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Every Danish sailor who ever stood on a deck knows that the waters of Øresund used to be full of Mermaids. According to a legend, the home of all Mermaids was Mermaid Banks in Øresund - the very same place where today the Copenhagen's most famous attraction - Little Mermaid - sits on a rock.
The inspiration
The sculpture (
Danish: Den lille havfrue) was commissioned in 1909 by the Carlsberg brewer Carl Jacobsen, impressed by a ballet "The little Mermaid" based on a fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen. The sculptor Edward Eriksen sculptured the mermaid in bronze, using his wife Eline as a model for the body. The head was modelled after a primaballerina Ellen Price.
Be prepared: The Little Mermaid is really little - the city's attraction #1 is only 1.25 metres/4 feet high.
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The fairy tale
The fairy tale is a tragic story of a mermaid, the youngest daughter of a sea king, who wants her soul to have an eternal life, like humans have. Mermaids live only 300 years, and then they turn into sea foam. The Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid has been sitting on her rock since 1913, so she still has some more years to go…
The Little Mermaid goes on tour
The Little Mermaid became a symbol for Copenhagen, and attracts almost one million tourists every year. However, in summer 2010, it is to Shanghai where all tourists should go, if they want to see The Little Mermaid. The statue, that has had quite turbulent life on its rock – over the years, it has been abused, defaced and painted pink – will go on a trip and make an appearance during the world exposition EXPO 2010.
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