'Mermaid Mummy' Discovered in Japan Has Human Face, Body of Monkey and Fish

A 300-year-old mermaid mummy has been under examination after its discovery. The mummy has the upper body of a monkey, a human-like face, and a lower body of a fish, it has been an object of worship for a very long time. This is the first time it is being examined, according to researchers.

(Photo : KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Scientists Examine the Mermaid Mummy

As per Newsweek, the mummy was discovered in Enjuin Temple in Asakuchi located in Okayama Prefecture, where it was kept and worshiped. According to scientists, it has an upper body of a monkey, a human-like face, and a lower body of a fish.

It is currently being analyzed by researchers from the Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts. These analysis are meant to bring answers to a lot of questions as to how this creature came into place, what type of creature it was, and other possible mysteries behind its origin.

In February, the mummy was removed from its box by the 60 years old chief priest of the Enjuin temple and placed on a CT scan for examination.

The examination and many more like DNA analysis are still yet to be done at the university, and according to the researchers, the results from these examinations will be released after a thorough examination. The said result might be delayed till the year ends.

Also Read: Rare Discovery: 17 Mummies Unearthed in Ancient Burial Site in Egypt

Features of the Mermaid Mummy

The mummy has nails, teeth, and hair on its head, as well as scales on its lower body; it is about 12-inch-long and has a screaming expression on its face.

The mummy seemed to have passed through different owners upon investigation before getting to the temple.

According to an old note, the creature was caught during fishing in a fishing net off Shikoku, the smallest of Japan's major islands, between 1736 and 1741. However, there is still a possibility of the creature being older than 300 years as the time it was passed down and its past owners are still unknown.

How the Research Began

The investigation of this mermaid started after 54-year-old Hiroshi Kinoshita, a board member of the Okayama Folklore Society, read about it in a natural Japanese historical material written by Kiyoaki Sato (1905-1998). This was before it was investigated and discovered to be a worship idol in a temple

Kinoshita said: "Japanese mermaids have a legend of immortality, It is said that if you eat the flesh of a mermaid, you will never die. There is a legend in many parts of Japan that a woman accidentally ate the flesh of a mermaid and lived for 800 years. I heard that some people, believing in the legend, used to eat the scales of mermaid mummies," according to Metro.

Kinoshita doesn't believe in the possibility of the creature actually being a mermaid; to him, it might have been made out of living animals, and this theory can only be proven after the results from the examination is out.

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