Festival of the Sea 1908 and now.. Pacific Coast Mermaid Festival 2014

Ted Hake’s avid button collector and 

author of Collectible Pin-Back Button 1896-1986 

was asked which is his favorite button of all times,

 “It would be the 1908 Long Beach Festival of the Sea button.  

After all, how many buttons feature lettering formed by sea snakes?”

Here we sit in early 2014 a mere 106 years after the very first and only mermaid festival to be held in Long Beach California…until now! This June 27^th thru the 29^th the Pacific Coast Mermaid Festival will be held in conjunction with Belmont Shores Pirate Invasion. The likes of which have not been before, for the first time pirates and mermaids will storm the shores of Long Beach’s, beautiful Belmont Shores. It is exciting to think that in 1908 pods of mermaids, sailors, longshoremen, and ocean enthusiasts walked these beaches and now we have a chance to recreate that moment!  

But whose footsteps are we following in, who created the Festival of Sea? And why was it never held again? I am always curious of the past and so I went in search of the answer to these and other questions, what I found is brilliant and I hope you will enjoy this little Long Beach history lesson!

Henry S. Callahan started life a “furniture clerk” and he apparently was quite good and made quite a bit of money, because in 1906 he and a partner began the Bank of Commerce and in 1907 he ran for an office in the city council and won. He took office in 1908, just as he and his family, wife Augusta and their daughter Thelma moved into their new and stately home on 855 Elm Ave.  Also in 1908 the Chamber of Commerce and the Mercantile Manufactures Association decided the city need to host an all-inclusive event reminiscent of the parades and carnivals that were being held in San Bernardino.  They would call it the Festival of Sea and it would be grandiose and magnificent!

Callahan home in 1907 approx.

How Henry got involved with the Festival remains a mystery to me, but he made sure he was front and center!  During the Festival of the Sea a Mermaid Queen was crowned and as luck would have it, it was none other than Augusta Callahan, Henry’s wife. At the end of the closing parade the mysterious King Rex was unmasked to reveal the face of Henry Callahan. The Festival of the Sea was a five day extravaganza with parades, masquerades, and the coronation of the Queen and Juvenile Queen. Festivities of all every kind were held throughout the week and into the evenings. The coronation grabbed the attention of local reports and the event was emblazoned upon the front page of the Los Angeles Herald.

Now, I could give you the cliff notes of the article but in order to really drink in the opulence of this five day event, one must read it and see it from the eyes of those who were there to truly understand. Below is the best transcription of the article that I could manage! 

LONG BEACH CROWNS QUEEN OF ITS FESTIVAL  

CARNIVAL OF SEA BRILLIANT SPECTACLE!

 BEAUTIFUL CITY ABLAZE WITH MYRIAD OF LIGHTS!

 Scene of Regal Magnificence Witnessed by Thousands of Persons Crowded Into Monster Grandstand

Special to The Herald.

LONG BEACH, Sept. 1^st — Spectacular and gorgeously beautiful was the opening night of the first Long Beach Festival of the Sea. Picture a gigantic grandstand, built upon the beach, the waters of the Pacific lapping against it, long and broad and high and festooned with lights. Imagine it filled with thousands of persons whose gaze is eagerly directed toward the delicately colored seashell, rimmed with incandescent (lights) and banked with flowers and palms, which rears itself high above the surf. Within this brilliant shell there is a throne, with sumptuous fittings. Suddenly, about 8 o'clock, the shrill blasts of trumpets fill the air. "The queen!" the cry goes up; for Queen Augusta , "mermaid queen," has arrived. A fairy appears and dances across the stage. The fairy accomplishes the transformation of the "mermaid queen" into the queen of the Festival of the Sea, A wild salute follows, all her subjects joining until the echoes ring. Lights flash out, many folk in costumes of many kinds appear upon the stage and the queen is given a rousing welcome.

The queen of the Festival of the Sea, Mrs. H. S. Callahan, was escorted to her throne by A. C. Malone, prince consort.

The coronation was a beautiful scene. Miss Georgia Lanphere, Mrs. W. F. King, Mrs. F. L. Wood and Miss Floss Goldsmith, were first, second, third and fourth ladies of the court, respectively. Other ladies and gentlemen of the court who participated in the brilliant coronation were___________________.

