For decades, the mummified remains of a creature resembling a small mermaid were worshipped at a temple in Asakuchi, Japan, but scientists have long suspected that the mermaid mummy was created by humans.
The famous mermaid mummy, allegedly captured in the Pacific Ocean off the island of Shikoku between 1736 and 1741, has been kept on display at the Enjuin temple in Asakuchi for over 40 years, attracting visitors convinced that the remains would bring them good luck.
It is said that these tiny supernatural creatures were immortal and that whoever consumed their flesh would also enjoy eternal life. Nobody tried, but a group of scientists did request a more thorough examination in order to confirm the many legends surrounding the artifact.
Researchers from Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts obtained the mysterious mummified mermaid from the Enjuin temple last year and began analyzing it using a variety of modern techniques such as X-ray and CT (computerized tomography) scans, radiocarbon dating, electron microscopy, and DNA analysis.
The lack of a skeleton was the first thing that was noticed about the unusual 12-inch specimen, which appeared to have the head and torso of a small primate and the bottom half of a fish. The only skeletal remains were found in the mummy’s lower body and appeared to be those of a fish. The rest appeared to be an odd mixture of various animal remains cloth, paper, and cotton.
Some scientists had previously hypothesized that these worshipped mermaid mummies had been created by sewing the head and torso of a small monkey onto the lower body of a caught risk. Last year’s tests proved that the worshiped remains had been put together by man, although the exact ‘recipe’ was a little hard to guess.
After filling the torso of the ‘mermaid’ with cloth and paper, whoever created this mummy also painted it with a paste made from a mix of sand and charcoal. Its jaw and teeth were also most likely taken from a kind of predator fish, and its nails were made from keratin. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the specimen dates back to the early 1800s.
Although the true purpose of the mummified remains unknown, scientists believe it was intended to mislead people into believing that Ningyos, Japanese mythological creatures, and their immortality were real.
The findings of the Japanese scientists were published earlier this year. Researchers are now hoping to obtain a few of the other 14 ‘mummified mermaids’ discovered throughout Japan for comparison purposes.
