When we read accounts of "mermaids", should we reject the reality behind the myth, or understand that the tale likely came from a manatee, sighting?
Mermaids became manatees. What will god become?
The existence of mermen and women predates any sighting of a manatee by civilisation about 3500 years. Their origins began with the story of Adapa, who because of his nautical prowess was depicted in clothing resembling the form of a fish
he was also known as the fisherman of Eridu (his home town)
Because he was a religious figure was emulated by Sumerian priests who wore a fish costume
Depictions like this passed from Babylonia to Assyria, where they were depicted thus
And from there the stories spread to Greece where he was depicted like this and associated with Poseidon
something got lost in translation. This was due to the Babylonian priest Berossus who was ordered by Antioch I to write a history of Mesopotamia which the king had just acquired. He described Adapa who was known as Uan in Babylon as a fully fledged aquatic bringer of civilisation and named him Oannes. This was a bit of a mystery for a while as the story of Adapa was translated only in the modern era, showing the true origins of the character, turns out Berossus was having a laugh at the kings expense. The Greeks then added mermaids as his companions.
So much later the concept of mermen was already in the minds of sailors setting out on long voyages, so you have the cart before the horse, Manatees are not responsible for mermen mythology, merman mythology is however responsible for identifying manatees as mermen
I don't buy the elephant origin for cyclops either, the Greeks were familiar with elephants, they used them in their army and the earliest stories about the first mentioned cyclops in history, Polyphemus originally had two eyes.
I think the origin is much more likely due to the preponderance of the single eye symbol across the ancient near east, where it was used by characters of great stature, such as Gods and kings so its more likely due to a blending of mythology and symbolism.
