Melusine

While I was looking up “terpsichory”, I came across “Melusine”. I decided to share the Wikipedia explanation. I just liked the idea of such a strange creature, hope you think so too.

For other uses, see Melusine (disambiguation).

Mélusine (French: [melyzin]) or Melusine or Melusina is a figure of European folklore, a female spirit of fresh water in a holy well or river. She is usually depicted as a woman who is a serpent or fish from the waist down (much like a lamia or a mermaid). She is also sometimes illustrated with wings, two tails, or both. Her legends are especially connected with the northern and western areas of France, Luxembourg, and the Low Countries.

Mermaid

You are strong and ethereal, the light glints on your skin, like a dolphin, sleek, slipping through the waters, twisting coral and seaweed in your hair.

Siren songs, calling out to passing boats and ships, but ignored as diesel engines drown your subtle music. You have lost your sisters to giant nets, trawled from their watery beds by fishermen that know no better.

Mystery surrounds you, mystic, mythological, mesmerising. No soft fairy story of prince’s and princesses. You are more powerful, a trident carrying warrior.

Trout pout

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Eyes, looking up from below

Bubbles, trickling from the waters depths,

A fishes mouth and gill’s

Scales with a metallic sheen

Jenny lurks below.

Hidden in the weeds

Pike like teeth behind those lips

Clawed hands stir the water

Webbed between fingers and toes.

Bubbles reflected in her eyes.

She sees the feet of a child,

Dabbling on the waters edge,

One grab and down it goes.

Jenny Greenteeth has struck again.

 

Work in progress, mermaid

I decided to paint a mermaid but didn’t want it to be Disneyish. So I’ve used a photo of a victorian painting to work from. Obviously that face was not blue and I have changed the image in other ways to make it more interesting. I don’t have much more to do to it but I have left it for the moment. I will probably finish it off in the next couple of days..