As stone mermaids are an entirely rare and endangered species, the sighting of one in Greenville, Michigan makes for conspicuous news. At least it caught the attention of the Danes. The Little Mermaid is the icon of Denmark, based on the fairytale of Danish author, Hans Christian Anderson. The art police claim that Greenville violated a copyright set in stone.
There is room for
debate. While the Michigan version does sport a plaque saying
it’s a replica, it is not an exact
replica. The one in Michigan has larger breasts. Furthermore, the original in Copenhagen is also not the original, and there
are other copies, such as the one on the grave of Victor Borge (also in Greenville). The Greenville statue embodies the Danish heritage that immigrated to the United States. They might have used a different Anderson archetype, like
the Ugly Duckling, to avoid disDane.
Could this debacle happen
closer to home?
Are Saint Augustine’s lions subject to such
critique? The answer is no. While the lions have been in hibernation
during extensive bridgework over the Saint
Augustine landmark, they’re not going to emerge behind
bars. The Saint Augustine lions were bought and donated
to the city by a former mayor who knew what he was doing, a man who shares that
famous Danish namesake: Mayor Andrew
Anderson.
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