Sirena Mô, Mermaid of Mahon

There is a well known legend of the mermaid of Mahón and a nephew of Hannibal of Carthage. 

Mahón is a port city on the island of Menorca, not far from Mallorca.  Mahón is also known as Maó-Mahón or simply Maó, which in the local pronunciation is shortened to Mó.  

Originally, in 205 BC,  it was settled by and named after Cathaginian general Mago Barca, brother of Hannibal.

According to the legend, the mermaid rescued the son of a Carthaginian general when he shipwrecked on the shores of what was then a barely inhabited island.  The mermaid and the general’s son fell in love and had a romance.  As is quite common in both Greek culture and in mermaid tales from around the world, a tragedy unfolds and the general’s son dies in battle.  Since his death, the mermaid has been waiting for him on a rock, convinced that he will return some day.

Sculptor Leonardo Lucarini created this mermaid in bronze and named her Mô.  She is located right near the water’s edge in the harbor, and it is believed that touching her brings luck. The shifting sunlight of the island often varies the color of the sculpture from dark green through bronze to golden yellow. 

Her name identifies her with the city of Mahón and its long history with many diverse cultures, who all have left their mark and character on the island.  This includes the Spaniards and the French, the Romans and the Greeks, the Turks and Visigoths, as well as the Carthaginians and the Phoenician culture they brought with them.  The island is now part of Spain, but from 1708 through 1802 it went through British ownership several times.

See more at the full page for Mô, Mermaid of Mahon.