These Mermaid Tattoos are Fintastic

After discussing vampires, zombies, ghosts and mummies, it’s finally time to discuss a creature that’s known for being beautiful and seductive—mermaids. The mermaids we known and love today are said to be influenced by the sirens of Ancient Greece. Initially imagined as half-women, half-bird creatures, sirens eventually became popularly known for being beautiful women from the waist up and sporting a fish’s fin from the wait down. In Greek mythology sirens are dangerous beings who seduce sailors with their beautiful voices, causing them to crash their ships.

The most famous mermaid in Western literature was written into existence during 1837, known as “The Little Mermaid.” The fairy tale was written by Danish author Hans Christian Anderson, who also wrote “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “The Ugly Duckling” “The Princess and the Pea” and “Thumbelina.” This story became known world wide in 1989, when it was adapted by Disney, however the animation studio left out several important details from the original story.

First, when The Little Mermaid turned human and was given legs, it felt like she was being stabbed with knives every time she walked or danced. Second, she didn’t just want to become human for the love of a prince, but to go to heaven after her death. Third, after the prince married another princess, our protagonist commits suicide after considering murdering the prince and his new bride on their wedding night. We’ll gladly take Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle over that macabre story.

After much anticipation, Disney announced they’d be creating a live action film of “The Little Mermaid,” following in the success of “The Lion King,” “Maleficent,” “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Singer and actress Halle Bailey was cast as the titular role, with actor Jonah Hauer-King playing Prince Eric and Academy Award nominated actress Melissa McCarthy playing Ursula. Filming was expected to begin in the spring of 2020, but due to COVID-19 it was postponed until the summer.

Take a peek at some of our favorite mermaid tattoos from talented tattooers around the world in the gallery below, then let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments section on social media.