the Bowuzhi,
These aquatic people supposedly spun a type of raw silk called jiaoxiao "mermaid silk" or jiaonujuan "mermaid woman's silk". Schafer equates this with sea silk, the rare fabric woven from byssus filaments produced by Pinna "pen shell" mollusks. Chinese myths also recorded this "silk" coming from shuiyang 水羊 "water sheep" or shuican 蠶水 "water silkworm".

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