The legend of Count Siegfried and Melusina the mermaid is considered to be the founding story of Luxembourg. Here is the fairy tale behind the costumes.

Once upon a time…

…there was a brave and noble knight called Siegfried, Count of Luxembourg. He lived in a magnificent castle high up on a hill, surrounded by dense forests and green meadows. One day, he discovered a beautiful woman called Melusina on the banks of the River Alzette. She was a fairy of the water and Siegfried immediately fell in love with her. They got to know each other and fell in love. Melusina agreed to become his wife, but on one condition: Siegfried was never allowed to see her on Saturdays.

The years passed and Siegfried and Melusina lived happily together. They had many children and the castle was filled with laughter and joy. But one day Siegfried was overcome by curiosity and secretly watched Melusine on a Saturday. To his astonishment, he saw that she had turned into a mermaid.

Melusina sensed that she was being watched and when she saw Siegfried, her eyes filled with tears. ‘You broke your promise, Siegfried,’ she said sadly. ‘Now I have to go and I can never come back.’ Turned into a mermaid she dived into the Alzette and disappeared forever.

Siegfried’s tunic and Melusina’s mermaid cape are both available in the shop.

The legend of Siegfried and Melusina is not the only story Luxembourg has to tell. There are plenty of lesser known legends and you can find some here in this article by RTL Today or here published in the Lëtzebuerger Journal.

And if you ever visit Luxembourg with your kids, – there is a wonderful Siegfried & Melusina trail through Luxembourg City to explore.