Maidens of the Deep

For generations, mermaids have haunted our imaginations.  But why?  Why does the song of their tale lure us back to them time and again?  Explore their stories with me in this, my favorite series so far.

Mermaids of the Deep Logo

The Changes in Undine

“My father, who is a powerful water-prince in the Mediterranean Sea, desired that his only daughter should become possessed of a soul, even though she must then endure many of the sufferings of those thus endowed….I am now possessed of a soul, and my soul thanks you. ”[1]

After Undine’s strange outburst, Father Heilmann, full of wise compassion, prays over her.  He then turns to Huldbrand, saying “‘So far as I can discover there is nothing of evil in her, but much indeed that is mysterious.’”[2]

But he needn’t have worried about Undine.  For indeed, she was completely changed…

(more…)

By , ago
Mermaids of the Deep Logo

Undine’s Soul

‘There must be something beautiful, but at the same time extremely awful, about a soul….The soul must be a heavy burden…’”[1]

Last week we left Undine wild and lovely, and Huldbrand smitten.  Cut off from the rest of the world, the two soon fall in love, and the fisherman and his wife see them “as already united in marriage.”[2] And yet, they need a priest to make it official.  A priest showing up on their island seems impossible…and yet a priest unexpectedly knocks at their door one evening.[3]

Father Heilmann had set out toward the bishop to tell him of the “distress” of his monastery and surrounding villages because of the floods.  However, when trying to cross the raging river, the boat was capsized and he wound up on their newly formed island.[4]

Huldbrand doesn’t wait.  He suggests the priest marry himself and Undine.  And since everyone agrees, there’s no reason to delay!

(more…)

By , ago
Mermaids of the Deep Logo

The Lovely (and Wild) Undine – Part 2

“She threw her arms round his neck, and drew him down beside her.”  Huldbrand let her, “embracing the beautiful girl and kissing her fervently.”[1]

“I will celebrate before the Lord.  I will become even more undignified than this” ~ 2 Samuel 6:21b-22a

Huldbrand rushes out to find Undine in the midst of the storm.  Undine calls out to him, and coyly reveals herself on “a little island formed by the flood.”  Huldbrand makes his way to her…and the quote above says it all.  

But the fisherman finds them, rebukes them, and begs them to come to the “mainland” – which is now an island itself, cut off from the world.[3]  Undine refuses, and sings of the stream going to the ocean. The old fisherman “wept bitterly at her song, but this did not seem to affect her.”  It touches Huldbrand’s heart though, and he carries her back.[4]

(more…)

By , ago
Mermaids of the Deep Logo

The Lovely (and Wild) Undine – Part 1

She “knew she was created for God’s praise and glory….She was therefore baptized ‘Undine,’ and during the sacred ceremony she behaved with great propriety and sweetness, wild and restless as she invariably was at other times.”[1] 

This is my favorite “mermaid” story!  It was written in 1811 by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, a French ex-patriot who lived in Germany.  Interestingly, it came before many other mermaid tales, including Hans Christian Anderson’s famous Little Mermaid.

Even though I’ll give a thorough outline, I highly encourage you to read it yourself – it is lovely…and wild.  Just like Undine…

(more…)

By , ago
Mermaids of the Deep Logo

Paracelsus’ Water Women

“To God everything is possible….For he wants to be looked upon as a God who is marvellous in his creations.”[1]

“There is also a true story of the nymph in Staufenberg who sat on the road in all her beauty and served the lord she had chosen.”[2]

As I said last time, we have left the realm of reality and entered into the land of fairies.  Echoes of our historical priestesses are preserved, but the direct links are severed as history gives way to folklore.  Many of the true stories are grafted into the medieval romances of the day.  We saw how this specifically happened with the King Arthur legends, and it occurred all over Europe.

