Are tales of mythical mermaids inspired by a real-life medical condition?

Mermaids have occupied our imagination for thousands of years, originating in ancient Assyria with the legend of goddess Atargatis, whose worship spread to Greece and Rome. In one account, Atargatis transforms herself into half-human, half-fish being out of shame for accidentally killing her human lover. However, in other accounts, Atargatis is a goddess of fertility who is associated with a fish-bodied goddess at Ascalon. It is thought that worship of Atargatis and Ascalon eventually merged into one, leading to the description of one ‘mermaid-goddess’.

In history, mermaids have been connected with hazardous events in European, African and Asian culture, including floods, storms, shipwrecks and drownings. Homer called them sirens in the Odyssey, who lured sailors to their deaths. They have been depicted in Etrurian sculptures, in Greek epics, and in bas-reliefs in Roman tombs. In 1493, Christopher Columbus even reported seeing mermaids on his voyage to the Caribbean.

But could our concept of a mermaid actually have originated from a real medical disorder?

Sirenomelia, named after the mythical Greek sirens, and also known as ‘mermaid syndrome’, is a rare and fatal congenital malformation characterized by fusion of the lower limbs. The condition results in what looks like a single limb, resembling a fish tail, leading some to questioned whether ancient cases of the condition may have influenced legends of the past. It is known, for example, that ancient descriptions of sea monsters derived from sightings of real-life species such as whales, giant squid, and walruses, which were rarely seen and little understood at the time.

According to the MailOnline, medical historian Lindsey Fitzharris from Oxford University, and author of the blog The Chirurgeon's Apprentice, has been tracing back references of the condition in historical texts, however, the earliest known mention he could find was in a four-volume atlas published in 1891. There is nothing that hints at how medical practitioners understood sirenomelia in earlier periods.

Sirenomelia occurs when the umbilical cord fails to form two arteries, leaving only enough blood supply for one limb. Sadly, due to severe urogenital and gastrointestinal malformations, babies born with the disorder rarely survive longer than a few days. However, with advanced in surgical techniques, there have now been a few cases of sufferers living into their teenage years.

Among the survivors of the rare condition is a Peruvian girl named Milagros Cerron, whose first name means ‘miracles’, but friends and family affectionately refer to her as ‘the Little Mermaid’. In 2006, a team of specialists successfully separated the legs of the then two-year-old. While Milagros is living a full and active life, she will need ongoing surgery to correct complications associated with her kidneys, digestive and urogenital systems.

Whether or not the congenital condition may have influenced stories of women with fish-like tails will never really be known. Nevertheless, the likeness between the two has had one positive effect – it has helped children suffering from Sirenomelia to feel proud of their resemblance to the beautiful and mythical beings described in our ancient past and which has persisted through popular media to the modern-day.

Source