SaedNews: Researchers have recently succeeded in discovering the true nature of the mummified monkey mermaid.
According to SaedNews, scientists have finally been able to observe the true structure of the strange mummified monkey mermaid. This peculiar mummified creature is kept in the Anjo Temple in Asakuchi, Japan.
For decades, this strange object has fueled the curiosity of scientists, and it apparently dates back centuries. The mummified creature, which resembles both a mermaid and a monkey, measures about 30 centimeters in length. Its body consists of a furry torso similar to that of mammals, a fish-like scaly tail, two human-like hands, and sharp, pointed teeth.
In Japanese folklore, semi-human and semi-fish creatures with monkey-like mouths are called ningyo, and although they are less enchanting than Western mermaids, they have just as many myths and stories surrounding them. A handwritten note inside a wooden box accompanying the strange mummified creature indicates that it was discovered around the year 1740 on the shores of present-day Kochi.
Since February 2022, scientists from the Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts (KUSA) have been collaborating with the temple to uncover the true nature of this strange being. They have revealed that the creature is neither an animal nor a genuine mermaid but rather a human-made artifact.
Mummified ningyo can be found across Japan in temples and museums, most of them dating from the Edo period (1603-1868). Since no live specimens of these creatures have ever been found, their existence remains a mystery to scientists.
To understand the nature of at least one of these mummified ningyo, the research team worked with the temple to thoroughly observe the creature without causing any harm. In addition to visual assessments, the team used X-ray imaging, CT scanning, optical and electron microscopy, fluorescence analysis, DNA analysis, and radiocarbon dating.
The study revealed that, apart from the lower jaw, the ningyo is completely devoid of skeletal structure, making it clear that this mummified creature is not a fusion of a monkey and a fish like the fake Fiji mermaid.
Scans showed that the object is a haphazard combination of materials. It wasn't made with wood; instead, it was mainly constructed from fabric, cotton, and paper, covered in a substance made from a paste of charcoal powder and sand. The head is mostly made of cotton with a chalk-like substance applied on top.
The creature’s hair is made of animal hair, and its scales come from two types of fish. The upper body is made from puffy fish skin, while the lower body is made from the scaly skin of a type of duck fish. The five fingernails are made of animal keratin, possibly a type of horn, and the jawbone belongs to a carnivorous fish.
Meanwhile, radiocarbon dating of some of the scales contradicts the handwritten note in the mermaid's box, indicating that the creature was created more than a century after the date mentioned.
Researchers conclude: "The body of this 'mummified mermaid' is covered in fish skin, and the upper body is made from fabric and paper. It is constructed from multiple layers of paper and puffy fish skin, with cotton and other filler materials, and a chalk-like substance as the base. It is believed to date from the late 1800s."
The mystery of how this creature ended up in the temple remains unsolved. Although the true structure of this mermaid has been clarified, as an important artifact of its time, it has been returned to its home and entrusted to the care of the temple's residents.