However, one important thing changed over time: sea maidens were no longer looking for salvation, but for souls.  And what is more, most clergy denied them this…

(more…)

By , ago
Mermaids of the Deep Logo

Looking for Fairies

What is the Christian equivalent of a fairy? I cried in earnest.

I don’t think my husband ever expected to be asked such a question.  It is a strange question, I suppose.  But after reading Paracelsus’ theories on supernatural beings (which we’ll cover next time), it was a natural question for me.  Paracelsus goes into great detail about how supernatural beings serve a divine purpose, which includes “water women” – our sea maidens.  I think most of what he says is wrong, but it made me think: what is the Christian equivalent for middle-ground forces?

Christianity has never been good at the both/ands of the world, even though it’s so crucial to our faith.  We split everything into light and dark, good and evil.  And yet, there is a middle ground where the two seem blurred.

(more…)

By , ago
Mermaids of the Deep Logo

Caught in Transition: Liban the Mermaid

I love the story of Liban, for it reflects God’s heart so beautifully!  God longs for all to be saved, and He’ll stop at nothing to make Himself known.  Liban is unique: she was a mermaid who became a saint.  Rather than be reviled and judged, she was accepted and hallowed.

And despite all odds, it shows how some sea priestesses felt the tug of the Gospel on their hearts…

Liban of Lough Neagh

Liban was a lovely young woman whose family died when Lough Neagh overflowed.  She, however, “lived for a whole year with her lap-dog, in her chamber beneath the lake, and God protected her from the water.”[1]  Sounds like Noah, which makes sense – many water deities echo the truths of Noah,[2] having been corrupted over time.

(more…)

By , ago
Mermaids of the Deep Logo

Historical Mermaids: Caught in Transition

Last week we discussed the attributes of the Celtic priestesses who became our “mermaids.”  What did these powerful women do when faced with Christianity?  Fortunately, our stories show us some tantalizing glimpses…

The Lady of the Lake

As I said last week, I got the idea of mermaid stories having their roots in historical priestesses from Norma Lorre Goodrich’s King Arthur.[1]  Although she did not make this connection, the Arthur myths seem to (almost) perfectly capture the transition from priestess to water spirit.  One of these women is the Lady of the Lake, who I believe to be a remnant of the undine tradition.

(more…)

By , ago
Mermaids of the Deep Logo

Historical Mermaids: Priestesses

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God ~ 1 Corinthians 3:19a

The story of Svané got wrapped up in something bigger than her: an ancient religion.  It’s unclear what this religion was, and frankly it doesn’t matter for our purposes.  What does matter is how it shaped the women we know today as “mermaids.”

I originally got the idea of these mermaids – or sea maidens – being priestesses from an offhand comment in Norma Lorre Goodrich’s King Arthur.  While speaking of the Lady of the Lake, she describes her as a queen, “or, as the Irish say about their ancient kings, she was a priestess.”[1] I don’t know for certain that my supposition is correct; however, I’m fairly confident that it is a viable theory.  How else can we explain the traits of our mermaids?

(more…)

By , ago
Mermaids of the Deep Logo

Svané and Rosmer the Merman

“Then wrought proud Lady Svané lyle what Rosmer little wist; for she’s tane out the goud sae red, and laid herself i’ the kist”[1] ~ describing Svané’s ruse to escape from Rosmer (i.e. she took out the gold and put herself in the chest)

Not all kidnapped women were mermaids; occasionally, mermen would capture mortal women and take them into the sea.  Such was the case of Svané, who was stolen from her mother’s home in Denmark.

The story of Rosmer Hafmand was written down in the Kaempe Viser, a Danish work composed in the early 1500s, and finally written down in 1591.[2]  It has three renditions of this tale, two with an “Eline,” and one with Svané.  The only one in my collection was Svané’s story, and I could not find the other two anywhere except in summary.  It is, however, the first of the collection,[3] and from what I can go off of, it seems the most authentically Danish.  After all, “Eline” is not really a Danish name…

(more…)

By , ago