9 Mermaid Myths From Around The World

Melusine is fabled in France, Germany, Luxembourg, and Albania. She is described as having a human female upper body and the tail of a fish or a serpent. Sometimes she even has two tails or wings. Some stories say that if someone sees her it is an omen of impending death.

The story of Melusine says that she was cursed with a fish or serpent tail which she would wear every Saturday. She lived in the forest until she met Count Raymondin of Anjou (or the Duke of Aquitaine in some versions). They got married, but only after he promised never to enter her room on Saturdays.

They had ten children together and lived happily, until her husband got so curious one day he peeked through her door on a Saturday and saw what she was. He didn't say anything until their one son burnt down the church. Thinking she was evil and had passed this on to their children, Raymondin revealed her secret to the world.

Distraught, Melusine was said to have jumped out a window and into a river to escape. Other stories say she turned into a serpent or dragon and flew away. As the story is so widespread, there are many versions of it.