Monument to the Little Mermaid: when the tales come to life

A tender and sad tale of the Little Mermaid, who lost her voice for the sake of loving the beautiful prince, is undoubtedly known by everyone. However, not much is known about the fact that the heroine of this history has been put up a monument. Moreover, the monument to the Little Mermaid exists not only in Copenhagen, the capital of the homeland of the great storyteller. Only here other sea beauties, inspired sculptors, are not related to the famous legend Andersen. Who are they - mysterious Mermaids, immortalized in stone and metal, where they live and why did they get such an honor?

Monument to the Little Mermaid in Denmark: a fabulous symbol of the country

Everyone who has ever been to the port of Copenhagen on the Langeline embankment had the opportunity to see with his own eyes the main character of one of Andersen's most famous fairy tales. The bronze beauty Mermaid sits sadly on a basalt boulder protruding from the water itself. Clutching a twig of algae in her hands, she looks thoughtfully into the distance, yearning for her undivided love.

Monument to the fairy tale "Little Mermaid" is considered a symbol of Copenhagen and the entire Danish kingdom. The Danes solemnly celebrate its anniversaries, arranging festivities on the embankment and decorating the sculpture with wreaths of flowers. Very fond of taking pictures against the backdrop of the Little Mermaid and numerous tourists - the beauty is always in the center of attention. Unfortunately, the vandals do not bypass it either: the monument was repeatedly painted with paint, sawed off from it individual parts and even dressed in Muslim clothes. However, every time the Little Mermaid is lovingly restored and brought to a proper appearance.

History of the Danish Mermaid

The monument to the Little Mermaid in Denmark was established in 1913, seventy-six years after the fairy tale was written. Produced bronze daughter of the sea king master Edward Eriksen, and the customer of this unusual sculpture was Karl Jacobsen, the son of the founder of the famous Danish brewery "Karlsberg". According to legend, Jacobsen was passionately in love with the prima ballerina of the Royal Danish ballet, the beautiful Juliette Price, but she did not respond to his feelings. He ordered Ericksen monument to the Little Mermaid, setting a condition that the model for him would be Juliet. However, the ballerina flatly refused to pose, and then the sculptor, without thinking twice, sculptured the Little Mermaid, looking at his own wife. Having received the executed order, Karl Jacobsen presented a beautiful statue to his native city.

Since that time the sad sea princess pensively sits on a stone a meter from the embankment of the capital, defenseless and touching in her trembling beauty.

Monument to the Little Mermaid in the Crimea: the legend of a stolen beauty

On the southern coast of the Crimea, in the water, at the very quay of a small village Miskhor, a mermaid with a baby on her hands stood, leaning against a rock, amid the sea waves . This sculptural composition embodies one of the old Crimean legends - about the beautiful Tatar girl Arza, who, on the eve of her wedding, kidnapped and treacherously robbed Ali Baba to Istanbul. In Turkey, the beauty was in the harem of the sultan himself. She was cherished and cherished, but she was stifled in her eyes, longing for her beloved, left in a distant native land. Even the birth of his son did not save Arza from mental anguish. Having seized the moment, she, along with the baby, rushed from the tower to the cold waters of the Bosporus ... That same evening people noticed a mermaid from the water on the Miskhor coast. She had a small child in her arms. Sad Mermaid for a long time looked at the village in which Arza once lived, sat at her favorite fountain, and then as quietly swam back to the sea. Since then, once a year on the day when a beautiful Tartar was stolen, the Mermaid with the baby appears on the shore, and Arza's favorite fountain starts to flow more strongly.

How did the Mermaid appear in Mishor?

Resting in the Crimea at the beginning of the last century, the sad Tartar legend was heard by the Estonian sculptor Amandus Adamson. She inspired the master so much that they created and installed two sculptural compositions for their own account: the carved girl Arza and the robber Ali Baba near the legendary fountain mentioned in the legend, as well as the monument to the Little Mermaid in the sea on the Miskhor embankment.

Famous Mermaids from Warsaw: the legendary defenders of the city

Poland is another country where the monument to the Little Mermaid became a symbol of the capital and even depicted on its coat of arms. In fact, in Warsaw, there are three sculptural groups depicting sea beauties. The most famous Mermaid with a sword and shield stands in the Old City in the middle of the famous Market. The second monument can be found at the Сwiętokrzyski bridge across the Vistula. The third one is on the viaduct on Karova Street.

According to legend, once a mermaid floating from the sea past the Old City, got out of the water, wanting to rest. She liked this place so much that she decided to stay. Fishermen living in the vicinity were initially dissatisfied with the fact that someone constantly confuses their nets and releases fish, but when they heard the singing of the mermaid, they changed their anger to mercy and did not disturb it. And when the mermaid accidentally saw a rich merchant strolling around in these places, deceitfully stole it and imprisoned it in a wooden barn, the son of one of the fishermen and his friends helped her to free herself and flee. In gratitude the mermaid gave the fishermen a word that will always stand up for their protection, when they will need it. Since then, the monument to the Little Mermaid in Warsaw regularly stands guard over the city and its inhabitants.

Israeli mermaid from the city of Kiryat Yam: in search of a sensation

In the suburbs of the Israeli city of Haifa, Kiryat Yam, a monument to the Little Mermaid was also erected not so long ago. The sea beauty, chastely covering her nakedness, settles in a huge sink on the pedestal in the heart of the promenade of the embankment.

This sculpture appeared in Kiryat Yam in connection with rumors, which every day becomes more and more: ostensibly in the sea near the city coast, real mermaids were repeatedly seen ...

In search of a sensation, journalists constantly visit the town, but no one has yet succeeded in confirming the rumors - however, as well as refuting. So the mysterious sight of the Mermaid from Kiryat Yam is once again attracting the attention of tourists to the mystery, one way or another connected with this town.