What Is It About Mermaids And Unicorns That Have Taken Hold Over Queer Popular Culture?
Confession: I love mermaids and unicorns. Now, I never cared for them as a kid (I was more of a comic book and video game type of girl) and I am far from the bright, rainbow color type (my favorite colors are neutrals/black/white,) but there is something very whimsical and ‘feel good’ about mermaids and unicorns.
I’m not alone either; it seems that mermaids and unicorns have both become somewhat unofficial mascots for queer/gender-queer/gender variant people (and many cisgender people as well.) What is it about them though that is so addictive, fun, and captivating as well?
Both mermaids and unicorn folklore and legends date back nearly to the beginning of time. Mermaids are characterized as having a feminine/female upper body and having the tail of a fish (the male version of this is a merman.) Dating back to ancient Assyria, mermaids have been largely thought to have been inspired by the Sirens of Greek mythology, with the most famous mermaid being that of the well-known Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Little Mermaid” and the “One Thousand and One Nights” collection. While mermaids have mostly been known as characters of faraway tales and folklore, mermaids now are synonymous with youthfulness and care-free fun. From the bright, vibrant colors to the mermaid imagery and even the full-blown mermaid cosplay, mermaids have become the symbol representing an escape from reality and an escape from the seriousness and gloom of the present day.
Like mermaids, unicorns have become this symbol of light, fun, and carefree freedom for many. Also like mermaids, unicorns date back to nearly just as far back. A unicorn is characterized as being a mythological creature resembling a horse, with a horn on its forehead. Unicorns appeared in ancient myths from India, China, and early Mesopotamia; even being referenced in certain passages of the Bible. In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, unicorns are associated with grace and purity. In today’s popular culture, unicorns symbolize fantasy and a certain level of innocence.
Images of unicorns offer a sense of youth and care-free fun; from the bright colors representing them (usually pinks, purples, and shades of aqua/teal/mint.) They’re harmless and evoke an imaginary safe space and bubble around those engaging with it. Mermaids, very similar to unicorns, offer an ethereal feeling of whimsy. The image of a mermaid and their corresponding features (usually marked by colorful and rainbow hair, nautical details, and often feminine silhouettes) are used as an escape from reality. People often evoke the image of mermaids when they are dissatisfied with their current societal representation. The LGBT community is often seen as villainous, duplicitous, immoral and corrupt. Mermaids, in contrast, are seen as beautiful, desirable creatures. In a world so accustomed to confining people to tiny, predetermined boxes, it is refreshing to connect and be able to identify with something that is more in-tune with one’s personal expression, expression, and identification.
Mermaids and unicorns are more than fiction and imaginary beings in flights of fancy. They are an escape from a harsh world and one of the last vestiges of care-freeness we can enjoy. And in a world so black and white, there is nothing wrong with a splash of color.