After the coronation a vaudeville program was given by Patsy Dolivar, wire walker; Miss Floss Goldsmith, Japanese dance; Shreck brothers, gymnasts; Miss Jane J Havering, French and Italian dance; George Raymous, high dive. Fireworks displays followed. Queen's Ball, at 10 o'clock in the Auditorium, was a notable affair. The queen, preceded by her court and royal attendants, rode to, the Auditorium from the seashell stage in the royal litter, a seagoing sedan chair, in her lovely robe of plush and satin she made a brilliant entrance into the big hall. Members of the court, who were all in costume, danced a quaint minuet before the ball began. The Auditorium had been transformed into a bower of beauty. Festival colors of red, green and orange in pennants, festoons and drapes ran from end to end of the building and from the center strings of the pennants extended in every direction. Huge American flags adorned the galleries and ceiling, while thousands of lights glittered among the waving riot of color.

The stage represented a subterranean throne. Fishnet, in which seaweed was caught, was ' draped from the proscenium arch. Starfish, kelp and moss were effectively used in the draping. Cat tail rushes were hung from the ceiling in a way greatly to strengthen the subterranean Idea. : Ball tickets sold at $1. The floor was crowded. Ball souvenirs were sea shells attached to silk ribbons. W. J. Desmond was chairman of the committee in charge. He was assisted by Mrs. Clay H. White, P.lmer Campen, Miss Mabel Ena, Dr. H. V. Epperson.  Thousands came in today to witness the festival’s opening. Tomorrow morning at 10:30 the festival and floral parade will move through the streets. Dr. A. B. Austin will be marshal. In the parade will be a large display of beautiful floats bearing richly gowned young women. There will be many handsomely decorated automobiles and carriages______ Head of parade form on Pine at Sixth street; down Pine to Ocean avenue, west on Ocean to Magnolia avenue, ' north on Magnolia to Fourth; east on Fourth to Locust, north on Locust to Sixth, east on Sixth to American avenue, south on American avenue to Ocean avenue, west on Ocean avenue to and past Hotel Virginia; then disbanding. ___________________ Tomorrow afternoon there will be sports of many kinds, going on at the beach and in the Water, including , horse swimming races. There will be afternoon performances daily in the seashell stage, as well as in the evenings. There will be dally balloon ascensions and band concerts. Eight bands will take places in the parade tomorrow and the * Municipal band, Willey's concert band and the Ocean Park band will have a concert contest in the Auditorium in the afternoon for prizes of $300, $150 and $75. The Fullerton band, the Whittler state school band, the Naples band and the Majestic band will also compete in the parade contest  for prizes of $100, $50 and $25. A "rube" band will be in the rear of the parade. The poultry show opened today with 250 splendid entries. Awards were made today in a number of classes and the judging will be finished tomorrow. The prizes awarded today were as follows: Poultry Show Prizes (omitted)

 The cat show also opened today. Many fine animals are entered, an Interesting one being an Australian cat which was washed overboard in the Golden Gate, San Francisco, and was rescued by Mrs. J. J. Osmer of Long Beach, after the cat swam a mile. Mrs. Leland Norton of Los Angeles ls to Judge all the cats. James Heartwell  jr. Long Beach;  H. W. Gunston. South Pasadena; George H. Masterson, Duarte; and G. A. Goodacre, Compton, are Judges In the poultry show. Friday a Public Holiday Mayor Windham today issued a proclamation declaring next Friday a public holiday in honor of the festival. Harry Wright, the aeronaut, made a sensational balloon ascension at 2 o'clock this afternoon from the corner of Fourth street and Pine avenue, 5000 people witnessing It. The balloon came down on an East Fourth street residence, breaking two telephone wires. Wright suffered a slight ankle sprain. James Zerbe, president of the Los Angeles Aero club, was here today, superintendenting the setting up of his airship, made at Bimini hot springs. The craft, which has not been exhibited before, will endeavor of make daily flights from the top of the Byde-A-Wyle theater on the Pike. The city looked gay and festive tonight. Strings of red and green Incandescent (lights) hung across the main streets and made a canopy of light over the pier.

~End of Article

   (Side note: I omitted the lists of names, prizes, and places awarded)

Wow! That is a spectacular Spectacle, indeed!  As rumor has it the festivals over the top grandeur is what kept it from ever returning. While the city did see a revenue increase the cost of hosting and cleaning up the Festival of the Sea was more than expected.  Lots of talk and plans were in the works to bring it back, but it never saw the light of day again. Since then small groups and organizations have banded together to host one or two events in Long Beach trying to continue in the vein of the festival gone before them.  Nothing has ever been done on this scale and the Pacific Coast Mermaid Festival cannot promise Cat and Poultry Contests but we can promise to keep the spirit of wonderment and magic alive on our beaches! ^th – 29^th during the Belmont Shores Pirate Invasion!

