After reading new pieces of literature and analyzing short films that focused on untold history and multicultural spirits (which we went over in class as well), this made me want to revisit my second discovery, and incorporate more historical information and credible sources to back up my claims and arguments. Considering my second discovery consisted of Mesoamerican water spirit Tlanchana, I would like to showcase more of the parallels between ancient societies in regards to folklore and specifically as it relates to water deities and these connections will be made by accessing the Penguins Book of Mermaids, as well as Scaled for Success: The Internationalisationof the Mermaid by Philip Hayward which speaks of this phenomenon. I am still at the part where I am trying to conceptualize the “So What?” part of my thesis but I intend for it to demonstrate the influence the environment has on humanity and how altering ones perception of the environment (introducing new theologies and forbidding previous beliefs) can result in a form of desensitization where one may slowly start losing the connection they once had with nature.
The Pre-Columbian Era was a time of innovation, engineering accomplishments, and astonishing mythological tales. Among the indigenous folklore and figures that were praised and respected, one of the most controversial ones was the goddess Tlanchana. This ocean goddess was said to be a protector of the people and guardian of the sea for the Matlatzinca culture which incidentally predates the Mexica (Aztec) period. Despite this significance, after the arrival of the conquistadors, Tlanchana was altered from its original portrayal (which was considered demonic due to the half-snake characteristics) to a more “appealing” appearance of a mermaid. This alteration further showcases how certain beliefs are shunned and often replaced with alternate interpretations from a monotheistic point-of-view, and also proves that ancient legends and deities are only deemed important in history when it is told from the perspective of the powerful which in this case, were the explorers.
Leading up to the events of the complete control of Tenochtitlan by the Spaniards, conflicts were already brewing even between the indigenous tribes of Mexico making it that much more difficult for a firm cultural and spiritual monolith to be established within the natives. This very challenge subsequently lead to Catholicism being spread all throughout the Americas; leaving many native goddesses behind through ways of destruction, war, and religious conversion of the natives. Despite this tumultuous environment however, some indigenous deities did manage to be brought into New Spain’s Catholic culture, only difference is that it was done by mixing which is now known as “Mexican Syncretism.”
With this context in mind, the alteration of the water deity Tlanchana from original “half-serpent” form to a more “half-fish” form is becoming increasingly more understandable, not morally of course, but from a theological standpoint considering the symbolic connection between the devil in Genesis taking the form of the cunning snake. This urgency from the Spanish to change the original depiction of the ocean deity Tlanchana because of the serpent aspect and tie in with nature, yet approve of the mermaid-like traits is reminiscent of other cultures that have had their own deities altered by Europeans as mentioned by Scribner, “But these accounts warn men to control their desires, to keep their wits about them in the presence of a ‘supernatural’ beauty that represents, at the same time the power of nature. Rather than cautioning men against the dangerous power of powerful female beings in the European tales, these tales enjoin respect for nonhuman life and divine power” (18). Although this excerpt is in regards to Hawaiin spirits, it further demonstrates the impact European explorers and colonists had on these territories that already had an established society with traditions, going as far as to re-writing indigenous spiritual figures to convert them to a new form of life, subsequently removing that strong connection with nature that they once had.
Artistic interpretation of Tlanchana before colonization(could change appearance from full-human to full-serpent at will). Illustration by Juan Alcázar. 1988.Statue of Tlanchana located in Metepec, Mexico. Photo credits https://www.centrecannothold.com/blog/guzman-3
This change that was done by the Spanish to not only Tlanchana but other spiritual figures (most significant one being the Virgin Mary and the Aztec mother goddess Tonantzin) opened an entire new world for both the Mexica and Spanish civilizations since they both could now connect with a different form of nature spirit which is more centered around the actual environment through the elements. Unfortunately, as it is known, there was not much acceptance of the beliefs that were affiliated with indigenous tribes in Mexico since the Spaniards thought of these “elemental guardian spirits” as an act of heresy and instead implemented Catholicism amongst the tribes even with syncretism applied to certain native deities.
The “mermification” of Tlanchana is not just a mere modification, but a telling act that demonstrates how the people in power (conquistadors) were understanding of mythology and legends, only if it correlated with what they believed at the time; altering or erasing that which did not coincide with their religious views. These stories of old folklore and mythical beings are not just fictional tales that are meant to be thought of as fantasy with no deep meaning to it other than to be read or viewed for entertainment. Rather, these stories should be taken seriously not only because of tradition, but because they are telling of the social environment at that point in time. The reinterpretation of the water goddess Tlanchana’s from her serpent form to her mermaid form is much more than a superficial change, it symbolizes the cultural and environmental shift in regards to religion, class systems, agriculture, and ethnicity as well. A forgotten land in Mexico that had it’s own history to tell through the ways of nature and the people that inhabited the lands, now vastly different as a result of the exploration of the Americas leaving the powerless to adapt to a new culture and theology, where they still continue to follow today.
References
Alcázar, Juan. Juan Alcázar and Goddess Tlanchana. (2021). MuseoRalli Marbella.
Bacchilega, C., & Brown, M. A. (2019). The Penguin book of mermaids. Penguin Books
In this week’s reading of “Odysseus and the Sirens” in The Penguin Book of Mermaids, it recounts Odysseus’ encounter with the Sirens, which, if I remember correctly, is one of the most symbolically charged episodes in his journey home. The Sirens, like mermaids, embody the trope of dangerous femininity: they are creatures who enchant men with beauty and song only to lead them to their dooms. What distinguishes this episode is not only the deadly temptation Odysseus faces but also the preparation he brings, having been warned by Circe. Unlike other moments of erotic or sensual temptation in his other travels, the Sirens’ lure is on a different level of danger. It is an intellectual and spiritual seduction that can be tied to the desire for knowledge.
