Stuff To Blow Your Mind The Monstrefact Redux: Hortus the Rotting Mermaid
Nov 26, 2025
Dive into the eerie world of the Hortus, a midnight-zone mermaid from a unique illustrated book. Explore how this creature blends human traits with deep-sea life, revealing a fascinating marine biology connection. Robert delves into the Hortus's coral-covered back, serving as a habitat for other organisms. He also connects its concept to whale fall ecology, reflecting on the eerie beauty of our biological mirrors. Discover other bizarre creatures like Vellum and Medusa Clara along the way!
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Weird Bestiary Rediscovered
- Robert Lamb describes Jana Heidersdorf's book presented as Dr. C. Lillifisk's guide to mermaids and strange sea beings.
- He praises its embrace of horrific marine details that transform mermaids into bizarre underwater organisms.
Mermaids As Marine Ecologies
- Heidersdorf reframes mermaids as creatures infused with real marine survival strategies like mimicry, predation, and camouflage.
- This links folkloric human-centric mermaids to the ecological realities of deep-sea life.
The Hortus: Living Whale Fall
- Robert details the Hortus illustration: a mermaid with corals and anemones growing from her back, eyes fouled with sessile life.
- He describes the Hortus as a sessile, whale-fall–like habitat on the seafloor.
