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Symbolism in the Little Mermaid
By Michelle Rahn
Ariel, the "little mermaid" in the Disney movie, is much more than a fairy tale for little girls. She represents the struggle of the feminine aspect of humans to gain importance over the masculine, which has dominated (as a result of religion) over the last 2000 years. In several ways, she is a representation of Mary Magdalene who is an icon of "the sacred feminine". One of the most apparent aspects is the long wavy red hair, a commonly held attribute of Mary Magdalene. [the term "sacred feminine" is used to describe spiritual aspects of ourselves which are feminine. It can be thought of "the goddess within". It is not exclusive to women; men have aspects which are caring and loving. It is part of the ying/yang balance of our spiritual selves]. In her undersea grotto, Ariel collects treasures from galleons shipwrecked at sea. She finds and contemplates the commonplace items used by humans and wonders what they are for, as well as what it would be like to be human. Among her treasures is a painting by Georges de la Tour called "Magdalen with the Smoking Flame" which shows Mary gazing at a candle burning on the table beside her. Of all the possible pictures in the history of art, it is significant that the creators of the Disney film chose a an artwork containing Mary Magdalene. In the movie, Ariel carries a book and a mirror which is not by coincidence. These are items commonly associated with ancient mermaids in Medieval art. The mirror is a symbol for feminine vanity and also represents the role of the material world. The book represents natural and spiritual law (science and spiritual enlightenment) and the pursuit of wisdom. Also in the movie Ariel saves the drowning prince, which is a theme found in ancient mermaid lore. The Merovingian bloodline, identified as the "vine of Mary" in the story of the Holy Grail, is said to have had a mermaid as an ancestor. The bloodline is said to be descended from a king "Merovee" who was half man, half fish. Mermaids are represented in the symbols of the bloodline, with some symbols showing the fleur-de-lis of the Merovingians entwined around double fish tails. The connection of Mary Magdalene with the mermaid is ancient. In the book, The Da Vinci Code, the main character Langdon interprets the Disney's "The Little Mermaid" as an attempt to show the divine femininity that has been lost in our culture. After revealing the sacred feminine aspects in Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White, Langdon talks about The Little Mermaid, which was released by Disney Studios 23 years after Walt Disney’s death (although Disney had conceived of it in the 1930's) …he had learned not to underestimate Disney’s grasp of symbolism. The Little Mermaid was a spellbinding tapestry of spiritual symbols so specifically goddess-related that they could not be coincidence. The Little Mermaid’s name, Ariel, had powerful ties to the sacred feminine. The Little Mermaid's flowing red hair was certainly no coincidence either.
Another attribute of the Little Mermaid is that she is one of many Disney characters with dead or missing mothers (in some cases, the father is the missing parent). It's not that Walt Disney himself was against mothers, since many of the Disney movies without mothers came long after Walt was dead. It seems to represent the aspect of the protective feminine influence, which is subverted in most modern cultures. Modern culture has become unbalanced on the masculine side, in that many cultures do not place women equal to men in importance or influence.
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Ariel with Magdalen of the smoking flame
Ariel with a book
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