Every little girl who saw the movie “The Little Mermaid” or has read the story, was enchanted by the secret paradise that is hidden at the bottom of the sea. Shimmering tails, pearlescent scales, and voices that sang lullabies only the ocean could understand.
Mermaids were more than just stories in books or glittering toys on their shelves. To little girls, they were real. They imagined them gliding gracefully through coral palaces, wearing crowns made of seashells and seaweed, protecting sea turtles and dancing with dolphins under the moonlight. At night, they dreamed of diving beneath the waves, their legs turning into a silvery tail, their hair flowing like kelp in the current, becoming part of that magical world. Mermaids not only created an imaginary portal into the unknown, but they inspired everyone through their powers and strength.
Most of us don’t know that these extraordinary creatures were actually biblical. There is a secret missing book that’s a part of the Bible that speaks about mermaids and who they actually are. There were 2000 years old biblical scrolls found in a cave in Qumran and these scrolls are known as the dead see stories. These ancient writings contain the biblical text we know of today, including the Book of Genesis and the Book of Isaiah. However, it is said that there was a book completely hidden from the Bible for decades and it covers the topics the Holy Bible doesn’t go over, like the biblical creatures such as mermaids.
The Book of Enoch mentions a group of mysterious beings that led to the creation of what we call mermaids today. The story starts off with a group of angels, known as the watchers. These angels came to earth and met with human women and this unholy union resulted in the biblical giants we read about in the Book of Genesis. Everyone who had ties with the watchers paid a price for this union: they were bound in Tartarus. The women that lived there were cursed to become mermaids. Although we view this as a magical redevelopment, it was extremely painful and heartbreaking to leave your human life behind. They were nowhere near as beautiful as they are portrayed in stories. They can turn into humans, but since they were cursed, there is no turning back from transforming into an ocean creature. In the Bible, they are seen as demonic and unholy spirits, because Heaven, being an Earth related place, does not view the ocean as a friendly and welcoming home.
After years of humans losing interest in these underwater souls, Hans Christian Anderson brought them back by writing “The Little Mermaid” in 1837. He covered them with a mask that showed beauty and innocence, despite being arguably dangerous. Ariel is the symbol of curiosity and wonder, being desperate to explore life on earth, as well as independence and rebellion, going against her father’s demands.
Her determination for gaining back her voice inspired many young girls to fight for what belongs to them and to not hold back when it feels like everything turns against them.
If Ariel is your favourite Disney princess, what made you admire her the most?
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