Below you will find the list of books and other sources that were used to compile and complete this site. Not only is it a bibliography but it is a comprehensively annotated bibliography. It is hoped that this list will help others who are interested not only in the development of the mermaid mythology but also help as a guide for the investigation of the growth of other mythologies that have enriched the minds of humans and excited the imaginations and fantasies of individuals since the dawn of time almost. If you ever get the chance to see these sources I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. . .
Mythical and Fabulous Creatures: A Source Book and Research Guide. ed. Malcolm South, Greenwood Press, USA, 1987 -
chapter 9, pages 133 - 145, titled MERMAIDS and written by Ruth Berman. Full of good information and most importantly gives a lengthy bibliography of sources used.
Folklore and the Sea. Horace Beck, Wesleyan University Press, Connecticut, 1973 -
on pages 6 and 7 can be found an interesting anecdote of a mermaid and a shipwright. Chapter 9, pages 227 - 253, titled MERMAIDS gives more of an insight into mermaids and the relationship between sailors and fishermen, and the stories told about them.
Oxford Companion to Children's Literature. Humphrey Carpenter & Mari Prichard, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1984 -
as seen on the Faerietale page this book gives a summary of Hans Andersen's The Little Mermaid and also gives references to other faerietale about mermaids, for example Undine, and they inturn give references to even more.
A Dictionary of Fabulous Beasts. Richard Barber and Anne Riches, with illustrations by Rosalind Dease, Macmillan, Londan, 1971 -
information can be found under entries such as Melusine, Mermaids, Merrymaids on pages 102 - 104, Nymphs on page 111, Sirens on pages 135 - 6 and Tritons on page 144. This book is in the old tradition of the Medieval Bestaries and the acconpanying illustrations help to understand the old catagorizing of mythological creatures.
Fisher Folklore. Peter F. Anson, The Faith Press, London, 1965 -
not only does this compact little book give the beliefs of fishing villages and individuals such as the 'King of the Auxcriniers' on pages 108 - 9. From pages 121 - 8 there are reported sightings of merfolk that is fantastic to read. You may have already come across these reports on the art gallery.
- back to homepage