The world of fantasy has been with us since time immemorial. Myths, legends, books and movies have served to fuel creativity and enthusiasm for generations. Enigmatic and mysterious creatures such as fairies, nymphs or mermaids have been the protagonists of the coolest stories. This is the case of Ariel, the half-woman, half-fish princess who knew how to win the hearts of adults and children.. But the true story of the little mermaid Ariel seems not to be as sweet and happy as the fairy tale shows us.
It was the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen who recreated the version of The Little Mermaid that we all know, in a charming children’s story which Walt Disney Pictures soon brought to the big screen. With charming phrases, funny characters and a montage full of color, this film released in 1989, won the hearts of entire generations. But the happy ending seems to have been a creation full of illusions, which does not correspond to the real version. Join us at to discover the true story of the Little Mermaid.
What is the true story of the little mermaid?
All of us who have enjoyed Disney’s fantasy and its films have had on our lips the taste of the possible, of reciprocated love, of the force that overcomes obstacles and that in the end always makes good triumph over evil. . But many of those sweet stories have been inspired by legends, which present less friendly faces of reality. The true story of the little mermaid Ariel is one of them.
The princess that Disney shows us, with her youthful energy, her long red hair, her little fish friend and her protective crab, is inspired by the legend of a mermaid whose forbidden love condemned her. It is about a half-fish woman who falls in love with a human. Her passion is so intense that she decides to look for a witch, and give her her voice in exchange for a pair of legs, with which she can get closer to her lover. The man goes through a dangerous situation, in which the Little Mermaid saves his life. Up to this part of the story, the Disney version agrees with the popular legend.
The difference that makes the true story of the Little Mermaid Ariel happens later. Legend has it that the young mermaid searches for her grandmother, whom she asks about the life and death of humans. She explains to him that while mermaids live three hundred years, humans rarely reach a century. However, While they, like sea creatures, fade away when they die, turning into foam, humans possess an immortal soul, that lifts them to heaven at the moment of their death.
What was the deal the Little Mermaid made?
The true story of the Little Mermaid shows her anxiety and despair. She did not want to die and transform into foam, nor did she want to spend her entire life away from the man she loved. This is how he looked for a fearsome witch, with whom he negotiated his legs and the possibility of his soul rising to heaven when he died.. In return she gave up her voice, but in addition, she was bound by three tenacious conditions.
In the film, the princess only loses her melodious voice. But the true story of the Little Mermaid Ariel tells that the witch also punished her in other ways. She first told him that, once transformed into a human, she could never return to the sea. Then, even though she had beautiful legs, Every time his feet touched the ground, he would feel the pain of swords stabbing into his soles.
The last of the conditions, similar to the one we see in the movie, was subject to love. Only if she managed to make the prince fall deeply in love with her and ask her to marry him, would the Little Mermaid be able to maintain her life as a human. and his soul could reach eternity. But the true story of the Little Mermaid tells about a dance, in which the prince dances, defining his feelings. The penetrating pain that he suffered with each step made it impossible for him to finish the piece that he danced with his love.
A story with a sad ending
The true story of the Little Mermaid Ariel is much less happy and fortunate than what the children’s story and the movie tell us. The dance between her and the prince turns out to be a failure. Then he notices the princess of her neighboring kingdom, and he marries her.. The Little Mermaid’s sisters, desperate to get her back, send her an enchanted dagger that they received from the witch, exchanging it for her scalp.
With it, the Little Mermaid had to kill the prince. By letting the blood of her lover flow over her legs, she would be able to regain her mermaid form and return to the sea. She then went to the room the royal couple shared, and standing in front of the prince, she was about to plunge the dagger into her heart. But her love was stronger. Watching him sleep, he understood that he would not be able to kill him and preferred to die in the sea. When the prince got up, he saw the young woman walking, entering the sea. He tried to stop her, but before her eyes the Little Mermaid vanished, turning into foam. Only there did he understand that it was she who had saved his life.
What happened next with the little mermaid?
Although the true story of the Little Mermaid Ariel does not have the happy ending that the children’s story accustomed us to, the legend retains a luminous aspect. Thanks to her pure and kind heart, the Little Mermaid became one of the daughters of the air, and maintained the possibility of having an immortal soul. To achieve this dream, he had to perform good deeds for three centuries. Once they had passed, he could lift his soul to heaven and live there eternally.
This legend, which is protected as the true story of the Little Mermaid, originated centuries ago, among sailors who sailed the waters of the Baltic Sea with their boats. It was not only Hans Christian Andersen who was fascinated by her. Also the sculptor Edvar Eriksen fell in love with this fantasy creature, creating the charming Little Mermaid of Copenhagen, which has been standing since 1913. This small, delicate figure, wrapped in an aura of serene sadness, is another of the pieces that reflects the melancholic essence of the true story of the Little Mermaid.