Editing Mermaid (section)

==== Textual attestations ====

The earliest text describing the siren as fish-tailed occurs in the ''[[Liber Monstrorum|Liber Monstrorum de diversis generibus]]'' (seventh to mid-eighth century), which described sirens as "sea girls" ({{lang|la|{{linktext|marinae |pullae}}}}) whose beauty in form and sweet song allure seafarers, but beneath the human head and torso, have the [[scale (anatomy)|scaly]] tail-end of a fish with which they can navigate the sea.{{Refn|{{harvp|Faral|1953}}, pp. 441ff., cited by McCulloch (1962) [1960], p. 167.<ref name="mcculloch"/>}}{{Refn|{{harvp|Pakis|2010|p=137 and n89}};{{harvp|Holford-Strevens|2006|p=29}} (both quote from the Orchard (2003) translation.<ref name="orchard"/>).}}

"Sirens are mermaids" (Old High German/Early {{langx|gmh|Sirêne sínt méremanniu}}) is explicit in the aforementioned Old German ''Physiologus'' (eleventh century<ref name="handschriftencensus-11043"/>).{{Refn|name="Vienna-ONB-223"|Vienna, [[Austrian National Library|Österreichische Nationalbibliothek]] ms. 223, fol. 32r.<ref name="altdeutsche-physiologus-TITUS"/> Maurer (1967) ed.''Der altdeutsche Physiologus'' [note 37], 92, apud {{harvp|Pakis|2010|p=126, n37}}. (olim MS Philol. 244), [[Friedrich Heinrich von der Hagen|von der Hagen, F.H.]] (1824) ed., {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=U9UGAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA52|2=pp. 52–53}}.}}{{Refn|{{harvp|Pakis|2010|p=126}}, note 39 gives "Siręne sint meremanniu" citing Maurer ed. (1967), the Titus Project transcription is verifiable against the image of the manuscript, fol. 32r.<ref name="altdeutsche-physiologus-TITUS"/><ref name="handschriftencensus-11043"/>}}{{efn|But upon reflection, since the OHG word only means "sea-woman", it is not assured that a fish-tailed being is meant.}}

The Middle English bestiary (mid-13th century) clearly means "mermaid" when it explains the siren to be a ''mereman'',<ref name="oed-mermin"/><ref>{{harvp|Pakis|2010|pp=126–127}}, note 42, though the remark is shorthanded, stating that the "same word" as the Old High German term is used.</ref> stating that she has a body and breast like that of a maiden but joined, at the navel, by a body part which is definitely fish, with fins growing out of her.{{Refn|name="MEBestiary"|British Library Arundel MS 292, fol. 8 verso<ref name="ME-bestiary-ed-morris"/>}}<ref>{{harvp|Armistead tr.|2001}} vv, 391–462, pp. 85–86</ref><ref name="ME-bestiary-ed-morris"/>

[[Old French]] verse bestiaries (e.g. [[Philip de Thaun|Philipp de Thaun]]'s version, written c. 1121–1139) also accommodated by stating that a part of the siren may be bird or fish.{{sfnp|Holford-Strevens|2006|p=34}}