It has been reported that the City of Luxembourg (which is not just a city, but a country in its own right) has commissioned a mermaid statue for its 1050th anniversary.
A well-known legend has it that Melusine was the wife of Count Siegfried, who founded Luxembourg in 963 with the acquisition of Luxembourg Castle. So a mermaid statue of Melusine is a splendid idea.
The Melusine legend exists in a number of versions across Europe, with similar elements. Essentially Melusine marries, but with the stipulation that once a week she must have absolute privacy. She turns into a mermaid every Saturday, and spends the time in a bathtub in complete privacy. One day, her husband can no longer contain his curiosity and spies on his wife while she is bathing, and sees her as a mermaid. At this point, she vanishes forever, although she is occasionally seen in the river.
There is a famous statue in Baden (Austria), in the Undine fountain, based on the story of Undine by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué. This story in turn is based partly on the Melusine legend.
I will report more on the Luxembourg statue as data becomes available.
