By Tim Binnall
A centuries-old sacred 'mermaid mummy' is set to be scientifically analyzed by researchers in Japan in an attempt to determine the true nature of the mysterious creature. According to a local media report, the rather nightmarish oddity (seen above) is said to have been captured by fishermen sometime around 1738 and subsequently passed through the hands of various owners until ultimately winding up at a Buddhist temple in the city of Asakuchi at some point in the last century. The curious creature, which resembles the half-human, half-fish construction of a classic mermaid, was showcased at the site for decades until being put into storage to protect the puzzling specimen.
Seemingly forgotten since then, the purportedly mummified mermaid was rediscovered by Hiroshi Kinoshita of the Okayama Folklore Society while studying the works of a famed Japanese natural historian Kiyoaki Sato, who wrote about mysterious creatures. After tracking down the location of the ancient relic, the researcher brought it to the attention of scientists from the country's Kurashiki University and suggested that they examine the peculiar specimen. Remarkably, the temple was open to such an analysis of their treasured piece and turned the approximately one-foot-long creature remains to a team of specialists from the university.
The group plans to conduct an array of tests on the alleged mermaid including a morphological analysis, DNA testing, and CT scanning. Other team members will attempt to determine the process by which the creature was mummified and Kinoshita, who thrust the oddity into the spotlight in the first place, will be providing a folkloric look at the relic in order to tell its complete story. The researchers say that they'll unveil their complete findings later this year. Those hoping that the study might determine find that the creature really was a proverbial mer-being may wish to temper their expectations as examinations of similar relics has always found that they are simply two prosaic animals, such as a monkey and a salmon, artfully sewn together.