Throughout epic tales and myths there has been one creature that has captivated its audience not through their ethereal voice but their unchanging devotion. In the clothing brand Monte Leste they’ve designed a shirt in which they designed a mermaid in a modern look using a sailor tattoo art style. Monte Leste decided to depict their mermaid coiling around an anchor surrounded by sunflowers. While the mermaid is being surrounded by the flowers and being over casted by the anchor still has a provocative look almost to the point in which she is alluring a person to get closer to her. The mermaids long black curly hair although waving through the ocean seems to stay close to her body almost like it has a will of its own. The mermaid’s tale seems to wrap around the anchor almost as if it’s the object that’s holding down anchor instead of the ground below. Monte Leste decided to use the mermaid in the art style of a sailor tattoo in order to show the old superstition in which sailors would tattoo mermaids in order to be provided protections since often mermaids were associated with good luck and protection for sailors. The belief was that mermaids were potentially benevolent figures that would ensure safe voyages and perfect weather. Literary texts like the version of Chris Hans Anderson’s Little Mermaid in which an unnamed mermaid saved a prince who was sailing the ocean and was caught in a storm and later on in the story is turned into a wind spirit for her undying devotion and now controls the wind. Monte Leste pays homage to this by the mermaid coiling her tail and helping the anchor stay secured which could be seen as her benevolent nature helping an unknown ship navigator stay safe while resting for the day. Another thing that was brought to my attention was that while the anchor seems to be grounded by the mermaid it remains untied through its loop which makes this work seem as though while the while mermaid could be helping it could be bring demise to these sailors. This could be seen as the mermaids nature having a duality in which like the ocean could be a source of livelihood, but also one in which a sailor could be killed. A tale that could represent this side of their nature would be the encounter Odysseus had with mermaids in which they “hushed the loud winds, and charmed the waves to sleep” which further showed the mermaids superstition of their ability to control their environment. In Monte Leste’s case they decided to show this through the sunflowers that are blossoming in front of the mermaid as if she is the one controlling her environment where she is.The sunflower holds significance since it not only shows the beauty of the mermaid but it’s being nurtured and taken care of by the mermaid. This superstition could be seen still in this modern era through the shirt as well as in our navy personnel honor this time old tradition by tattooing this mythical creature in order to protect themselves in their voyage. Many times a person understands the risk of sailing the ocean, but they fail to realize that in earlier periods many sailors had to rely on winds to hit their sail and the ocean currents to be correct since at that time they were better terms in the hands of the environment. The belief that a mystical and powerful benevolent creature that would protect sailors would sooth these sailors into voyaging into the unknown and allow them to discover a newer and greater thing.