The Biblical Meaning of Mermaids in Dreams

Dreaming of mermaids? In this article we will take a Biblical look at the spiritual and symbolic meaning behind mermaids in dreams. So, let’s get started…

I recently finished up an article called Are Mermaids in the Bible? And I highly recommend you check it out if you really want a full grasp on this topic. 

But in this post, we are going to just target some key points that I hope help bring clarity and insight to what you are dreaming. 

If you have been around my site Think About Such Things you will know that I write a lot about dreams. As a Christian, I think it’s vital that we understand Biblical symbolism and imagery. This helps us tremendously to discern when we have dreams and visions. 

For More Articles on Dreams:

• Does God Still Speak In Dreams
• Dreaming of Snakes? A Biblical Understanding
• Dreaming of Butterflies? A Biblical Understanding
• Joseph’s Dreams: Unlocking 7 Life Lessons 
• The Ultimate List of Bible Verses About Dreams
• What Is the Difference Between Dreams and Visions?

Dreaming about Mermaids

We have to lay a little foundation on the Biblical and Spiritual meaning of mermaids first. 

When it comes to mermaids it’s easy to get caught up into our cultural imagery of what these creatures look, act, and symbolize. I think all of us have seen the Little Mermaid or Splash and have read fairy tales and books on mermaids. These artistic outlets have engrained into our minds what merpeople are like.

But for us to fully understand their spiritual meaning we need to look back into history and also, see what the Bible has to say about the topic. 

When I first did my study on Are Mermaids In the Bible? I was pretty firm that there are NO mermaids in the Bible. But as I began to dig deeper I was shocked. There actually is and it’s something that repeated itself in ancient beliefs. 

Mercreature Deities 

In the story of Samson in the Bible, you see the mention of a Philistine god named Dagon. This false deity is also mentioned in 1 Samuel. 

The interesting fact is that Dagon is depicted as a merman! He was known as the fertility god since fish reproduced quickly. 

The Babylonians had a similar diety called Oannes and the Greeks Triton. In 2 Maccabee (some Christians view 2 Maccabees as part of the Biblical Apocrypha and some don’t) the Syrian goddess Atargatis is also mentioned. She apparently was human but killed her lover and jumped into a lake and became a mermaid. She much like Dagon was considered a fertility god.

I would not be surprised If it wasn’t the same evil spirit in operation but under different names. 

So right there you know that mermaids are not just some mythical creature that people made up, because they thought it would be cool. 

This is deeply rooted in antiquity and is very much a spiritual thing. As people of faith, we need to search these things out and not just rely on what culture tells us. 

Mermaids: Seducing Spirit 

Throughout antiquity and more modern history mermaids have been known to be creatures of seduction. 

Here are even some modern day views mermaids seduction:

• In the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – There is a scene at whitecap Bay that shows how mermaids historically were viewed, as evil seducing creatures. (You can watch it here if you like)
• Starbucks logo is of the mermaid (some say siren) Melusina: Melusine’s story was thought to express female sexuality in medieval times. Terry Heckler (branding and logo company) even states this, “Terry [Heckler] also poured over old marine books until he came up with a logo based on an old sixteenth-century Norse woodcut: a two-tailed mermaid, or siren, encircled by the store’s original name, Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spice. That early siren, bare-breasted and Rubenesque, was supposed to be as seductive as coffee itself.” – Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time by Howard Schultz

This should not be surprising at all. Even if we don’t look into the Greek and just look at Dagon and Atargatis they are known as deities of fertility (More on Dagon Here).

So, if you are looking for a black and white Biblical and spiritual meaning on mermaids they fall under promiscuity, seduction, and sexual immorality. And many folklore stories have these creatures leading their victims to death. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

In light of all this information. We need to be wise on how we interpret and understand dreams about mermaids.

How to Interpret Mermaids in Dreams

Before we start some key things to remember when interpreting any dream.