 This festival is brought you by the mind of the infamous Thom Shouse creator of Daryl Hannah’s tail in the movie SPLASH!

 Who will be at the event with some of his famous movie props and memorabilia. Heading up the organization is Robin St. Graves our resident King Neptune and Ocean Conservationist!  Talderoy Acrew gentlemen pirate and creator of the children’s story Pirate Santa is the artist behind our logo (in progress) With so much talent to support the Pacific Coast Mermaid Festival, it is sure to be a tidal wave of success! So come join us at the Pacific Coast Mermaid Festival in conjunction with the Belmont Shores Pirate Invasion this June 27th thru the 29th, 2014 in Long Beach, Ca.

Celebrate Mermaids! Celebrate History! Celebrate the Oceans!

What learn more the Pacific Coast Mermaid Festival?

Check out our Facebook page, ask questions, volunteer, get info and make friends!

https://www.facebook.com/events/387892624688263/

Love, Peace, & Mermaids,

 Meridian

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PS. Wondering what happened to the Callahan Family? Me Too! 

Henry died in 1934 and his wife continued to live in there family home now located at 3215 E. Ocean Ave for the next two years. The home at 855 Elm was sold to the Scottish Rite, the home was torn down and the Scottish Rite Cathedral was erected. The cathedral still stands today and is one Long Beaches historical markers. Agusta then moved into a high rise apartment where she lived out her days, passing ways in 1964 at the age 90. Augusta, Long Beaches only Mermaid Queen, out lives her entire family. 

Very little could be found on their daughter Thelma, she was born in 1900 and only lived to see her 17th birthday. I have no idea how or why she died so young, I can only speculate that is was a tragedy, because there is no record of her beyond the census. The remaining record of Thelma is from a census from Indiana indicating that she born to Augusta and Henry Callahan.

The family is buried together in the family plot at Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach California.

Merman Minerals, Announcements and Updates!

Merman Minerals is a start-up site, the little bro to Mermaid Minerals, just a guppy learning to swim. We have been revamping, reworking, and planning for 2014. 

Without all the love and support we have received from the community we would not be here today to give these amazing updates! Most importantly thank you to the Mermen who have come out, shared photos, played in the monthly contest, and in general helped to keep the Merfolk dream alive!

New in 2014!

Connect with Merman Christian at
  https://www.facebook.com/mermanchristian

Merman Minerals will have its own website dedicated to all the past winners of Merman Minerals Merman of the month Contest. Known as Merman Faces, it will feature our very first Merman of the Month Merman Christian and our ambassador to the mermen, Merman Ryan! Along with all of our past winners and future winners!

Connect with Merman Ryan at
 https://www.facebook.com/merman.ryan?fref=ts

Mermaid Patti has been in her lab mixing and testing essential oils to bring you a new line of roll on aromatherapy scents and oils. Each roll on oil is designed for homeopathic remedies, the aromatic scents will help you to Wake up or assist in Dreaming and Sleep.  And because we Merfolk are always basking in the sun, there will be an essential oil for warding off bug bites!

Mermaid Minerals
is now on ETSY!

Mermaid Minerals website will also be getting a makeover, with a new referral page with links to sponsors or recommended companies and a page dedicated to mermaid related products and people.  Mermaid Faces will be called The Faces Of Mermaid Minerals and will be laid out with a Gallery at the bottom, so you can add more than one photo!

New black messenger bags are on their way for the Mermen, complete with the Merman Minerals logo! We are also thinking of putting together a Merman Calendar for 2014. We would like to have 100% of the profits go to ocean research and/or conservation --Also in the works are Merman Minerals Shirts!

Do you have any ideas on products you would like to see in the coming year? Interested in being in the Calendar? Please let me know!  

This has been Meridian Mer-gyver your Ambassador Mermaid signing off, good night Merfolk!

Check back with Mermaid Talk for more blogs, photos, and adventure! Leave a comment, stay connected and be sure to follow Meridian Mer-Gyver at:

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Containing and Traveling with MTD ~ Glitter Pill Tutorial

As we know Glitter is the most dreaded and feared of all Mythological Transmitted Diseases and as we all know mythological creatures LOVE their glitter! This is a problem when traveling into the mundane world so I would like to share with you a fun way to contain your Glitter that will make even the most caution muggle feel safe!

