The Legend of SYRENA
The Legend of
SYRENA is as mystical as any legend in mythology. Many versions of the legend
of the little mermaid appear to exist and there is no way of knowing which
version is the correct one.
As far as it
can be established SYRENA was the daughter of the powerful King Baltyk who
ruled his kingdom from a palace located at the bottom of the Baltic
Sea.
The upper
part of Syrena's body took the form of a human female. The mythical creature
had long flowing hair and from the waist down was covered with silvery scales
to the tip of her tail. The bottom of the sea was the only world she
knew.
One day she
narrowly escaped being caught by some fishermen by swimming close to shore.
When she raised her head above the surface of the sea, she saw the vista of a
strange new world near the mouth the river Wisla, whose waters empty into the
Baltic Sea. Syrena curious about her new surroundings began to swim upstream.
She saw strange things the likes of which she had never knew before. Trees,
hills, flat lands, strange creatures that walked on this land and flew in the
sky above her. Finally Syrena came to an area of land known as the plains of
Mazowsze deep in the heart of Poland. The people here had cleared the forest,
built homes for themselves, and lived from fishing and hunting. Syrena fell in
love with the brave Mazovian tribe and decided to stay with them. In the
evenings she sang her nostalgic, haunting melodies for
them.
One day, a
big hunt was held for the Mazovian prince. Chasing a reindeer, the prince got
lost in the forest. He also lost his golden arrow with which he was hunting.
Searching for it he came to the banks of the Vistula River. There, in
amazement, he saw a white arm extending from the water holding his arrow. He
became enchanted with Syrena, the beautiful half fish, half woman creature.
She smiled at
him and, handing him the arrow, pointed in the direction he was to take. He
soon came to a clearing in the forest where stood a small cottage, the home of
the fisherman Warsz, his wife, and their twin sons. Mrs. Warszowa gave him a
good supper and invited him to stay overnight .
The next
morning she refused any payment from him. The prince was moved by their
hospitality and their way of life. He vowed he would return with his people
which he did and together they cleared more land and built a small settlement
which was named "Warszowa," Later it became know as Warszawa, and in 1596 it
became the capital of Poland .
A romantic
story that may or may not be true. Other versions of the legend differ slightly
and less detailed. Here are some examples I have
found:
"There is a
statue which depicts the mermaid Syrena, who lived in the river Vistula,
according to legend, and lured a brother and sister named Wars and Sawa to
found the town of Warszawa on this spot. The Vistula river flows through
Warsaw."
" A bronze of
Warsaw's symbol -- the armoured mermaid Syrena -- dominates a view of the city.
Legend says she dwelt in the Vistula river, and convinced the lovers Wars and
Sawa to found a town here."
"A mermaid
(Syrena) with sword and shield is the city's symbol. According to legend,
Warsaw was founded when a Mermaid ordered two fishermen Wars and Sawa, to form
a city. The history of Warsaw goes back to the late 13th century and early 14th
century although the first record of its existence dates back to the 10th-11th
century. In the 14th century Prince Janusz I the Old (1374-1429) proclaimed
Warsaw to be a capital of the Mazovian Principality and this fact influenced
the development of the town. In the second half of the 15th century a double
ring of fortified walls with towers and a deep moat surrounded the town. The
turn of the 15th and 16th century was a period of great economic
development."
I have not
been able to establish why SYRENA is found to be holding a Sword & Shield
but one reference to her Legend describes her as "Defender of Warsaw".
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