Han the Merman - a photo on Flickriver

Han the Merman

            “Han” the Merman in Helsingør, North Zealand (a half-hour train ride north from Copenhagen). This shiny, reflective metal statue of a young man sits sideways on a rock looking out to sea.

The Merman Han (meaning “He”)'s reflective pose echoes the Little Mermaid’s statue in Copenhagen. Whilst he doesn’t wear any fins on his feet, he could easily be her little brother.

Reflection & Longing

Hans Christian Andersen’s original story, The Little Mermaid, is not as you know it from Disney movies. The story begins the same but takes a dark turn when the sea witch makes vastly more brutal demands, and the ending is far more sombre. Spoiler alert: the prince marries someone else and leaves our darling mermaid utterly heartbroken.

The statue of Han the Merman could embody the personal melancholy that Hans Christian Andersen expressed in his Little Mermaid story. Andersen wrote the fairytale in 1836 after suffering the deep heartache of unrequited love for his close friend, Edvard Collin. Collin did not reciprocate his feelings and married, leaving Andersen feeling devastated.

Raised in poverty, possibly struggling with dyslexia, and bullied as a student, Andersen had always felt like an outsider. The ache of longing to be part of something out of reach was a theme in Andersen’s life and was reflected in his writing, particularly in The Little Mermaid. She gave away her voice in desperation to be part of the other world, where the dancing, walking, capable people are. 

Han the Merman already has a human form, yet he still seems to yearn for the open seas. Maybe he longs to return to a simpler, more spartan existence. 

Whatever your interpretation, he is quite literally in a state of permanent reflection. Made of long lasting and eye-catchingly polished stainless steel, his glittering form reflects the sunlight and dazzles visitors on a clear day. 

And it is said that if you stay with him long enough, you might glimpse him winking at you.

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Taken in: Denmark / Capital / Elsinore (show map)

Taken on: July 15, 2012

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Camera: Panasonic DMC-FS3, f/8.0, 1/320 sec, 5.5mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Panasonic DMC-FS3
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/320)
Focal Length:	5.5mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Auto, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Landscape
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Contrast:	High
Saturation:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Lightroom 7.2 (Windows)
Show full info

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