State Auditor | Disney | Fairytales
13 Things Disney’s Little Mermaid is different from the Original Fairytale
The Real Mermaid Story
Have you even wondered about the origin of Disney stories? They were said to be coming from either Grimm’s fairytale or Han’s Andersen’s. Anyways, just this year I began collecting classic books from Barnes and Noble, Minalima, Canterburry Classics and Arcturus. The fancy started when I was too bugged with all the technical terms and bland words from school that the thought of reading a fiction honestly comforted me. It started with one book then another until it filled up my mini library. I was beyond blissed finding good deals with these classic books in collectible editions, just all the pretty stuffs my eyes are happy to see. I started reading Sherlock Holmes and finished two (2) volumes then jumped to Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey then to and fro with self-help books, that being said my fairytale books were left lobbied.
Not until I came across Netflix’ Japanese movie entitled “Once upon a Crime” creating a detective Little Red Riding Hood and making the iconic Cinderella a murderer! Can you imagine that kind of boldness?! It strucked all my childhood dreams that at night I ended up reading Cinderella from Minalima’s book. To make the story short, I was even more dumbfounded to know that one of Cinderella’s sisters cut off her toe just for the shoe to fit! It was somewhat I say 70% different from the original story. Guess what, I did not only read Cinderella’s story but even finished the entire book overnight, call me someone without restraint and discipline but got to give a hands-up to Minalima for such an enthralling book! (Let me know if you want an article solely devoted to this book).
So while I was getting ready to study for school, one of my dear friends told me that the original “Little Mermaid” was actually a sad story with her dying at the end, as feeble as I am, I was once again tempted to read the Little Mermaid and true to it, it was entirely different from Disney. So here are the 13 Things Disney’s Ariel is different from Hans Christian Andersens’ Little Mermaid (from 2016 Barnes and Noble Collectible Edition).
1. She was unnamed in the book.
In the 2016 Barnes and Noble edition, the little Mermaid was actually unnamed. I was waiting till the end but the book only referenced her either as “the youngest”, “Little Princess”, “Little Mermaid”.
2. She have 5 sisters.
She actually have five loving sisters all of them born one (1) year apart. The books even depicted how they create their own gardens and each of their personalities. Ariel in Disney depicted such bravery similar to that of her third (3rd) sister which is the boldest among them six.
3. She actually had a loving grandmother who differentiated mermaids and humans with respect to immortal souls.
Apart from their widower father, Little Mermaid actually have a loving dowager grandmother. She is apparently knowledgeable to the world above. She referenced the difference of human beings from mermaids. Mermaids accordingly live longer and even happier up to 300 years and die as a foam to the sea unlike humans with shorter lifespan but with immortal souls.
The grandmother in the book described the difference as:
“We have no immortal souls, we can never live again, and are like the grass which, when once cut down, is withered forever. Human beings, on the contrary, have souls that continue to live when their bodies become dust, and as we rise out of the water to admire the abode of man, they ascend to glorious unknown dwellings in the skies which we are not permitted to see”.
Could you imagine this book being published in 1837 which somewhat actually hinted the Bible teaching, where some fallen angels descended to the sea (which could be in the form of mermaids), humans have souls and glorious unknown dwellings in the skies as heaven.
The little mermaid from then on longed for this so-called immortal soul and living with the love of her life.
4. The Princesses at age of 15 will be permitted to visit the surface
This actually reminded me of the “Big Fish and Begonia” in Netflix where they ascend to the surface upon reaching a certain age not as mermaids though but as dolphins, which movie made me awfully cry. Well, going back to the story, the princesses at 15 are given the permission to take a swim in the surface and observe the upper world and the youngest was actually the most excited of them all. She hears stories of her sister’s experiences upon their return. She on the other hand was to encounter saving a prince from the shipwreck brought about by the storm.
5. Little Mermaid is actually timid and shy.
She was actually described aptly as a singular child, quiet and thoughtful. The youngest was also the loveliest, her skin as soft and delicate as a rose-leaf, her eyes were of as deep a blue as the sea. In fact, she was also compared to her sisters, where while her sisters were adorning their gardens with all sorts of gay things out a ship that has been wrecked, she only asked for the white marble statue of a boy which was similar to the prince’s countenance.
6. She cut of her tongue in exchange of her legs.
As referenced in the book “She knew well that there was neither on earth or in the sea a more beautiful voice than hers”. Unlike in the movie, the little mermaid actually performed during the ball and as depicted she sang more harmoniously than any other with everyone applauding her. However, she stole away from the palace that time to visit the sea enchantress. Prior to even giving her a deal, the witch actually informed her of the consequences, one is that she’ll need to cut her tongue in exchange of her magic potion, two, she’ll never be able to come back as mermaid and three, only marrying the prince will she attain an immortal soul.
