Abstract
The mythic terrain of mermaids and other hybrid creatures is often thought to be the wilderness. However they were early co-opted as city emblems, set into the walls and palaces of Mesopotamian cities, imprinted on shields and helmets from Classical times, adopted as totems in medieval heraldry, elevated as the patrons of Renaissance cities, given secular homes in gardens, wells, fountains and figureheads, and finally incarnating in mass-media film, TV, and graphic novels in the present day. This paper considers the non-Christian supernatural hybrid as a place where popular and elite visual culture intersect, exploring its history and significance in particular cities, and examining how its legends and imagery evolved to fit and express urban experience.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication status | Unpublished - 2015 |
| Event | Belief Narrative Network at International Society for Folk Narrative Research conference: Beliefs in Discussion, University of Hacettepe, Ankara, Turkey - Ankara, Turkey Duration: 1 Sep 2015 → 6 Sep 2015 |
Conference
| Conference | Belief Narrative Network at International Society for Folk Narrative Research conference: Beliefs in Discussion, University of Hacettepe, Ankara, Turkey |
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| Country | Turkey |
| City | Ankara |
| Period | 1/09/15 → 6/09/15 |