Warsaw's Mermaid, Polish Legend

Warsaw, the capital of Poland, survived many wars and because of that is also known as phoenix city. Phoenix means a bird that never dies. After the last war, most of the city was in ruins. But it was rebuilt and now stands proudly. The Old Town vibrates with life and colorful buildings.  A statue of a mermaid, the city symbol, is positioned in the center. The upper part of her body is a woman and the lower part is a fish. She is armed with a sword raised in her right hand and a shield in her left hand ready to protect. And this is where our story begins.

A long time ago a prince from the Mazovia region was hunting in the forests. Mazovia is a flat region filled with many lakes and thick forests. It was easy to get lost in those woods and that’s what happened to the prince.

While trying to find his way back to the castle, he reached the banks of the Vistula River and saw the most beautiful girl emerging from the water.

He looked at her golden hair, the most amazing blue eyes and then, “What’s that!” he was startled. Her lower part of the body from waste down was a fish tale covered in silver flakes. She was holding a bow and an arrow in her hands. “Don’t be afraid,” she said.

She wasn’t aiming at the prince. She was aiming in the direction where the prince should go. She shot the arrow and said, “Follow my arrow and it will lead you home and for the night good people will give you shelter.” “Thank you,” the prince responded, but the mermaid was already gone in the deep and calm waters of the river.

The prince followed the arrow, which flew almost straight above the river. It flew with such speed that the horse had a hard time catching up with it. Suddenly, he arrived at a small opening where a fisherman’s hut stood.

While the fisherman was pulling the net from the river, he saw some stranger well-dressed on a horse. The fisherman and his wife, who didn’t have much, always welcomed those who needed to rest for the night. The man was flustered as he didn’t see his poor shelter fit for the horseman looking as a prince. The fisherman didn’t know that the stranger actually was the prince.

When the prince stepped into the hut, he saw two cooing babies in a small crib looking like two peeps in a nest. The older couple, who long awaited to have a baby, now were the happy parents of twins. “This is Wars and Sawa,” the wife introduced the babies.

The cottage was tiny with basic furniture composed of the stove and wooden table with three chairs. Two for the couple and one always ready for a guest. The fourth chair was used to hold a metal bowl for washing the dishes by the fire. There was a separate room with two beds.

After the couple welcomed the prince, the wife took some freshly caught fish to clean it and make it in the already burning fireplace. During which time, the fisherman entertained the prince with stories of their lives filled with tales of animals and the guests.

“The woods might be stretching far without a view of another cottage, but they are full of animals that keep us amused.” The fisherman said, “One day a deer comes and peeks through the window as looking for company. Another day a bear comes to the river and tries to catch a fish with his paws.”

The fisherman took a sip of cold water and continued, “The woods might be thick, but they always bring us somebody new. The travelers bring stories from different corners of the country, enriching our lives. Some come from the north describing the sea, stretching so far as reaching the sky. Others come from the south describing the mountains, stretching so high as reaching the sun.”

The prince was so diverted by the stories that he hasn’t noticed when the food was served on the table. As the smell of the food awakened his appetite, the wife joined them to eat dinner.  The prince was amazed how a simple life was filled with so many rich stories.

In the morning, when it was time to leave, the prince said, “You didn’t hesitate to take a stranger in and share the little food you had and for that you will be rewarded.”

As soon as the prince returned to the castle, he named the couple as the owners of the land where the hut stood and the surrounding lands.

The couple cultivated the land where ever it was possible, planting some crops and vegetables. As a result, the land produced plenty of food.

The peaceful setting by the river left many travelers in awe.  It wasn’t long before many of those travelers decided to settle next to the couple, which welcomed anybody, who wanted to stay there.

Soon, the land by the river was dotted with many cottages creating a village. The village continued prospering and growing, later becoming a city; a city that was named Warsaw after the twins Wars and Sawa.

What happened to the mermaid? The prince never saw the mermaid again. But she was still there, watching the village grow into a city.

As more and more nets were dropped into the river, one day, she got tangled in one of them. The local fishermen upon hearing her sing released her. As she was released, she declared, “From now on, I will protect you with my sword and shield.”

So the city’s crest was decorated with the beautiful mermaid. Today, she stands in the center of the Old Town ready to protect its citizens.