Sea-god Oannes, and the dawn of civilisation

Mesopotamian mythology: Around 5000 years ago, the area around the Erythrean Sea was most definitely the place to be. The weather was great, the scenery stunning and Oannes, the first recorded merman made his presence known.

Oannes was a sea-god, he was described as having the head of a fish, but with a human head underneath, and the tail of a fish, but again with human feet underneath. Despite his crazy sense in fashion, Oannes is credited with bringing civilisation, wisdom, art, science and writing to mankind. Yes, that's right, everything we do today is because of Oannes.

Little else is known about Oannes, no-one is really sure where he came from or why he chose to instruct the people of the Persian Gulf. But I'm sure we are all very thankful that he did rise from the sea each morning to share his knowledge.

In the Louvre museum, Paris, you can see an eighth century wall-scene showing Oannes as a merman, with a fish-like tail and the upperbody of a man.

In the third century BC, a Babylonian priest named Berossus wrote about Oannes. His work survives only in fragments and the following text was recorded by Greek historians.

At first they led a somewhat wretched existence and lived without rule after the manner of beasts. But, in the first year appeared an animal endowed with human reason, named Oannes, who rose from out of the Erythian Sea, at the point where it borders Babylonia. He had the whole body of a fish, but above his fish's head he had another head which was that of a man, and human feet emerged from beneath his fish's tail. He had a human voice, and an image of him is preserved unto this day. He passed the day in the midst of men without taking food; he taught them the use of letters, sciences and arts of all kinds. He taught them to construct cities, to found temples, to compile laws, and explained to them the principles of geometrical knowledge. He made them distinguish the seeds of the earth, and showed them how to collect the fruits; in short he instructed them in everything which could tend to soften human manners and humanize their laws. From that time nothing material has been added by way of improvement to his instructions. And when the sun set, this being Oannes, retired again into the sea, for he was amphibious. After this there appeared other animals like Oannes.

Berossus, third century BC

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