Japanese mermaid mummy to be examined by researchers

[thomas]

A "mermaid mummy" kept at Enjuin temple (延寿院) in Asakuchi, Okayama Prefecture, will be - for the first time - scientifically analyzed by researchers from the Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts. Reportedly, the creature was caught in a fishing net on the coast of Tosa Province (present-day Kochi Prefecture) between 1736 and 1741 and subsequently bought by the Kojima family in Bingo-Fukuyama Province before it was passed on to other owners after the turn of the Meiji Era . It is not known how Enjuin temple acquired the mummy.

Mermaid mummies have also been reportedly used as objects of worship at Mount Koyasan in Wakayama Prefecture and on Amami-Oshima island in Kagoshima Prefecture. According to Kinoshita, one of them has the upper body of a monkey and the lower body of a salmon. Takafumi Kato, 54, a professor at the university specializing in paleontology, is in charge of the morphology analysis of the upper body of the Enjuin temple specimen. It will be his first research on a mythical creature. He intends to examine the antiseptic treatment of the well-preserved mummy. An associate professor specializing in ichthyology is focusing on the lower body, while another associate professor with expertise in molecular biology is carrying out a DNA analysis. Kinoshita is analyzing the relic from the standpoint of folklore studies. The Kurashiki Museum of Natural History, which served as an intermediary between Enjuin and the university, is providing support for the project. Kuida likens the mermaid mummy to Amabie, a folklore monster believed to have the power to fend off plagues. "We have worshipped it, hoping that it would help alleviate the coronavirus pandemic even if only slightly," the head priest said. "I hope the research project can leave (scientific) records for future generations."

Scientists try to unravel mystery of eerie ‘mermaid mummy’ | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

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[thomas]

The results are out: Enjuin's mermaid mummy turned out to be a "moulded object" from the Meiji period.

Their one-year scientific analysis found that the supposed centuries-old creature is largely a molded object consisting of paper, cloth, cotton and other components, the team said on Feb. 7. [...] They said some real biological parts were found in the mermaid. For example, the lower body contains bones from perhaps the tail and dorsal fins of a Sciaenidae fish, while the mummy's jaw was that of a carnivorous fish. But they found no major bones in the spine or rib cage. And the jaw was the only bone in the head. The body's interior consisted mainly of a mold of cloth, paper and cotton. The head was almost entirely made of cotton, along with plaster and similar materials, they said. The surface of the upper body was created with thin layers of paper, with puffer fish skin and animal hair glued to it, according to the study. Based on scales peeled from the lower body, the researchers said it is highly likely that the mermaid was created in the late 1880s.

Tall tale: Study finds ‘mermaid mummy’ largely a molded object | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

 

[mdchachi]

The person who made it must have been laughing their *** off when they pulled off their hoax.

 

[Petaris]

The person who made it must have been laughing their *** off when they pulled off their hoax.

It may have been commissioned by the temple for that matter. "Oui, brother Kazu, we need a holy relic. See what you can put together, try to make it look convincing!"

 

[nice gaijin]

All the magic has finally left the world!