Gradwell, Lois
THE MERMAID
Journal of Sandplay Therapy, Volume 1, Number 2, 1991
KEY WORDS: mermaid, mythology, seductress, virgin/savior, Aphrodite, Venus, mirror, comb, mane, sirens, Orpheus, symbol, Melusina, legends, sandplay therapy.
ABSTRACT: The mermaid has held the symbolic meaning of seductress, temptress and destroyer of man, connected to the earth and to water. The Christian Church, in the 4th to 12th centuries, identified the mermaid with sensuality and the Terra Mater, of pagan religions. The image of the mermaid prompts a “deep, primitive part of the psyche”. It is a part of the collective in its archetypal nature, manifesting in stories that are told to answer the significant questions of the centuries.