Human Statue Bodyart creates human mermaid model; Photo
shoot for international campaign on Sydney beach makes worldwide splash;
Sydney, Australia...
This past weekend a mermaid was seen bathing and soaking up
the sun on the beautiful beaches of Sydney.
There's been numerous reports of the mermaid sighting both
on Sydney Harbour, as well as swimming down to beaches Bondi Beach, Maroubra
Beach and Malabar.
Australian media agencies confirm that they have started to
received photo sets of images of a mermaid swimming, bathing and sunning
herself, and experts advise that the photos were taken at Bondi Beach and / or
Maroubra Beach, with local fishermen swearing they saw her swimming southward
from Sydney Harbour.
An anonymous tip-off says that the Mermaid promotion is
likely part of a paid tourism related campaign relating to a European tie in
with the iconic Sydney Opera House of all places. One media commentator
pinpoints the campaign originating from Denmark.
Rumours continue to swirl around as to how many companies
and individuals are involved in this campaign that appears to have the look of
a publicity stunt.
Mermaid: A mermaid is a legendary aquatic creature with the
upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the
folklore of many cultures worldwide, including the Near East, Europe, Africa
and Asia. The first stories appeared in ancient Assyria, in which the goddess Atargatis
transformed herself into a mermaid out of shame for accidentally killing her
human lover. Mermaids are sometimes associated with perilous events such as
floods, storms, shipwrecks and drownings. In other folk traditions (or
sometimes within the same tradition), they can be benevolent or beneficent,
bestowing boons or falling in love with humans.
Mermaids are associated with the mythological Greek sirens
as well as with sirenia, a biological order comprising dugongs and manatees.
Some of the historical sightings by sailors may have been misunderstood
encounters with these aquatic mammals.
Christopher Columbus reported seeing mermaids while
exploring the Caribbean, and sightings have been reported in the 20th and 21st
centuries in Canada, Israel and Zimbabwe. The U.S. National Ocean Service
stated in 2012 that no evidence of mermaids has ever been found.
Mermaids have been a popular subject of art and literature
in recent centuries, such as in Hans Christian Andersen's well-known fairy tale
"The Little Mermaid" (1836). They have subsequently been depicted in
operas, paintings, books, films and comics.
Websites
Human Statue Bodyart
Human Entertainment
Australia official website