Mythology/History of Mermaids and Other Things in the Book
The Goddess Atargatis:
This myth dates back to 1000 bc, and is the oldest known mermaid myth. It tells the story of the Goddess named Atargatis, who wanted to become a fish after accidentally killing a human shepherd she was in love with, but ended up being too beautiful, causing her to stay half goddess and making her a mermaid. She originally appeared in a Syrian myth, but went on to take other forms in Roman and Greek mythology. Her sacred animals were the dove and the fish, which symbolized love and fertility of the waters.
Sirens:
Throughout time, the siren myth changed quite a lot. There is actually no real time that sirens were depicted as mermaids. That was more of an idea given to us by Hollywood. The actual sirens in myths were often from Greek mythology and were creatures that were half bird and half woman. They would use their powerful singing voices to lure ships into crashing and sinking. They also often targeted men. Hollywood has since grouped together the traditional mermaid myth and the traditional siren myth, making them the same creature. Sirens as they're known in todays society often look like mermaids but have all the powers of sirens.