In Shan Hai Jing, Northern Ocean Jing recorded a mermaid named Yu Ling. According to records, there is Yu Ling in the sea. It has hands and feet and cries like a child. Generally speaking, it is a fish, but it has limbs and a baby's cry. In ancient times, people called the mermaid Jiao Ren. Its fish oil is so precious that it can be made into a lamp that will last for thousands of years.
Besides, tears can also be turned into pearls. It is said that in ancient times, a Jiao Ren lived in a poor family near the South China Sea, and tears could turn into strange pearls. After being discovered by local officials, Jiao Ren had to escape into the sea and disappeared from sight.
In western countries, the legend of mermaid first appeared in the Assyrian Empire.
The mermaid image at that time was not as beautiful as it is now, but a simple combination of fish and people. It is said that the mother of the Assyrian queen is a god. Because she killed her husband by mistake, she threw herself into the sea and wanted to follow him.
Unexpectedly, she became a mermaid, a fish with human head and feet. The male mermaid described in The Legend of Babylon is also similar to this mermaid.