'The mermaid or water-meid, as she is also known in these parts, has been an integral part of Karoo folklore for years. Stories passed down from parents and grandparents, warn children not to go near deep pools, in case the water-meid or water-auntie drags them in, and drowns them. Just like European folk tales of sailors lured to their death by beautiful mermaids and sirens, the Karoo has many horror stories of people who have disappeared after going to fetch water from the river, and it's difficult to know whether the mermaid warnings began as a way to protect children from the dangers of deep water, and developed from there, or whether they have a deeper origin,' says Wendy Hardie.