Do you like Danish author Hans C. Andersen's fairy tale The Little Mermaid, which has been adapted to various media from opera to ballet, from film to animation? Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story follows the journey of a young mermaid princess who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a human soul.
Mermaids are mythical beings who have the appearance of a female human from the waist up but also have the tail of a fish.
In many cultures around the world, mermaids are depicted in different but very similar ways. Some mermaids, like sirens, sing to sailors and enchant them, distracting them from their work and causing them to tumble overboard into the sea, or worse, cause the ship to sink. In other stories, mermaids are depicted as kind-hearted sea creatures that save men in danger of drowning. They also invite these men to live in their underwater kingdom. In Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, it is said that some of the mermaids, while pulling men under the sea, forget or do not know that people cannot breathe underwater.
"The Little Mermaid" (Danish: Den lille havfrue), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story follows the journey of a young mermaid princess who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a human soul.
Sirens in Greek mythology were later equated with mermaids, and in some languages, the same word was used for both creatures. Other mythological and legendary sea creatures similar to mermaids are nymphs (such as Nymphs) and animals that can take on other forms (such as other animals or other mythical animals).
Legends of these half-human, half-fish-bodied humanoids date back to 5000 BC. A general opinion is that sea cows had a great influence on the formation of these legends. An example to support this theory is that Christopher Columbus said that he saw mermaids during his voyage to the New World, but they were very ugly and he expected them to be more attractive.
The arms of large-bodied marine mammals such as sea cows have evolved to resemble human arms so that they can carry their young like a cradle. It is quite possible that sailors saw these marine mammals and thought they were supernatural creatures. It is thought that the long, flowing hair in traditional mermaid depictions originates from the long-haired appearance of sea cows given by the algae tangled around their heads as they swim near the ocean surface. The common information given by those who claim to have seen a mermaid is also quite consistent with the colors of seaweed and the characteristics of sea cows. They describe mermaids as supernatural humanoids who do not speak, have green, black, brown, or blonde hair and fishtails, and often swim in oceans and sometimes rivers.
So, what kind of person is Hans C. Andersen's mermaid Ariel?
The Little Mermaid tells the story of Ariel, the little mermaid who wants to be human. Ariel is King Triton's youngest and bravest daughter. His greatest desire is to learn about the world beyond the sea. One day, Ariel visits the mainland and falls in love with Prince Eric. Mermaids are forbidden from contacting humans, but Ariel decides to follow her heart. For this purpose, he makes a deal with the witch Ursula to get the chance to live on land. However, she soon puts both herself and her father's life in danger.
Hans C Andersen, who placed pieces from his own life in his fairy tales, continued this in the Little Mermaid tale. If we think about it, we can easily realize that this tale is about not being able to achieve what you desire. So, are you wondering where the piece from Andersen's life is here? Researchers speak of Andersen as "not showing masculine characteristics"; Because it is known that Andersen loved dancing and singing, just like the Little Mermaid. Although the author does not have a clear statement about his sexual orientation, some researchers define Andersen as bisexual, thanks to the letters he wrote to Edvard Collin.
Andersen, who was known to frequently flirt with men, said to Edvard Collin, "I miss you as if you were a beautiful Calabrian girl", "My feelings for you are the feelings of a woman." he wrote in his letters. Collin eventually went and married a woman. Andersen, withdrawing from his grief, wrote the tale that he would later send to Collin: The tale of a mermaid who could not belong to the person she wanted and eventually turned into sea foam. Transforming from unrequited love into a fairy tale, "The Little Mermaid" has thus become much more than a fairy tale.
This impressive tale, which appears as a true love story, also shows us that fairy tales do not have to have a happy ending.
“Follow what you believe is best for you!” The Little Mermaid, which gives the message, is a story of following your desires. This might be my favorite point in this tale. Feeling alienated from her underwater kingdom, the Little Mermaid risks everything by going through a series of difficulties for the world she desires and her dreams. Aside from vortexes and dangerous creatures, he makes wrong decisions and continues on the path he wants by sacrificing his family, kingdom, and talents.
There are actually many messages for all of us in Andersen's original tale. For example, he says, "Don't take life lightly."
The other important theme of the Little Mermaid tale is undoubtedly unconditional love. As you know, the Mermaid not only risks her life for the person she loves, but at the end of the tale, she sacrifices her life for him and turns into sea foam.
I said that there are different themes in the Little Mermaid tale. We can feel male hegemony in both the original version and the adaptations. The underwater kingdom in the tale is patriarchal. Just as the Little Mermaid is restricted by her father, she cannot feel like she belongs to this world and dreams of the world outside her own. The Mermaid escapes her kingdom to explore beyond her underwater kingdom. So what is beyond this world? Yes, it is not just “the earth”; the world of men, love and sexuality, and pain. In other words, outside of that sheltered childlike innocence. If King Triton had not been so strict in protecting his daughter, do you think the Little Mermaid would still have escaped underwater with the desire for the "other world"?
One Thousand and One Nights
One Thousand and One Nights contain a wide variety of stories about "Sea People". Unlike the legends, in One Thousand and One Nights, these merpeople live on land, but when they enter the water, they can breathe without any difficulty and their clothes do not get wet when they enter the sea. At the same time, when they have sexual intercourse with humans, their children will be born as "Sea people" like themselves. Merpeople are no different from human appearance. This legend is still alive.