Abstract
Mediaeval Norse writings that describe the merman are considered accurate observations of a natural phenomenon. Images of common sea mammals, severely distorted by strong, non-uniform atmospheric refraction, fit the mediaeval descriptions remarkably well. Three examples are presented: computer-generated images of a killer whale and a walrus, and a photograph of a suitably distended boulder. The mediaeval correlation of a merman sighting with the advent of storms is also verified.
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Lehn, W., Schroeder, I. The Norse merman as an optical phenomenon. Nature 289, 362–366 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/289362a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/289362a0
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