How to make a mermaid mummy Researchers seriously investigate...

What do you think of when you hear the word mermaid?

It often appears in movies, dramas, and comics.

Such mermaids are preserved as mummies at temples in Okayama Prefecture.

mermaid?

It's supposed to be a fantasy creature in the first place... and a mummy?

Is this mummy really a mermaid?

Researchers spent a year studying it scientifically and seriously.

It's not a monkey fish, it's a mermaid

This is the "Mermaid Mummy" handed down at Enju-in, a temple in Asakuchi City, Okayama Prefecture.

The total length is approximately 30 cm.

The face looks like a monkey rather than a person.

However, if you look closely at the lower part of the body, there are something like fins attached, and it certainly looks like a fish.

Hmmm, monkey fish?

But it's a venerable "mermaid".

It is properly written in the notes that are stored together.

"'Dried mermaids' caught in a fishing net off the coast of Toshu (off the coast of Kochi Prefecture) during the Genbun era. Fishermen brought them to Osaka and sold them.

1736-1741 is the Genbun era

.

It is the era of Tokugawa Yoshimune, the 8th shogun of the Edo Shogunate.

However, it is said that even the chief priest of the temple that preserved it did not know in detail when, who brought it to the temple, or why.

Why did the mummy go to Okayama?

In February of last year, a research group was set up to uncover the true identity of the

"Mermaid Mummy," which has been carefully protected .

The members are professors and associate professors of Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts, curators of Kurashiki City Museum of Natural History, and researchers of Okayama Folklore Society.

A scientific investigation was started to find out the materials, state of preservation, and historical background of the mummies.

The investigation began with surface observations using an electron microscope, and then photographed the interior using X-rays.

I also did a DNA test.

3D mummification

This is a 3D image of a mermaid mummy analyzed by the research team.

It also has five fingers with claws and fur on its surface like an animal.

It has very realistic eyes, nose and mouth.

His hands are next to his face, making it look like Munch's "Scream".

I could see fins and scales like fish on the back and lower body.

Could this be...

The identity of the mummy is...

The investigation spanned a year.

And this month, a press conference will be held to announce the results of the investigation.

Is the "mermaid mummy" real?

Everyone knows something in their heads.

However, scientific research may lead to the discovery of new organisms that have never been seen before...

expectations are rising.

The results are finally announced.

The result shown was "The mermaid's mummy was made by human hands."

That's the end of what I expected, but the interesting part of this research is the earnest investigation of unknown and suspicious things.

This is where the real thing begins.

What materials were used and how was it made?

First, the upper body survey results.

Looking at the X-ray CT images taken inside, you can see that there are no major skeletons such as the skull, spine, and ribs.

Instead, it seems that the inside is stuffed with cotton.

And the monkey-like appearance was expressed using paper and cloth, and the surface was painted with sand and charcoal.

The face like Munch's "cry" that can not be easily forgotten once seen was mostly made of paper etc.

Also, the teeth were from a carnivorous fish, and the body surface was covered with pufferfish skin and animal hair.

On the other hand, the results of the survey on the lower body...

From the results of examining the scales, it seems that there are characteristics of the croaker fish that live widely along the coast of Japan, mainly in the East China Sea.

The croaker fish is used as a raw material for paste products.

I couldn't help but imagine that a

"mermaid mummy" was made using raw materials found in supermarkets .

And when was it made?

Measurements using "radiocarbon," which decreases over time, also revealed that it was likely created in the late 1800s.

The reason for the temple remains a mystery...

Through a series of investigations, things that could not be understood only by looking at it from the outside became clear one after another.

However, this mummy is carefully preserved at the temple.

Injuries were not allowed, and investigations were limited.

After all, who made it, and why is it in the temple in Asakuchi City?

I didn't know the details until the end.

"Mermaid Mummy" is made in Japan

According to the research group, there are about 10 "mermaid mummies" in various parts of Japan, and there are some that are believed to have been exported from Japan overseas.

Why were mermaid mummies created?

We spoke to a knowledgeable expert.

Professor Yuriko Yamanaka, Department of Humanities and Civilizations, National Museum of Ethnology

``Many mermaid mummies were made from the late Edo period to the Meiji period. People at the time believed that seeing such rare creatures would bring them good luck.

” At the show hut, people came face-to-face with the "mummies," marveling at the rare and unusual creatures, and at the same time praying to escape from disaster. Even if it's fake, the thoughts of the people who were sent there are genuine."

"The origin is that I want to know who I am"

At the press conference of the research group, there was also the following exchange:

Reporter

: “I apologize for breaking the romance, but to be honest, I should have guessed that it was made by humans.

Professor Takashi Kato, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts

“When I was young, I was always excited to see ghosts and UFOs appearing in children’s magazines. However, this time, with the cooperation of the temple, I had the opportunity to investigate.The starting point was that I wanted to know who this suspicious thing was.”

Reporter

: “Please tell us the significance of your research.”

Professor

Kato

Several mermaid mummies have been found, but little scientific research has been done.In the wake of our research, similar studies will be conducted in the future, and comparisons will be made. It would be good if it leads to the clarification of the creator.”

“I want to continue to cherish it and pass it on.”

The chief priest of Enju-in Temple, which holds the mummies, was also present at the press conference.

Hiroyoshi Kuda, Chief Priest of Enju-in Temple

"This 'Mermaid's Mummy' is filled with the thoughts of various people, including those who created it, those who preserved it, and those who entrusted it with prayers and wishes as a rare object. I understood that it was a fake, but that doesn't change the feelings that people have for the mummy.It's the same as people putting their hands together with a Buddha statue made of stone or wood.I will continue to protect this mummy. I want to tell you."

After completing the investigation, the "Mermaid Mummy" returned to the temple.

Enju-in will not be open to the public, but will be carefully preserved to prevent insect damage.

Things I learned from a mermaid mummy

The mummies, with their finely crafted claws and scales, show the interest and prayers people had for mermaids at the time.

In this day and age, we tend to think of things in a binary way, whether they exist or not, and whether they are real or fake, but I was reminded that it's okay to have things that don't fit into that category or that we don't really understand.

And I also wanted to remember the feeling of being amused by it.

(Okayama Broadcasting Station Reporter Tomoki Uchida)