The History of Mermaids, Sea Spirits & Women

Why do mermaids continue to enchant us? From ancient sea-spirits to Disney princesses, the mermaid has drifted through centuries of myth, art, and pop culture - shifting shape with our fears and desires. In this talk, we dive beneath the surface of the familiar tale to explore the deeper history of mermaid lore. We’ll begin with Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and its Disney transformations, then swim back through time to meet her many watery sisters: the sirens of antiquity, medieval Melusine, selkies, rusalki, Mami Wata, and the curious “mermaids” sailors swore they saw at sea.

Join Professor Diane Purkiss in unraveling what mermaids reveal about how societies imagine women, bodies, and outsiders. Together we’ll explore the mermaid and her relationship to the way women are defined and ponder the opposition between the mermaid and the sailor. Lastly, we’ll look at 21st-century reimaginings - from colonial critique to queer and transgender symbolism - that show why the mermaid’s spell endures.

Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7:30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!

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Diane Purkiss is Professor of English at the University of Oxford, and a fellow of Keble College. She has published works on witchcraft, fairies, and also on the English Civil War, the occasion of England's biggest witchhunt. She has been in more than a dozen television documentaries; she even has an IMDb entry and a Wikipedia page.She has spoken to general audiences at numerous literary festivals and to many local history societies.

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