Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings. For today’s post, I have decided to discuss Mermaids and Pirates! So, Pirates have long been associated with Mermaids. A lot of the stories we have of people encountering Mermaids come from Pirates, as well as other sailors.
Mermaid encounters on the High Seas were not uncommon reports over the centuries of seafaring, especially from men who had been lonely on their ships for long days and weeks. However, these encounters range from simply being attracted to these figures, to stating that they do not look how it would be expected (like Christopher Columbus in his journals), to feelings of fear and danger! Now, clearly it makes sense that Mermaids and seafaring men would have a connection, as who else would get the opportunity to see them? You would have to be a Sailor, a Fisherman, or a Pirate, out on the open water, in order to hope to make contact with Mermaids.
What is so fascinating is just how much we can think of Pirates and Mermaids as having more than just a connection, but an attraction. Many people have thought of Pirates and Sailors having relationships with Mermaids for a very long time. I even wrote a short story (which is posted here on this blog) years ago about a Pirate Captain who fell in love with a Mermaid! I think that the reason that so many of us think of Pirates having a sexual connection with Mermaids is that Pirates are so known for being outside the law. Of course, they would like to have a relationship with Mermaids without questioning being in a relationship with a supernatural being. Whereas other Sailors or Fishermen are more likely to have families at home, or be more uncertain about starting a sexual union with a supernatural being.
The Nautical Romance between Mermaids and Pirates sort of adds to the allure of the Sea. There is so much unknown and uncertain about the Oceans. After all, we have only explored about five percent of the Sea, so that means the Sea is full of mysteries. This is why so many modern people say that they believe that Mermaids, Krakens, Sea Monsters, Megaldons, and all sorts of other creatures and beings could be hidden somewhere in the unexplored depths of the Ocean. There will always be an allure to that which is mysterious, and that could also be why so many find Mermaids alluring.
One of my favorite media about Mermaids and Pirates includes Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. I adore just how a Mermaid can be captured by a Pirate Crew (Blackbeard’s Crew, no less) could fall in love due to this event! I really do love that Blackbeard’s Crew captured the Mermaid, as Blackbeard is known to be one of the historical Pirates to discuss Mermaids. He even wrote in his log book about seeing Mer-folk several times and made notes of where Mer-folk were, so that his Crew could avoid them! Maybe that is one of the reasons I adore the inclusion of Mermaids in this particular film, as it has some connection to history.
At the end of the day, Mermaids and Pirates have been deeply linked across the centuries, and that link is so fascinating. I hope you have enjoyed this short exploration of Mermaids and Pirates. What is your favorite thing about Mermaids and Pirates being linked? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is Mermaid and Pirate artwork by Scott Gustafson. I found the art on https://www.scottgustafson.com/pirate-and-mermaid.
LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries
Further Reading/Watching
- Mermaid Magic by Lucy Cavendish & Serene Conneeley
- Tempest Tarot Deck by Maisy Bristol
- https://discover.hubpages.com/education/Mermaid-Sightings-and-Stories
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
- Here is the link to the Short Story I wrote years ago: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/2022/06/11/the-pirate-captain-in-love/