This article falls within the scope of WikiProject Folklore, a WikiProject dedicated to improving Wikipedia's coverage of the topics of folklore and folklore studies. If you would like to participate, you may edit the article attached to this page, or visit the project's page, where you can join the project and/or contribute to discussion.FolkloreWikipedia:WikiProject FolkloreTemplate:WikiProject FolkloreFolklore articles
Mermaid is within the scope of the Heraldry and vexillology WikiProject, a collaborative effort to improve Wikipedia's coverage of heraldry and vexillology. If you would like to participate, you can visit the project page, where you can join the project and see a list of open tasks.Heraldry and vexillologyWikipedia:WikiProject Heraldry and vexillologyTemplate:WikiProject Heraldry and vexillologyheraldry and vexillology articles
This article is supported by WikiProject Mythology. This project provides a central approach to Mythology-related subjects on Wikipedia. Please participate by editing the article, and help us assess and improve articles to good and 1.0 standards, or visit the WikiProject page for more details.MythologyWikipedia:WikiProject MythologyTemplate:WikiProject MythologyMythology articles
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Women's History, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Women's history and related articles on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.Women's HistoryWikipedia:WikiProject Women's HistoryTemplate:WikiProject Women's HistoryWomen's History articles
This page is not a forum for general discussion about mermaids. Any such comments may be removed or refactored. Please limit discussion to improvement of this article. You may wish to ask factual questions about mermaids at the Reference desk.
I know that mermaid are real because I saw one at the beach and I never told anyone about it I’ve seen mermaids on YouTube kids. This is why I think mermaids are real. 76.133.107.206 (talk) 02:09, 21 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Interesting. But you should take into account that optical illusions, false memories and mental illnesses are also real and much better documented. JonValkenberg (talk) 10:02, 14 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]
That's great, but you're not a published scholarly source, so we can't cite your observations in this article. Also, the article describes mermaids as figures in folklore. It doesn't take any position on whether they exist. P Aculeius (talk) 02:36, 21 January 2024 (UTC)[reply]
In the article it says "mod. German "meerweib"". I believe this is are rare and obsolete word. The usual modern word for mermaid is Meerjungfrau. --JonValkenberg (talk) 10:09, 14 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Possibly archaic, but it's in Cassell's (though not in Wiktionary or the German Wikipedia article), defined as "mermaid or siren". Cassell's also lists the diminutive Meerweibchen. Books of or about folklore often use older or archaic terms. It might be a good idea to make sure both (or all three) terms are included, since readers might encounter any of them. P Aculeius (talk) 03:00, 23 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Maybe, but note that this is an article about a creature from folklore, and as such it takes no position with regard to truth. You're free to believe or disbelieve in them, but the purpose of this article isn't to prove or disprove their existence. And note, as it says at the top, the purpose of this talk page is to discuss improvements to the article, not a forum for discussion of the subject. So it's not really a place to debate whether or not mermaids exist. P Aculeius (talk) 00:35, 5 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Er, no. Article should be clear that mermaids do not exist in actual reality. Unless, of course, there is reliable evidence to the contrary, that somehow I missed. 2A00:23C8:7B0C:9A01:7CE5:FD55:FD59:E88 (talk) 23:58, 7 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
No, articles on folklore report what is said in folklore—they should neither verify nor refute what people wish to believe. Wikipedia doesn't take sides on the existence of mermaids any more than God, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or luck. That's not the purpose of the encyclopedia. P Aculeius (talk) 22:11, 22 April 2024 (UTC)[reply]
This edit request has been answered. Set the |answered= or |ans= parameter to no to reactivate your request.
Request change:
"Although traditions about and sightings of mermen are less common than those of mermaids, they are generally assumed to co-exist with their female counterparts."
to
"Although traditions about and alleged sightings of mermen are less common than those of mermaids, they are in folklore assumed to co-exist with their female counterparts."