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Hans Christian Andersen wrote a fairy tale about her; Disney
produced the movie; and Copenhagen maintains a statue in her honour
which continues to be the largest tourist attraction in Denmark
and the most photographed statue in the world.
 The
beloved fairy tale of the Little Mermaid was first published by
Hans Christian Andersen in 1837. It is the story of the little mermaid
who saves the life of a shipwrecked prince and sets off on a perilous
quest to win his love. The price she pays is dear: to become human
she must give up her lovely voice as well as her mermaid’s tail,
and if the prince should wed another, she will turn into foam on
sea and disappear forever.
Throughout history, the Little Mermaid has provided inspiration
to many. When the Danish brewer, Carl Jacobsen, attended a performance
of ballet master Hans Beck’s "The Little Mermaid" in 1909, he was
so thrilled with the performance, particularly by leading prima
donna Ellen Price that he ordered a statue to be erected in honour
of the story. The Sculptor Edward Eriksen was commissioned to create
a statue of the Little Mermaid to sit on a granite stone at Langelinie
Pier, wistfully looking for her prince.
She was modelled after the head of dancer Ellen Price and the torso
of sculptor Edward Eriksen’s wife, Eline, and stands 165 centimetres
tall and weights 175 kilograms. The original statue, cast in bronze,
was presented to the City of Copenhagen on August 23, 1913 by Carl
Jacobsen. In 1998, the Little Mermaid celebrates her 85th birthday.
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