The Merpeople have been with humanity since before the dawn of civilization. Most cultures include a great flood occurring at some point in history and this may explain the ubiquitous presence of Watery Beings.

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Cookie has been depicting and creating Black Mermaids and Merwomen in  art quilts and art dolls inspired by the folklore and visual history of the black mermaid archetype. Some of the first tales of mermaids were brought to America by Africans enslaved along the coast of South Carolina. Black mermaids traveled with enslaved Africans from Yoruba to distant lands, comforting them in the holds of the slave ships that took them far away from their homeland in Africa. Known by other names, her traditions continue in the countries to which her people were dispersed.