The Little Mermaid
by Hans Christian Andersenfairy tale· published 1837
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"The Little Mermaid" (Danish: Den lille havfrue), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a literary 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. The original story has been the subject of multiple analyses by scholars such as Jacob Bøggild and Pernille Heegaard, as well as the folklorist Maria Tatar. These analyses cover various aspects of the story, from interpreting the themes to discussing why Andersen chose to write a tragic story with a happy ending.
Adaptations (10)
The Little Mermaid has been adapted into 10 films, from 1966 to 2023.
Fantasia 31966 · film · 80 min · dir. Eloy de la Iglesia · IMDb ↗IMDb4.7The film is an adaptation of three fairy tales classics of children literature. "The Maiden of the Sea" tells the story of Coraline, a mermaid who wants to be human afte she falls in love with a Sailor Prince. "The 3 hairs of the Devil" tells the story of Tomasin, a young man of humble background, which a seer had a presentiment that he would marry the daughter of the king, who must perform a series of tests to avoid death, and marriage the princess is accepted by the king. "The Wizard of Oz" tells the story of Sylvia, a girl who get lost in the woods with her dog Toto, and along with her friends The Scarecrow, The Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion, have been snatched the brain, heart and courage, respectively. They go the Emerald City to request help from the Wizard of Oz adapting three children’s stories: , The three hairs from the devil and The Wizard of Oz.
The Little Mermaid1968 · film · 29 min · dir. Ivan Aksenchuk · IMDb ↗IMDb7.6Rusalochka opens in modern day Copenhagen, Denmark. Several tourists gather around the capital's famous mermaid statue, as a tour guide explains its significance. A fish in the water below the tourists scoffs at their foolishness, and then, proceeds to tell about the doomed love of the mermaid. Upon reaching her 15th birthday, the Little Mermaid is allowed to swim up to the surface above. As soon as she does, however, the Mermaid spots a young prince caught up in a dreadful storm. She admires the man's bravery and decides to save him, declaring that, "The beautiful and the brave should not perish." After the mermaid returns to the ocean, she decides that she wants to become human.
The Little Mermaid1976 · film · 81 min · dir. Vladimir Bychkov · IMDb ↗IMDb6.9A little Mermaid falls in love with a Prince whom she saves during a storm. Using all kinds of magical incantations in exchange for the Mermaid’s beautiful blue hair, a witch replaces her fish tail with human legs, making it possible for the Mermaid to walk and live on earth at the cost of great pain with every step she takes. The Little Mermaid willingly suffers through these trials only to be near her beloved. But the Prince, not realizing how lucky he is, becomes enamored with a beautiful but vain princess.
- The Little Mermaid1976 · film · 84 min · dir. Karel Kachyna · IMDb ↗IMDb7.1
The little mermaid rescues a prince from drowning and falls in love with him. To be with him, she makes a deal with the evil sorceress: her beautiful voice against a life on land.
The Little Mermaid1992 · film · 50 min · IMDb ↗IMDb4.7This charming, lively tale based on Hans Christian Anderson's beloved children's story comes to splendid life in an enchanting animated film. The beautiful and adventurous mermaid, Princess Lena, lives with her family in a watery castle and has everything she could ever need, but she longs for only one thing; to explore the world of humans. Determined to marry Prince Stefan, whom she sees when a whirlpool takes her to the surface, Princess Lena must turn to the evil sea witch Cassandra and pay a heavy price for her promise of help.
The Lure2015 · film · 92 min · dir. Agnieszka Smoczynska · IMDb ↗Two mermaid sisters, who end up performing at a nightclub, face cruel and bloody choices when one of them falls in love with a beautiful young man.
The Little Mermaid2023 · film · 135 min · dir. Rob Marshall · IMDb ↗The youngest of King Triton’s daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. With mermaids forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.