This story carefully shows the tension between control and surrender. Odysseus asserts his authority from the beginning, instructing his men to bind him fast, “Me, me alone, with fetters firmly bound, / The gods allow to hear the dangerous sound” (10). His insistence that chains be “added band to band” reveals an awareness of his own vulnerability. He desires to hear the Sirens but also knows the peril of indulging in their song unrestrained. The physical imagery of bondage that is seen only dramatizes the paradox: Odysseus gains access to the Sirens’ knowledge only through restriction. In this way, the passage uses wisdom as something that can be achieved only by resisting desire, even when that resistance comes through force.
The Sirens’ song itself highlights the danger. They promise Odysseus not sensual pleasure but “new wisdom from the wise” (11), appealing to his heroic identity as a seeker of knowledge. Their words use knowledge as a form of transcendence: “thy soul shall into raptures rise!” Yet the framing of this knowledge is also destructive. By offering the totality of human experience–“Whate’er beneath the sun’s bright journey lies”– the Sirens promise an omniscience that no mortal should claim. Their music is a portal, one that tempts him toward a dimension beyond human limits, where the cost of knowledge is death.
Odysseus’s struggle to break free during the Sirens’ song, despite having planned for this exact moment, shows the seductive power of their mystical, ethereal promise. His men, immune with wax-stopped ears, remain safe because they are locked out of this ‘knowledge.’ The tension between Odysseus and his men shows the danger of intellectual temptation. Odysseus, the seeker, is drawn to the perilous edge, while his men embody the wisdom of ignorance.
Overall, the passages’ reading dramatizes the precarious balance that lies between curiosity and survival. By escaping, Odysseus affirms his self-control, but the scene that is depicted reminds us of that fine line between knowledge that empowers and the knowledge that destroys.
It is almost like Cristina Bacchilega and Maria Alohalani Brown read my mind from last week. In their Introduction chapter of The Penguin Book of Mermaids, Bacchilega and Alohalani Brown write, “There is something deeply unsettling about a being whose form merges with the non-human. Whether they dwell in fresh or salt water, aquatic humanoids raise questions about what it is to be human and what lies beyond a human-centered world. Physically, they are both like and unlike us” (xi). This is something I touched on last week in my blog post, focusing on how Scribner observes the human interest in hybridity. Here, in Bacchilega and Alohalani Brown’s introduction, they agree with Scribner’s astute observation on hybridity, putting more of an emphasis on how, not only are we interested in the mermaid’s hybridity, but we are astonished, and, in a deeper sense, somewhat unsettled because of this merging with the familiar and unfamiliar.
Bacchilega and Alohalani Brown go on to say, “We humans do not deal well with betwixt and between—liminality makes us anxious. We prefer our world organized into well-ordered and sharply defined categories, and we prefer to be in charge of it. Nonetheless, we are strangely drawn to the other, who is in part a mirror image of us and appears within reach, even if mentally ungraspable” (xi). While, yes, the hybridity of the mermaid—and other mythological creatures, for that matter—does make us uneasy most of the time, it is the peculiarity and similarity that draw us to the mermaid.
Humans have, and likely always will be, drawn to mermaids. Whether it is their similarity or difference to us, there is something so alluring about their mix with something we know of (separately, a human and a fish). But together, we still get this uncanney-valley-like feeling when we think about mermaids. They are like us from the waist-up, but from the waist-down, they are something completely different. We like to be in control, according to Bacchilega and Alohalani Brown, but also, we are “drawn to the other” (xi). This fascination will never die, as long as we crave something otherworldly and unlike our natural world.
My main takeaway is from pg.xiii from The Penguin Book of Mermaids and how René Magritte painted a mermaid with the upper body of a fish and lower body of an exposed human woman’s legs. Forewarning, I do go off on a small tangent about something that my mind couldn’t stop thinking of later on.. So here we go!
I searched up the image and golly, it doesn’t seem right. But, that’s because we’ve been fed this whole other image that encapsulates beauty. Meanwhile, this art piece seems abnormal and uncomfortable to look at. Naming it “The Collective Invention” is diabolical, because of how surreal this image looks.It feels sarcastic as like the artist is giving a wake up call for the public to question their own acceptance of mermaids as a common concept in society. Maybe, from a physical characteristic standpoint of why mermaids were accepted other than men are perverted and strongly dislike women. Is that all the mermaids I’ve seen so far have a human face.. familiarity feels safe enough to have some guard down and have clouded judgement on what is considered normal. Just as how Christianity adopted some pagan beliefs to attract / convert pagan followers. Hence, having a bigger following is to gain more power over people and the environment.
Another theory I have as to why mermaids are portrayed as women from their waist upwards other than already having a merman existing,and human nature with the attraction to female anatomy. Why, for the most part, do mermaids have a woman’s torso and long luscious locks? Encapsulating the breast and hair is widely significant because that is a part of the mermaid’s identity according to society. This question puts me back to how the Christian churches went out of their way to disintegrate femininity but didn’t want to ruin the image of Mother Mary. Is it because she brought comfort and is the mother of Jesus Christ? Is she a hidden reason to have mermaids be shaped the way they are? Why were we told sirens have an enchanted voice? Surely, their voice isn’t the only feature that held the attention of humans? Is it because women bring a sense of comfort to men? Of course, I don’t have the answer but this concept just rattles my brain because disregarding the sexual urges from men regarding mermaids/merepeople and male merepeople already existing .. Why else are mermaids shaped the way they are? Someone tell me why!?!
Anyways, if you’ve made it this far, I appreciate you for your time! <3
