They Had This Strange Mummy For Over 300 Years, And They Just Found Out What It Was And….

When ancient folklore collides headfirst with modern science, a centuries-old Japanese mermaid mummy’s enchanting tale of immortality is submerged in a tide of revealing the truth.

Revered for centuries by the Japanese for its supposed immortal-giving powers, has had its myth debunked. This ancient artifact, supposedly caught in the Pacific Ocean near Japan’s island of Shikoku between 1736 and 1741, has long been a sacred figure in Asakuchi, a city where it was believed to confer immunity and robust health.

The legendary mermaid mummy was surrounded by tales of it gifting immortality. Its reputation as a health guardian kept its legacy alive for centuries. Its intrigue was amplified during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, when the desperate and hopeful turned to this mythical creature, pleading for protection against the ruthless virus that first surfaced in Wuhan, China.

However, despite the deep-seated faith and fervor of the people, scientific minds viewed this mummified marvel with a skeptical eye. They hypothesized that the mermaid was nothing more than an elaborate ruse, a fusion of a primate’s body with a fishtail. To substantiate their theory and shed light on the veracity of this legendary creature, the mermaid mummy was dispatched to a research facility for exhaustive testing.

The research began with a CT scan, providing a non-invasive peek into the mermaid mummy’s composition. The team, led by Hiroshi Kinoshita of the Okayama Folklore Society, found themselves taken aback by the findings. The mermaid mummy, once held in reverence and fear, was revealed to be a fabrication, an intricate concoction of cloth, paper, cotton, and fish parts.

Despite appearances suggesting a blend of fish and primate, the upper body was found to be of non-mammalian origin. “From what we now know, the lower half of the body is fish, but the upper half is not mammalian,” Kinoshita explained.

The shocking revelation suggested that the creature was crafted using human materials like cloth and paper, with pufferfish skin used for the arms, shoulders, cheeks, and neck.

The creature’s hair was sourced from a mammal, and its nails were sculpted from animal keratin. Surprisingly, the creature’s jaws were taken from a carnivorous fish species. Moreover, the lack of an internal skeleton was substituted with metal needles in the neck and lower body, presumably to hold the creation together.

The creature’s bottom half was composed of scales from a croaker fish. The overall surface was then painted with a charcoal powder mix to provide a realistic finish, adding an eerie authenticity to the bizarre creation.

Beyond the CT scan, this mummified mermaid underwent a series of comprehensive scientific tests, including X-ray imaging, fluorescent X-ray analysis, DNA analysis, and radiocarbon dating.

These efforts confirmed the long-standing suspicions – the legendary mermaid mummy of Japan was a meticulously crafted hoax. This revelation underscores the human inclination towards belief, the power of folklore, and the intriguing interplay between myth and scientific truth.

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Source: AWM