ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Lí Ban (mermaid)

Lí Ban is a legendary creature from ancient Irish mythology that looks like a mix between a person and a fish. She has a human upper body but a fish tail instead of legs. Imagine a person with a tail like a fish that helps them swim in the water.

She was said to be a kind and gentle mermaid who lived in a magical lake called Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland. She was also believed to have the power to turn people into swans with her magical song.

People in Ireland told stories about Lí Ban to explain things they didn't understand, like why the lake's water was so deep and dark, and why strange things happened there.

Even though she may sound scary at first, the stories about Lí Ban were actually meant to teach people about respecting nature and the power of the world around them.