• All interpretation of dreams needs to come from God.

Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” – Genesis 40:8

• The word of God is our anchor and source of truth. If a dream tells you to do something contrary to the Bible then it is NOT from God.

• Not all dreams are from God. If it’s not a God’s dream then don’t waste your time on it. If the dream bothers you bring it to the Lord in prayer.

Since mermaids do have an evil connotation. We need to keep that in mind when understand what they could mean in a dream. I can’t guarantee you that 100% every time a mermaid has a negative meaning.

God can take a symbol and use it any way He likes, but the majority of the time the symbol stays true. This is also true for snake dreams. 

Here are some important steps to take to help you interpret your mermaid dream:

1. Write the dream down and make note of anything prominent in the dream. (People, colors, objects, sound, location, etc…) And especially anything that the mermaid says or does. 
2. Look into scripture about certain symbols (like the mermaid) you see in the dream. Take notes and if something is quickened in your spirit than write that down.
3. Start to pray about the dream and ask God to bring clarity about what the mermaid symbolizes. If you sense anything from the Lord write it down.
4. Share the dream with a good friend who knows God. Tell them what your sensing and ask for their thoughts and counsel. I would encourage you to ask for prayer as well.
5. Pray over what you feel the dream and the mermaid mean and take action if you feel the Lord is leading to you.

My Dream of a Mermaid

I thought I would share a dream I had many years ago that involved a mermaid. I hope it helps.

A relationship I had ended with a guy I cared deeply about. He made some large life choices that for me were not logical but he felt like he had to follow his heart no matter what the cost to himself, family, ministry…etc. Months later I had this dream…

Mermaid Dream: I was in the huge room and it was kind of dark and hazy. There was a gigantic water tank nearby. I went towards the tank to look in. It was just water. All of a sudden a mermaid appeared in the tank. It swam towards me and began to laugh at me. She then said to me, “he’s mine, you can’t have him…” She kept repeating it and laughing/mocking me at her victory over me. That was the end of the dream.

I prayed and the Lord showed me that I had tried so hard to reason with him, but I was not dealing with human logic. It was a spirit that was seducing him to make drastic life decisions based on his desires.  

I couldn’t understand what was happening or going through his mind. But the dream brought a lot of clarity to me. I prayed for him, ask God to open his eyes, and bless him. I never did tell him the dream or bring it up. As he moved our friendship slowly ceased. 

Praying Over Your Dream

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. – James 4:7 

Sometimes you will have a sense of what your dream means right when you wake up or in the morning. I would still write down the dream and pray.

I do want to share some pray points you can take if you do feel like the mermaid symbolizes a spirit of seduction or sexual perversion. 

You are dealing with sexual issues:

• If you feel like the mermaid represents a spirit that is attacking you. First and foremost don’t feel ashamed. 
• If God is bringing something to light in your life it’s out of His love for you to see you be set free. 
• Begin to pray and repent of any sexual actions or thoughts.  I would also encourage you to reach out to a close and safe friend who can pray with you and keep you accountable. 

You feel targeted by a seducing spirit:

• If you feel like you are being targeted by a seducing spirit (this can manifest in many ways, for example, a person at work ). Then I encourage you again to pray. Pray for protection, strength, and wisdom. Like I mentioned above finding a friend or family member to talk with is important. This can be a warning dream to be careful and stay on guard.

• If there have been sexual advances made towards you and you feel unsafe then please contact someone in authority and report the incident.

You feel like the dream is about someone else:

• If you feel like this spirit is targeting someone else. Then all you can do is pray for that individual and pray if you should share with them your concerns (you don’t have to tell them the dream). But only do this if you are in a close relationship with this person and you express your concern out of love. 

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I hope this article helps you better understand what it means biblically when you are dreaming about mermaids.

Dreams are a mysterious thing, but God does use them (Acts 2:17). Keep writing them down and praying. If the Lord wants to speak to you about it. He will!