Seed Talks: The History of Mermaids, Sea Spirits & Women (16+)The Glee Club Cardiff

Book ticket Times & prices Times & prices

With Professor Diane Purkiss.
Dive beneath the surface of mermaid lore, tracing their long histories and what they may reveal about wider society. Followed by Q&A.

Advance price

£17.00 VIP Front Row
£12.00 Earlybird Show Entry
£12.00 Wheelchair Earlybird Show Entry
£14.00 Standard Show Entry
£16.00 Final Release Show Entry
+ £2.75 booking fee per ticket

Times

Doors open 6:30 PM
Last entry 7:00 PM

More info

Seating type Unallocated
Food available Yes
Minimum age 16+

Seed Talks: The History of Mermaids, Sea Spirits & Women

Dive beneath the surface of mermaid lore, tracing their long histories and what they may reveal about wider society. Followed by Q&A.

GLASGOW:

Mermaids and sea creatures of various kinds have existed in legends and myths from coastal areas all over the world. They are often, though not always, female, and their gender also performs an ambiguous role in relation to human models of femininity, womanhood, and heterosexuality; mermaids, selkies, and female sea creatures can uncannily be familiar and unfamiliar, charming and repulsive, caring and deadly.

While the female sea spirits’ elusiveness is in common with many supernatural monsters, it also reflects a double set of anxieties about Women and Nature, and, particularly, the marine world, where both resist definition and control by patriarchal and western anthropocentric frames of mind.

Dr Monica Germanà is a Reader in Gothic and Contemporary Studies at the University of Westminster and co-president of the International Gothic Association. She is a leading authority on the Gothic imagination – particularly the ways gender, identity, and the uncanny intersect in literature and culture. Her pioneering first monograph, Scottish Women’s Gothic and Fantastic Writing (2010), broke new ground in the field, and her work continues to shape how we understand the darker currents running beneath storytelling across the centuries. If anyone can take you from ancient sea goddess to modern mermaid mythology – and make it utterly gripping along the way – it’s her.

CARDIFF:

Why do mermaids continue to enchant us? From ancient sea-spirits to Disney princesses, the mermaid has drifted through centuries of myth, art, and pop culture – shifting shape with our fears and desires. In this talk, we dive beneath the surface of the familiar tale to explore the deeper history of mermaid lore. We’ll begin with Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and its Disney transformations, then swim back through time to meet her many watery sisters: the sirens of antiquity, medieval Melusine, selkies, rusalki, Mami Wata, and the curious “mermaids” sailors swore they saw at sea.

Join Professor Diane Purkiss in unraveling what mermaids reveal about how societies imagine women, bodies, and outsiders. Together we’ll explore the mermaid and her relationship to the way women are defined and ponder the opposition between the mermaid and the sailor. Lastly, we’ll look at 21st-century reimaginings – from colonial critique to queer and transgender symbolism – that show why the mermaid’s spell endures.

Diane Purkiss is Professor of English at the University of Oxford, and a fellow of Keble College. She has published works on witchcraft, fairies, and also on the English Civil War, the occasion of England’s biggest witchhunt. She has been in more than a dozen television documentaries; she even has an IMDb entry and a Wikipedia page.She has spoken to general audiences at numerous literary festivals and to many local history societies.

⭐ "Truly riveting talks, always enjoy these - a great way to spend an evening with some pals. Already looking forward to the next one."
- Alexander P

⭐ "Expertly run, talks are always super informative and a lot of fun! Couldn't recommend these enough! 5 star."
- Owen S

⭐ "Been to a few talks and all have been super interesting. An enjoyable evening to go to either alone or with friends. The talks make for stimulating conversation. Highly recommend!"
- Daisy J