Colorful socks with the Warsaw Mermaid
Polish cities, villages or regions have symbols with which they are associated. When we think of Warsaw, one of the first images that pops up in our minds is the Warsaw Mermaid. Nowadays we are accustomed to the image of a woman with a fish tail, but the oldest illustrations depicting Warsaw's coat of arms show a slightly different figure. In the 15th century, the upper part of the mermaid's body had both a female and male form. Moreover, the lower part of the body took the form not only of a tail, but also of paws or wings. The fixed image of half woman half fish became normalized only in the mid-18th century, and in 1938 the city's coat of arms, designed by Szczesny Kwarta, was approved. Our socks with a mermaid refer to both this image and the popular statue of the Warsaw Mermaid. Mermaid socks are a great accessory for both Warsaw residents and anyone who appreciates Polish symbols and legends.
Legend of the Warsaw Mermaid
Why is it that the Mermaid has become a symbol of Warsaw, even though the city has no access to the sea? An old legend has it that in ancient times, when Warsaw was a tiny settlement, a curious mermaid decided to set out in search of adventure. She swam with the current of the Vistula River, and when she reached a small fishing settlement, she decided to stay in its vicinity for a while longer. The mermaid settled in for good, but the local fishermen began to notice that catches were disappearing from their nets. The men set up an ambush for the mysterious thief, but when they discovered that behind the disappearance of the fish was a beautiful mermaid who, with her singing, attracted even animals to her, they abandoned their earlier plans. From then on, the mermaid made the fishermen's work more pleasant with her singing, and they repaid her with caught fish. Unfortunately, the talent of the magical creature was also noticed by a wily merchant, who kidnapped the mermaid and imprisoned her in a cage. In this way, the water maiden became an attraction at fairs. As soon as the fishermen learned of the mermaid's sad fate, they recaptured her from the merchant and returned her to freedom. In gratitude for her rescue, the mermaid promised that she would always guard the fisherman's castle again.