Gelcap Pills & Flask Funnel

Things you will need:

 Pill Caps (you can find these at most health food stores)

Small or Flask Funnel

And…

GLITTER!!!!!

Step 1 Open the pill cap, fit one end onto the end of the funnel.

Step 2 Pour a small amount of glitter into the pill cap, until it is nearly full.

Step 3 Place the cap back on the pill and there you have it! A Glitter Pill!

I have a glass jar in my bathroom with a glitter pill of every color of glitter I own! The glitter pills can be used for emergency art projects, put them in your make-up case for easy travel, open them up and add them to your lotion or oil when on the go, or toss one into your bath for sparkly mermaid bath.

Enjoy your Glitter no matter where you go! 

Love, Peace, & Mermaids,

 Meridian

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Mythological Transmitted Disease

In the world of make believe, the lands of Never-Neverland, and the sprawling planes of OZ, there lurks the dark and deadly diseases only known to the fairy tale creatures that live there. Fairy tale creatures are immune to most of the MTD’s (Mythological Transmitted Diseases) in their region; however most mortals, humans, and muggles are at best plagued by MTDs.  One such MTD, I would like to discuss with you is the most serious and most dangerous of all Mythological Transmitted Disease to the mundane/human world…

GLITTER!

Glitter or the “Herpes of the Craft World” is the most feared of all the MTD’s. While mermaids and fairies love glitter and would cover the world with it, glitter frightens the humans. When it clings to their skin it causes much complaining, itching, and is hard to remove. As carriers of MTD and especially Glitter, it is our job to be responsible and to maintain a since a safety around the humans. For that reason Mermaid Minerals offers the most amazing Glitter Glue for makeup and skin!

When at home in my mermaid nest of octopus, shells, and pearls, glitter runs free with no regard for the humans  who share a domicile with me. I have even been known to transmit Glitter to the casual visitor and even the pets! It is most uncomfortable for the humans (quit entertaining for me) but when I leave the mermaid nest it is best to apply the Mermaid Minerals glitter glue to make sure you are not spreading Glitter to innocent muggles on the street.

One of my favorite go to glitters is Diamond, from the GLITTER GORGEOUS EYES collection of Glitter Eye Shadows. They come in little pots of fine, lose glitters that can be used for more than eye shadow!  Mermaid Minerals offers 9 bold, beautiful colors with more colors to be added this year. When applying your glitter make sure to keep a tube of GLITZ FIX clear gel glue that washes off easily with warm water and soap or make-up remover.  Here some of my favorite ways to wear glitter….

Diamond Glitter Collection

1.       Apply Glitz fix to your lash line all the way across, roll a Q-tip in the glitter of your choice and roll it over the glue. Apply a little more Glitz fix to your lower lash line, just in the corner and outer edge; again apply glitter with the tip of a Q-tip. When the glue has dried and set, wipe off extra glitter with a large make-up brush and you’re done!

2.    

      For something a little more settle, apply Glitz Fix to the inner corners of your eyes and apply glitter with Q-Tip just as before. Again removing extra glitter with large makeup brush.      
       

These are two favorite styles for daytime or lite make-up days, but what if you want to add a lot more sparkle to your look? Fortunately for you Glitter Gorgeous Eyes is not just for eyes! Because this is cosmetic grade glitter you can add it to any of your beauty products.

><((((º> Add it to Lotion or Natural Oils for a touch of sparkle or add it to your sunscreen or tanning lotion when at the beach or basking in the sunlight.

><((((º>  Wear it on your lips! Add a touch of glitter to your lipgloss or blot glitter onto your lips, holding it in place with a bit of Glitz Fix. Or go wild and crazy and cover your pouty lips in glitter!!! Make sure to keep it all in place with I-Liner Clear for a waterproof glittery pouter.

><((((º> For more dramatic glitter eyes cover your eyelids in matching glitter to your eye shadow for bright sparkly color!

Mermaids are water creatures and glitter was given us by the fairies, creatures of the earth, and once we mermaids hit the water our glitter washes away.  Well no more, says Mermaid Minerals! To waterproof any of your eye liner, eye shadow or eye brow pencil, use I-Line Clear eyeliner to WATERPROOF your look!  You can always use I-Line Clear in your mineral powder eye shadow; dip the tip of the applicator into your eyeshadow to collect some powder, brush across your eyelid as you would any eye liner. Now you can turn any eye shadow into your custom color eye liner and best of all it is waterproof!

