fairy tale "The Little Mermaid"
E338205
The fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" is a classic 1837 story by Hans Christian Andersen about a young mermaid who sacrifices everything for the chance to gain a human soul and the love of a human prince.
All labels observed (7)
Statements (52)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Danish literature work
ⓘ
literary fairy tale ⓘ short story ⓘ |
| author | Hans Christian Andersen ⓘ |
| centralTheme |
desire for an immortal soul
ⓘ
identity and transformation ⓘ sacrifice ⓘ unrequited love ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin | Denmark ⓘ |
| ending | the little mermaid dissolves into sea foam but becomes a daughter of the air ⓘ |
| firstPublishedIn | Eventyr, fortalte for Børn. Første Hefte. Tredie Samling ⓘ |
| genre |
fairy tale
ⓘ
fantasy ⓘ romantic tragedy ⓘ |
| hasAdaptation |
The Little Mermaid (1975 Japanese animated film)
ⓘ
The Little Mermaid (1976 Czech live-action film) ⓘ The Little Mermaid ⓘ
surface form:
The Little Mermaid (1989 film)
The Little Mermaid (2018 live-action film loosely based on the tale) ⓘ The Little Mermaid (Russian 1968 animated film) ⓘ The Little Mermaid (stage musical) ⓘ |
| hasCharacterType |
human prince
ⓘ
mermaid ⓘ sea witch ⓘ |
| hasIllustrationTradition | frequently illustrated in 19th- and 20th-century children’s books ⓘ |
| includedIn | canon of classic fairy tales ⓘ |
| influencedBy | Christian ideas about the soul and afterlife ⓘ |
| inspired |
numerous ballets
ⓘ
numerous operas ⓘ numerous stage plays ⓘ various literary retellings ⓘ |
| keyEvent |
the little mermaid refuses to kill the prince to save herself
ⓘ
the little mermaid rescues a drowning prince during a storm ⓘ the little mermaid trades her tongue and voice for human legs ⓘ the little mermaid visits the sea witch to obtain a potion ⓘ the prince marries another princess ⓘ |
| literaryPeriod | Romantic era ⓘ |
| mainCharacter |
The Little Mermaid
ⓘ
surface form:
the little mermaid
the little mermaid’s grandmother ⓘ the little mermaid’s sisters ⓘ the prince ⓘ the sea witch ⓘ |
| moralElement |
consequences of self-sacrifice for love
ⓘ
emphasis on spiritual salvation over earthly happiness ⓘ |
| notableDifferenceFromDisneyAdaptation | original ending is tragic and focused on spiritual redemption rather than a romantic happy ending ⓘ |
| originalLanguage | Danish ⓘ |
| partOf | Andersen’s fairy tale collections ⓘ |
| plotSummary | A young mermaid longs for a human soul and the love of a human prince, sacrifices her voice to a sea witch for legs, and ultimately fails to win his love but gains a chance at an immortal soul as a daughter of the air. ⓘ |
| protagonistDesire |
to gain a human soul
ⓘ
to live on land with the prince ⓘ |
| publicationYear | 1837 ⓘ |
| setting |
human royal court
ⓘ
underwater kingdom ⓘ |
Referenced by (8)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
subject surface form:
The Little Mermaid (1989 film)
this entity surface form:
The Little Mermaid (fairy tale)
this entity surface form:
The Little Mermaid (Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, loosely)
this entity surface form:
The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen
this entity surface form:
Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale "The Little Mermaid"
this entity surface form:
Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale "Den lille Havfrue"
this entity surface form:
The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen
subject surface form:
The Little Mermaid (2023 film)
this entity surface form:
The Little Mermaid (fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen)