Mermaid Transformation Stories

Mermaid transformation stories feature the sudden, inexplicable change of a mortal into a mermaid. The transformation is always magical - usually in more than one sense.

Often, the change is not sought and takes the transformed person entirely by surprise. This introduces an interesting element into the story. The person is now forced into a higher plane or at least a new plane of existence.

The main symbolism of these stories is transcendence. Transcendence means becoming something more than you were before by uniting yourself with something greater than yourself. You transcend your own boundaries.

You may in fact transcend human boundaries. This is why, in my list of mermaid transformation stories, some of the transformations are into gods or goddesses. The transformed person is no longer merely human.

1. The Rusalka - Russian women who are murder victims can become Rusalka if they are killed prior to their wedding.
2. The Mermaid's Twin Sister - one sister becomes a mermaid the other, well, read the story. It is on another website but it will open in a separate window.
3. Sirena is similar to the Mermaid's Twin Sister.
4. Moon Child - this manga from Japan concerns a young "boy" who will one day transform into a beautiful mermaid named, oddly, Benjamin.
5. The Salmon Boy - An Indian boy from a Canadian tribe became a fish-person when he refused to eat a fish cooked by his mother.
6. Sedna - an Eskimo woman too proud to marry a mere man of her own tribe virtually falls into the roll of sea goddess.
7. Shannon - a Celtic goddess born a mortal woman finds more than she asked for when she searches for the well of wisdom.
8. The Siren Wife is a tale from Italy.
9. Lorelei is a Rhine river nymph who was once a mortal.
10. The Gorgona, once the sister of Alexander.
11. The Mermaid of the Magdalenes, a Canadian folk tale.