  As much as we try to keep our MTD’s in control, you will still infect the causal mundane or the unaware human so remember Mermaids….She who leaves a trail of glitter is never forgotten!

Love, Peace, & Mermaids,

 Meridian

Come back next week for a Glitter Pill Tutorial! A fun and easy way to keep your glitter in control and safe to travel with in the mundane world! 

Glitter Pills!

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Interview with Don “Sev” Severance about his novel The Mermaid Story

www.themermaidstory.com

Meridian: What inspired you to write the first book?

Don: Epyphany is the first book of a Three Book series called The Mermaid Story Trilogy. It is the fulfillment of an idea I had in 1999. At that time I was refining my skills as a sculptor. It was 4:00 AM and I woke up with an idea for a unique mermaid sculpture. I knew I didn't want her to look like the traditional image we have all grown to expect. I wanted her to be an authentic creature of the sea. As I considered the design I pondered the possibilities of her origin. How might such a creature have been conceived? What characteristics would she retain from her unique origin? If she was a mystical leap upward on the evolutionary ladder, what powers might she have? As is often the case questions lead to more questions and a story started to evolve. Over the years I continued to visit the idea and started writing more details and adding characters. In 2008 I redesigned my lifestyle slightly in order to gain more creative time which allowed me to give the project a bit more attention. In 2011 after showing a couple of chapters to a friend whose opinion I value and receiving his sincere encouragement I finally decided to put it on the top of my to-do list.

Meridian: What is the story behind the Cover Art?

Epyphany:Mermaid Back.
 Concept Art

Don: Since the story was inspired by a visual concept, I had a pretty good idea about some of Epyphany's defining characteristics well before the book was finished. She was first and foremost a creature of the sea. I knew she must be powerful and intelligent with abilities beyond those of any previously known species. In a sense she was an alien in her own world. Several years after the original concept I began to transition from traditional clay sculpting to 3D digital design. The cover was created from a 3D model I designed in a 3D program called Zbrush. The final graphic was composited in "Motion" - Apple's video effect software. By the time the book was finished I was ready to commit to Epyphany's final design. The cover is meant to inspire curiosity as well as to introduce an unexpected vision of what a truly aquatic mermaid species might look like.  I hope the cover conveys the combination of feminine strength and beauty, thoughtfulness, honesty, and purpose.  Meridian: What is your favorite thing about Mermaids?

3D design created by Sev using Pixologic's Zbrush.
For more Sev designs check out www.sevhead.com

Don: Sensuality! Anyone who has ever enjoyed the feeling of moving, floating, or swimming in our planet's wonderful oceans, lakes and rivers knows the sensual delight of living in a water-world. To me, mermaids are the symbols of our longing to indulge our sensual nature, to transcend our human limitations. Mermaids are to the sea what angels are to the sky.

Meridian: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Don: Wow - the whole project was like a joyful research assignment. I started out with a general knowledge concerning the destruction of ocean habitats and the precarious condition of our environment but when I read some of the statistics relating to ocean pollution, overfishing, reef depletion, the glacial melt and the inevitable rising sea level and so much more, I was overwhelmed and saddened. On the positive side I rediscovered the wonderful island of Bali and became intrigued with Seattle and Puget Sound. I was amazed at some of the incredible aquariums that exist and the myriad of new equipment and technologies.

Meridian: While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one of the characters?

Don: I must admit there is a part of me in all the main characters. Or at least a part of what I wish I could be.

https://www.facebook.com/MermaidStory

Meridian: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Yes . . . be kind to this planet and be conscious of how you use our limited resources. And set your imagination free . . . suspend your disbelief for a few hours and dive into Epyphany's world . . . the world of Oojai.

Meridian: Do you believe in real life Mermaids?

Don: I believe in the spirit of mermaids. If that spirit lives in you then it is real.

Meridian: Where can I buy this book?

Don: The Mermaid Story: Epyphany is available as an e-book and paperback at: 

http://www.amazon.com/Don-Sev-Severance/e/B007NQ3FY2

You can find more background info as well as mermaid designs and posters at http://www.themermaidstory.com/ and don't forget to give Don a "like" at https://www.facebook.com/MermaidStory

<3, ☮,  & ><((((º> Meridian's Thoughts <3, ☮,  & ><((((º> 

I love this book, honestly way more than I thought I would. I felt the pain of the characters, the love they all shared, my heart raced as I read about their triumphs and fell when I thought the end was near. I could see Oojai in my minds eye and could almost hear her song, I was drawn in and felt apart of the story. A good book will hold your attention, but a good author you make you believe. To Sev, you made me believe! Now my final question is...

