“Racist fish?” Those were the puzzling words scrawled on the base of the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen back in June 2020. Here we are by the waterside at the Langelinie promenade in Copenhagen. This is where we find Den lille Havfrue. The Little Mermaid.
This bronze statue by Edvard Eriksen has been a Copenhagen icon since 1913. It all began when Carl Jacobsen, the son of Carlsberg’s founder, saw a ballet about the fairytale. He was so captivated that he commissioned the statue.
Carl Jacobsen asked ballerina Ellen Price to model for it. The sculptor Edvard Eriksen created the bronze statue. Price agreed for the head. But she did not agree to pose nude for the body. Eriksen’s wife Eline Eriksen posed for the body. The Little Mermaid is only 1.25 metres tall. She weighs 175 kilograms. Don’t underestimate her impact.
The Little Mermaid has become a popular target for vandals and political activists. In 1964, her head was sawn off by politically oriented artists. The head was never recovered. A new head was produced. In 1998, it happened again. This time the head was returned anonymously to a television station.
She has been knocked off her base with explosives and found in the harbour’s waters. Paint has been poured on her several times. In 2017, red paint was dumped with a message about whaling in the Faroe Islands.
Also in 2017, blue and white paint appeared with “Free Abdulle” written nearby. In 2020, in the wake of the George Floyd protests, the words “racist fish” were scrawled on her base. It left people puzzled.
The Little Mermaid has been dressed up too. In 2004, she was draped in a burqa. Other times, she has sported a Christmas hat. She has also been dressed in football jerseys.
The Copenhagen City Council even arranged to move the Little Mermaid to Shanghai for the Expo 2010. It was the first time she had been moved officially. While she was away, an authorized copy stood in Tivoli Gardens.
There are more than thirteen undamaged copies of the Little Mermaid around the world. You can find them in Solvang, California and Seoul, South Korea. A half-sized copy stands in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The statue is under copyright until 2030. That is seventy years after the creator’s death. In 2023, the Danish Supreme Court ruled on a copyright case. They stated that a newspaper cartoon did not infringe on the statue’s copyright.
She has appeared in several films. These include “Sun Over Denmark” and “Copenhagen.”
Despite the vandalism and copyright issues, the Little Mermaid remains an icon. She stands as a symbol of Copenhagen. She reminds us of Hans Christian Andersen’s timeless fairy tale. She embodies dreams and resilience.