Half human, half fish - Mystery of a 300-year-old mummified 'mermaid' has baffled scientists!

A lot of information has come out about a 300-year-old mummy that looks like a mermaid.

Mummies refer to the dead body of a person or animal which has been kept by rubbing it with special oils and covering it in cloth.

These bodies, however, are naturally protected for a number of reasons.

Studies

We have often heard archaeologists around the world research the mummies of such endangered human and animal species.

Mummy like a mermaid

According to reports, a mummy of 12 inch has been found that looks like a mermaid with half human and half fish like structure which was allegedly caught in the Pacific Ocean, off the Japanese island of Shikoku, between 1736 and 1741.

Mummy trapped in a fisherman's net

According to a report in Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper, the mummy was found preserved in a box along with a letter claiming that it had been caught in a fishing net in the Pacific Ocean.

Hair and eyes

The baffling mummified creature is now kept in a temple in the city of Asakuchi. Shaped like a mermaid, the creature has hair, teeth, nails, and a lower body with scales.

Immortality

Japanese researchers are conducting a CT scan and are studying it. Also, a scientist has said that the bizarre creature could have religious significance. “Japanese mermaids have a legend of immortality," he added.

Worshipped in the temple?

Local belief includes claims that tasting the mummy’s flesh can make one immortal. It is said that this mummy, which was caught in a fisherman's net back then, was first kept at home which brought some changes. Therefore, it was brought to one of the temples and was worshipped. 

The findings of the scientists are expected to be published later in 2022.