When will the next book be available in paperback???

"Meet Blyss. This is my bronze sculpture of Blyss - Blyss is a central character in The Mermaid Story: Epyphany. She is a wise woman and mystic whose task is to guide Epyphany through her transition from the idyllic world of Oojai into the harsh realities of our troubled planet and it's endangered ocean." ~ Don Sev Severance

More info at www.theMermaidStory.com

The Origins of the Copenhagen Mermaid: A Tragic Tale of Unrequited Love Part 2

Edvard & Henrietta Collins

story continued from...http://meridianmer-gyver.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-origins-of-copenhagen-mermaid.html

Edvard Collins, born into a family of privilege was educated well dressed and well mannered. Edvard was the son of Jonas Collins, the man who paid for Hans’ schooling.  The Collins family had taken in Hans, given him a proper education, a home and family and a place in society, but they never let him forget his humble upbringing. Hans would gain success, money, and even a little fame, but when he returned to the Collins home, he was always reminded that he did not truly belong in their “class”. 

Edvard and Hans were close friends, but once again Edvard would not let Hans forget his meager up brings.  Hans wrote to his friend…” If you will forget the circumstances of my birth and always be to me what I am to you, you will find in me the most honest and sympathetic friend."  This plea for acceptance apparently did no good; Edvard would never really see Hans as an equal.

Hans & Edvard? I'd like to think so!

Between 1835 and 1836 Edvard Collins announces his upcoming marriage to a young woman named Henrietta and Hans begins to write the world’s most famous fairy tale from a broken heart.  It is highly suspected that the entire story of The Little Mermaid is a love letter to Edvard written after he rejected Hans. Once Hans heard the news of Edvard’s engagement, he wrote to Edvard…”I languish for you as for a pretty Calabrian wench... my sentiments for you are those of a woman. The femininity of my nature and our friendship must remain a mystery." 

Calabrain (a region of Greece) Women .

Edvard, not knowing how to respond simply wrote…"I found myself unable to respond to this love, and this caused the author much suffering." Could those few words have sparked the fire inside of Hans to write "The Story of the Little Mermaid"? Many scholars believe Hans wrote the story to symbolize his inability to have Edvard as a lover, just as the mermaid cannot be with her human lover.  Most believe the mermaid to symbolize Hans; she could not speak for she did not have a voice. He could not speak out in the world he lived in; his homosexuality would never to accepted.  He would have to write and create worlds and characters where his emotions and feelings could live freely without shame or ridicule.

 In the original ending of the Little Mermaid (and frankly, the only ending I was familiar with), the poor love forsaken mermaid dies of a broken heart and dissolves into sea foam for three hundred years. Now, I have come to understand that Hans later added the parts about the Daughters of Air (angels) and the moral of children who behave badly versus children who are kind. Some Scholars feel the happy ending to be an “unnatural addition”.  Was this added to disguise the fact that the story is really a love letter? 

36 years after the birth of the Little Mermaid, Hans Christian Andersen dies.  At this point in time he was a national treasure and loved by many people. Hans’ personal love life was tragic at best, but he had many friends and companions who loved and cared for him. His life was not all doom and gloom, but it would take a lot of sadness to accomplish his most beloved works.

 On August 4^th 1875 Hans Christian Andersen passed quietly into his next life.  He was found with a small pouch containing a letter from Riborg Voigt, a woman he loved in youth and was never fulfilled.  Earlier that spring while staying with a close friend and his family, Hans fell out of bed severely hurting himself. This was the beginning of his end, his wounds never really healed and he began to show signs of liver cancer. Shortly before Hans died he requested that a composer write the music for his funeral saying… "Most of the people who will walk after me will be children, so make the beat keep time with little steps."

Hans Christian Andersen is buried at Assistens Kirkegård in the Nørrebro area of Copenhagen.  In the same city where his beloved little mermaid statue still sits, watching and waiting for her prince…  Like the mermaid Hans never married, is he too still siting, still watching and still waiting for his prince?

                 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In 2012, the world is a different place and life times have come and gone, but one love is finally fulfilled. Two artists, London and Berlin-based art duo Elmgreen & Dragset, installed a new commissioned  piece for the Harbor in the city of Elsingore, Denmark.

