Myth
The category “Myth” includes a variety of aspects such as re-writings of classical myths and
folklore as well as the appearance of mythological and fantastical creatures. In our selection
of texts, we found that mermaids, selkies and other merfolk appear more in the Northern Seas and
Black Atlantic regions, while the Mediterranean features more rewritings of classical myths.
Between the 1950s and the 1990s, myth appears to have disappeared from the shores to resurface
with full force in the 21st century. This gap could potentially be explained by the presence of
more monstrous figures, e.g. gigantic reptilians, in aquatic settings expressing anxieties on
nuclear threats during the mid-twentieth century. Since around the turn of the millennium, there
has been a growing interest in rewritings of myth and folklore foregrounding the perspective of
women.