The Little Mermaid statue in Warsaw (Polish: Pomnik Syreny w Warszawie) is located in the Market Square of Warsaw's Old Town, the Polish capital. It was created by Konstanty Hegel in 1855. The mermaid is a symbol of Warsaw and its patron saint. Since the 16th century, the mermaid has appeared on Warsaw's coat of arms, and many mermaid-related items can be found throughout the city. The statue currently standing in the square is not the original 1855 statue, but a modern replica cast in zinc. The original bronze mermaid is currently on display at the Warsaw History Museum.
The most famous legend tells of how, long ago, the two daughters of Triton, the messenger of the sea in Greek mythology, embarked on a journey across the ocean depths. One of them decided to remain on the Danish coast, at the entrance to Copenhagen harbor, where the famous Little Mermaid statue now stands. Another mermaid, upon reaching the mouth of the Vistula River, jumped into the water and later rested on the beach near the village of Warsaw. Fishermen flocked to admire her beauty and listen to her melodious song. However, a greedy merchant also heard her song, followed the fishermen, and captured the mermaid. Another legend tells of a mermaid who fell in love with Griffin, the city's guardian, and decided to swim from the Baltic Sea to Warsaw. However, Griffin had already died fighting against the Swedish invasion. To avenge her, the mermaid succeeded Griffin as the guardian of Warsaw and the symbol of the city.