In Brazil there are tales of a sea ghost, downer of Indians, that drove away fishermen and laundrywomen called ‘Ipupiara‘, a monster that was half-man, half-fish, that came out of the water to kill for fun. Later, the Ipupiara became the ‘Uiara‘, a Portuguese version of the mermaid. Uiara then became ‘Iara‘, that means ‘lady of the waters’, who is also known as the ‘mother of the waters’. After various transformations, the legend recounts how the mother of the waters is a beautiful woman with long blond hair and green eyes, who lives inside a palace beneath the waters, to where she attracts young men whom she wishes to marry.