Han

This is Han, it means ‘He’ in Danish and it is a nod to Hans Christian Andersen. Han sits looking out into the Harbor past boats and waves in the direction of his love, the Copenhagen Mermaid. Han is a companion piece, meant to be the contemporary counterpart to the bronze and granite mermaid. The statue is of a young man posing on a rock, sited in the same way as the Copenhagen mermaid. 

       

The stone on which he sits on is in the exact shape of the stone used in Copenhagen. What makes Han so striking is he was created and cast in stainless steel, highly polished to reflect the harbor scenery.  Even more striking, a hydraulic mechanism was installed inside the sculpture’s head, allowing Han to shut his eyes for a few seconds every 30 minutes. His eyes closed to the world at large, Han can take a quiet moment to reflect.

In the end a man named Edvard was the cause of The Story of the Little Mermaid, a man named Edvard, years later, created the Copenhagen mermaid. A man named Hans fell in love and fell hard and now Han is the final piece in this broken tale of love unrequited. Han is now a companion to the Copenhagen Mermaid, he is a reminder of Edvard, and he is forever a statement that love will always concur all.

...And that is the perfect fairy tale ending.

The Origins of the Copenhagen Mermaid: A Tragic Tale of Unrequited Love Part 1

Today we celebrate the 100^th birthday of the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, Denmark. The statue was inspired and commissioned by a local Danish man; he worked as a brewer and was the son of the founder of Carlsberg. But most importantly, was his love for the The Little Mermaid, after seeing a ballet performance, his name was Carl Jacobsen. On August 23^rd, 1913 he unveiled the now beloved statue.  She was created by Edvard Eriksennd, shaped from granite and bronze covered, modeled after his wife, Eline Eriksen. The original muse for the sculpture was a Ballerina named Ellen Price, who in 1909 danced the lead role in the ballet The Little Mermaid at the Royal Theatre, which began Carl Jacobsen’s obsession. Ellen Price turned down the offer to be the model for the statue because she did not want to pose nude.  

Every year thousands of tourist flock to Copenhagen for chance to see the infamous mermaid, over the years she has been the subject of much love and abuse. Tourist lining up to take photos some leave small gifts and others still wade out into the water to pose for an up close picture. With all this love and attention also comes jealousy and cruelty. The innocent statue has been marked with lewd comments, paint solid hot pink for a protest and the most heinous still….One cold lonely night in 1964 a band of political activists emerged from the evening haze and decapitated the poor mermaid, stealing off with head! The head was never found, but a new was made and the statue was returned to her former glory. One decapitation is bad but two is heinous! Again 1998, she was decapitated but this time no one knows who or why.  However, her head was returned anonymously to a nearby TV station and on February 4  ^th her head was returned to its rightful place upon her shoulders.  

The Headless Mermaid :(

The Little Mermaid has been blown into the harbor by explosives, draped in a burqa, holes drilled into her hands and feet and once a large dildo was placed in her hand. As a result the city council is taking measures to move her further out into the Harbor. The Little Mermaid statue was moved once before to Shanghai, China for Expo 2010, it was the first and only time she has left her home in Denmark.

Expo 2010 Danish Pavilion over 5.5 Million people came visit the mermaid 

As thousands more tourists flock the streets of Copenhagen this year to admire our beloved Little Mermaid and thousands more will be introduced to her by Disney’s The Little Mermaid, the most famous retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s story, I began to wonder…

Who is Hans Christian Andersen? 

We all know his stories, we grew up with the name, but who is HE?

Here is my re-telling of the history of a man who gave birth to some of the most romantic fairy tales and never found true love himself...

Birth Home. Odense, Denmark 1805

Hans Christian Andersen was born an only child to rather unremarkable family. His Father, also Hans, was fairly educated, his mother was highly educated and became a lawyer after the death of her husband. There are some rumors that the Andersen family had ties to nobility and that Hans Christian Andersen was really the illegitimate son of King Christian VII.  Most of this is hearsay, rumor, and an old grandmother’s idle chattering’s, it seems most of these theories have been disproved.  After the death of his father, Hans was sent to boarding school and his mother remarried and carried on with her life.  By the age of 14 Hans found himself, with an education, job experience, and a desire to act. He would find his dreams in the Royal Danish Theater, only he wasn't acting.

Royal Danish Theatre 

Hans was gifted with the most angelic soprano voice, but soon faded away with puberty.  With his voice now gone and the support of a colleague Hans began writing poetry and published his first story in 1822. A man by the name of Jonas Collin was taken with Hans and his work; he paid for him to attend Grammar School.  As fortunate as this may sound, Hans was later heard saying that his school years where the darkest and most bitter years of his life. It is documented that Hans suffered abuse and neglect from his Boarding School teachers, classmates and even his Schoolmaster, whose home Hans lived in. The Schoolmaster forbid Hans to write, causing him to fall into a deep depression.

