With most of our blue planet covered by water, it's little wonder that, centuries ago, the oceans were believed to hide mysterious creatures including sea serpents and mermaids.
In folklore, mermaids were often associated with misfortune and death, luring errant sailors off course and even onto rocky shoals. Japanese legends have a version of merfolk called kappa. Said to reside in Japanese lakes, coasts and rivers, these child-size water spirits appear more animal than human, with simian faces and tortoise shells on their backs.
Mermaids and mermen are also known as women and men of the sea or the sea gods.
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