Mermaids of the Great Lakes
Have you heard the song about the mermaids who live in the Great Lakes? This song was written by The Magic Crafter and tells the tale of the different mermaids that you can find swimming in and around the Great Lakes. Mermaid Phantom, Mermaid Shadow, Moonflower Mermaid and Mermaid Krimzon are all original creations of The Magic Crafter and are mermaids that you will definately see swimming in all over the place in Northern Michigan (and elsewhere) in the summer months.
This song was inspired by the unique backstories I have given each of the mermaid characters that I perform as and the interactions that they’ve had with the world around them. My hope is that this song will become one that the families in Northern Michigan can enjoy to remember the encounters they’ve had with the magical mermaids of the Great Lakes.
While this song was written about my main mermaid characters, I wanted to include the bit about “more appearing every year” to indicate that these aren’t the only merfolk you and your kids will see in Michigan… I am always creating new characters, and there are also plenty of other merfolk in and around the Great Lakes area that you may encounter, so be on the lookout for others! :)
Mermaids of the Great Lakes (Lyrics)
Blue water shimmers in the icy cold bay
No sharks nor seals in these waters play
The shores they lack in salt and sea shell
But in the Great Lakes the mermaids do dwell
Gathering fossils on the Michigan shore
Gliding through Superior in search of ore
Huron, Ontario and even Lake Erie
Spashing through currents they never grow weary
When the silver-haired mermaid called Phantom appears
the beaches are filled with laughter and cheers
Diving by dunes and breakwalls and bridges
Playing with minnows and swatting the midges
Dark-tailed Shadow, her many bells ringing
The pirate, Gan Ning, his praises she’s singing
Hunting for treasure hidden deep in the Great Lakes
Forgetful as a goldfish losing all that she takes
In the land of cherry trees
where summer’s gone like a swift breeze
mermaids swim through water clear
more appearing every year
Scales sparkle in the water
Princess Moonflower, they call her
A mermaid dressed in gleaming gold
Afraid of algae, or so its told!
A flash of red and wild like fire
Mermaid Krimzon, you’ll never find her
A timid siren far from home
Now in the Great Lakes she does roam!
In the land of cherry trees
Where summer’s gone like a swift breeeze
Mermaids swim through water clear
More appearing every year
When winter ends and the air feels hotter
Go down to the beach and keep your eyes on the water
There’s magic in the Great Lakes, or so it’s been told!
Mermaids do swim in their waters so cold.
About the Mermaids
Mermaid Phantom: The Ghost of the Great Lakes
A photo of Mermaid Phantom sitting on a cement block in a river in Northern Michigan
Mermaid Phantom is a silver-haired mermaid who swims all over the Great Lakes. She is most often seen in Lake Michigan, but also hangs out in Lake Huron, Lake Superior and various rivers and inland lakes. Despite her dark appearance, this Gothic mermaid is a bubbly and loving soul whose favorite hobby is making people smile. She is the most popular and easily recognizable of my mermaid characters and is beloved by children all over the world! Sometimes her tail changes shape, so don’t be surprised if you see her sporting more fins than the last time you saw her… she’s a bit of a shapeshifter. :)
Below is a playlist of Mermaid Phantom videos (just a few of many… since she has lots of videos!)
Mermaid Shadow: The Belled Mermaid
Mermaid Shadow looking up at the camera with her tail posed overhead. You can’t see her bell belt in this photo, but you can see the bell bracelet and necklace she’s wearing!
Mermaid Shadow is a mermaid that you will likely hear before you see her. Rescued by the ex-pirate, Gan Ning, long ago, she wears a ton of bells around her waist to mimic the ancient fearsome river pirate (he used bells to scare people away, which she also tried to do, without success!). She is a wandering mermaid who has taken it upon herself to collect as many bells and treasures as she can find to deliver to her beloved hero. Unfortunately, she has a horrible sense of direction and no concept of time… so she is not aware that her dear Gan Ning passed away long ago, nor does she have any idea how she got stuck in this massive system of lakes!
Below is a playlist of Mermaid Shadow videos.
Mermaid Moonflower: The Lake Leelanau Princess
A photo of Moonflower Mermaid resting on a boulder in Lake Superior
Mermaid Moonflower is technically not a mermaid of the Great Lakes, as she does live in Lake Leelanau. She is one of the many mermaid princesses who lives in Lake Leelanau, as there is a pretty large royal mermaid family living in there. ;)
However, Moonflower is disgusted by algae and doesn’t like it brushing up against her scales! So, she tends to travel to deeper, clearer water when she gets the chance. She has been seen in Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, and is also fond of swimming pools… since they don’t have any algae in them!
You can watch a video of Moonflower swimming here:
Mermaid Krimzon: The Wild Siren
Mermaid Krimzon hanging onto the side of a breakwall in Lake Michigan
Mermaid Krimzon is not a very tame mermaid. In fact, she seems to be more of a siren than a mermaid, although this really isn’t clear. She is thought to have been from the ocean, originally, but found her way through the canal and into the Great Lakes by mistake. She’s what you may call an “invasive” creature. While she doesn’t seem to cause too much trouble, she is very timid and yet casts some suspiciously hungry glances at the people she sees on the beach. So Phantom does her best to chase her away from shore if she gets too close (which she doesn’t because she’s rather shy). :)
*Mermaid Krimzon’s tail is very intricate and touching-up any scoffed paint would be a nightmare! Therefore, she is only used for film projects and not for public events, as public events are rough on silicone mermaid tails. This is the main reason we keep her away from people, but calling her a “wild siren” sounds much cooler than “she’s delicate and we don’t want to have to fix her 24/7,” right?
You can see videos of Mermaid Krimzon here:
Remember, these aren’t the only merfolk that you’ll find swimming in Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Superior, Lake Erie, or Lake Ontario (or any number of inland lakes or rivers). So, keep your eyes on the lookout for other merfolk too!
Thank you for taking some time out of your day to “meet” some of the Mermaids of the Great Lakes, and to listen to my song. Please let me know what you think of it! While the song was written by me, it was performed using AI software (just to be 100% clear), as I do not sing. I do love music, but am horrible at playing any instrument I touch. So I’ll stick to songwritting (and horribly playing my guzheng in the pirvacy of my home). :’)
Please feel free to share the song with anyone you think may enjoy it!
And if you’d like more videos of mermaids swimming in the Great Lakes, please check out this video playlist: