MERMAIDS
Mermaids or “merpeople” live in Hogwarts’ Great Lake and Harry has to battle them during the challenges in The Goblet of Fire.
Of course, the creatures have long been part of our mythology, referenced in texts ranging from the time of Ancient Greece to Christopher Columbus.
People have often thought the myth came from dehydrated and hallucinating sailors seeing sea lions and mistaking them for beautiful women.
However, the British Library has this so-called “real mermaid” from 18th Century Japan on display.
It was presented to the institution in 1942, having allegedly been caught in Japan 200 years earlier. But eagle-eyed visitors may spot that it is in fact the upper body of a monkey and the tail of a fish. It is an example of the trend in 1700s Asia of creating fake mermaids to fuel and profit from the obsession with the myth.