7. Every time she walks, she suffers an excruciating pain.
The sea witch also warned her about this, to which she all approved. The little mermaid risked everything just to be with the prince. Prior to drinking the magic drink, she actually plucked a flower from the bed of each of her sisters as remembrance.
In the surface she was able to meet the Prince and there she was treated kindly. There was even a festivity to which slaves sang. There was one slave in particular the prince applauded for having a wonderful voice. This actually struck her heart knowing she could sing far better but now she can’t; but instead, the little mermaid danced the divinest. Her moves were described as enchanting that everyone were captivated and loved her. The Prince even got fond of her unknowing of the pain she experiences every time she walks how much more every time she dances. She earns the Prince’s trust and company with this. They even climbed up steep mountains. Accordingly, the pain is akin to walking on the edges of sharp swords.
8. The prince never fell in love with her. He fell in love with someone he thought saved him.
“The little mermaiden became dearer and dearer to the prince every day; but he only looked upon her as a sweet, gentle child, and the thought of making her his wife never entered his head”.
The prince called her his dear little foundling with speaking eyes but that was only it. He actually fell in love with someone he thought saved him. It was the woman whom he saw first when he was already on the shore. He even thought it was the waves that brought him there and not the little mermaid. The prince was even a hopeless romantic, the shore was near a holy temple and he thought the woman he loved actually belongs to it (somewhat a nun) to which he thought he could never have as his wife.
9. The prince married the woman he loved.
There were talks of the prince’s marriage to a neighboring princess, he actually left at his parent’s request to meet the woman. He said to the little mermaid “I must go, I must see the beautiful princess my parents require me to do so; but they will not compel me to marry her and bring her home as my bride. And it is quite impossible for me to love her, for she cannot be like the beautiful girl in the temple”.
Could you even imagine he gave little mermaid false hope when he told her “If I were obliged to choose, I should prefer thee, my little silent foundling, with the speaking eyes” and kissed her rosy lips and folded her in his arms. How dare you prince? This made little mermaid experience what the book called as “Sweet vision of human happiness, and immortal bliss”.
However, upon the prince’s return, he exclaimed with so much joy that the neighboring princess he was about to wed was the same woman he thought saved his life. In front of the little mermaid, he pressed his blushing bride to his beating heart, how beyond happiness he was to have found her. This moment was actually depressing to imagine.
10. Little Mermaid’s sisters cut off their hairs in exchange for a penknife to save the little mermaid.
The little mermaid has already accepted her fate. Prior to such, her sister actually visited her everyday even the Mer-king and her grandmother. That night before she will turn into foam by the next daylight, she saw her sisters rise from the water with their pale face and no more long hair fluttered over their shoulders. Apparently, her sisters cut off their hairs in exchange of a penknife from the sea-witch. This penknife has to be stabbed to the prince’s heart and the warm blood should trickle down upon her feet to turn her back to a mermaid.
Her sisters were begging her, apart from the mourning of their grandmother and her whole family who wanted her back.
11. Little Mermaid could not kill the Prince he love just to save her life.
The little mermaid actually drew aside the purple curtains of the pavilion where the bride and the prince laid, she even kissed the Prince’s forehead when she heard the prince’s lips murmuring the name of his bride even in his dreams. This totally destroyed her.
12. Little Mermaid died.
She looked once more at her beloved prince whom she risked her life, her family, and threw herself into the sea feeling her body slowly dissolving into foam.
13. Little Mermaid became a child of the air.
It seems to portray that she became an angel.
I thought it was the end of it but apparently, she woke up and could see everything and now she is in a transparent form. Her body raised gradually from the foam of the sea to higher regions. The airy creatures alongside her told her that she became a daughter of the air. One of them said:
“The mermaid has no immortal soul, and can only acquire that heavenly gift by winning the love of one of the sons of men; her immortality depends upon union with man. Neither do the daughters of air possess immortal souls, but they can acquire them by their own good deeds.”
The little mermaid became a daughter of the air because of her sufferings and sacrifice and as such was raised to the world of spirits that whenever they perform deed of kindness for 300 years they will acquire immortal soul and fly in the kingdom of heaven. Whenever they find a good child, their probation will be shortened and in contrast, in finding a naughty child they will weep bitter tears of sorrow that adds day to their time of probation.
What do you think of the original story? Honestly, the plot is enriched with adventure and events and more inclined to realities than what Disney continuously portrays. I loved Disney though; amidst this turbulent world they give us some sense of happiness and joy for even the simplest thing our minds could only up to imagine.