With all this behind him, he poured all his desires, hopes, and dreams into his fairy tales creating the life he would never lead.  His love life would be no better… "Almighty God, thee only have I; thou steerest my fate, I must give myself up to thee! Give me a livelihood! Give me a bride! My blood wants love, as my heart does!"  - Hans Christian Andersen’s personal journal.  Hans never married and all the women he fell in love with were unattainable or unrequited.  Hans may have prayed for a wife, but he was awkward and shy around women. Today, most scholars and psychologists believeHans was bisexual; however, he never acted upon his drives. In fact is it is written in his private journals that he refuses to have sexual intercourse.  Hans fancy in men would be no better…. 

One such man in Hans’s interest was Edvard Collin.

To Be Continued....

“Fairytales can come true, you gotta make 'em happen, it all depends on you” Make-A-Wish, Mermaid Rentals, & Mer-Gyver!

A sweet 6 year old girl suffering from cancer had one wish…to be mermaids with her 4 year old twin brother and sister on the beach. Make-A –Wish teamed up with Thom Shouse of Mermaid Rentals and yesterday we made her dreams come true!

Thom and "Dad" checking out the Studio!

On a warm overcast August day a little girl and her family arrived in Torrance, California. The children were in awe when they arrived at Thom’s studio, their wide eyes sweeping over the giant dolphin hanging from the rafters to the boxes of mermaid props and resting finally on the shelf where all the mermaid tails are stored.   Many happy stories and smiles were shared and the children quickly took to Thom, asking questions, sharing their stories and showing off their mermaid tops and Ariel wigs.

The children drew ‘Thank You’ cards for Thom with mermaids and sunshine, which brought a happy tear to our eyes and smile that would not quit! 

  With happiness to fill our hearts we loaded up, Thom and I had my truck loaded down with tails, prop rocks, coolers, and canopies. The children safely buckled and the mermaid caravan was off to the beach!

The children were greeted by a band of friendly pirates on the grass, as we prepared and set up for the tail reveling on the sand.  As, Mer-Gyver, I unloaded the truck, powdered and prepped the tails, and made sure everyone and everything was in place and ready to go!  We all headed out to the water’s edge where the children could wiggle their toes in the sand, collect shells and stones, and begin their merfolk transformation!

Mermaid Ashley and Mermaid Jenny helped the little girls with their hair and jewelry before slipping into their tails. Our little man turned out to be somewhat shy, so with the help of a few pirates and Mermaid Me, we created a private area for him transform into the strong tough merman we all know him to be!

With the children clad in brand new tails and the waves slowly rolling on the wet sand, it truly was a scene from a child’s imagination. Pictures were taken and soon the grown up mermaids joined the little ones on the beach. Myself and the little merman taking a moment to gaze out into the water where splashed by a rogue wave, but not to worry! I quickly scooped him up onto my tail (lap) and all was right again.  We rested for moment before he told me he wanted his legs back, with a little help from Dad, he was free to run the beach! The little mermaids and the grown up mermaids spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the sand while the wave licked at our tails and sea weed gathered around our flukes. We pointed out the sail boats, scuba diver, and surfer; we talked about seashells and cheered when the big waves would come crashing in.  At that moment the only thing in this world that mattered were my pod sisters, myself and these little girls.  True magic is often found right in front you and I believe that we lived that magic yesterday.

As days tend to do, this one also had to come to an end. We all slipped out of our sandy wet tails, Mermaid Ashley and Mermaid Jenny took the girls for walk in the waves and I headed over to play with our little boy. The water was too much for him and he decided that the dry sand of the beach was the safest place to be. So we throw seaweed pods at the waves and cheered when the water washed them away and if a wave got to close, he would run a little back and come running forward to throw more seaweed as the water gentle washed back down the sand. Lunch was a picnic on the grass at the beach park with pirates and mermaids, balloon animals and gifts from the pirates! 

Lady Pirate, we know why the rum's gone! 

After hugs and thank you’s, I loaded the truck back up and Thom and I headed back to the studio. It was a beautiful day full of love, laughter, and magic. I am so thankful to have been a part of that moment and I hope we touched their hearts and lives as much as they touched ours!  

Love, Peace, & Mermaids,

Meridian

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