The mummified ‘mermaid’ is set to be investigated by scientists.
A mummified “mermaid” said to grant immortality to whoever tastes its flesh will be probed by scientists in order to reveal its true nature.
Now researchers from the Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts have taken the mummy for CT scanning in a bid to unravel its secrets. Hiroshi Kinoshita of the Okayama Folklore Society believes the creature may have religious significance.In the age of Covid-19, a mermaid could be an ominous portent too, folklore suggests.A historic letter dated 1903 – apparently penned by a former owner – was stored alongside the mummy and gives a story about its provenance.“The fishermen who caught it did not know it was a mermaid, but took it to Osaka and sold it as unusual fish. My ancestors bought it and kept it as a family treasure.
He continued: “I think it is made from living animals and we would like to identify them by CT scans or DNA testing.”