Quote:The Coat of Arms of Warsaw consists of a syrenka ("little mermaid") in a red field. Polish syrenka is cognate with siren, but she is more properly a fresh-water mermaid called “Melusina.” This imagery has been in use since at least the mid-14th century.[1] The syrenka has traditionally held a silver sword although this does not appear on more recent versions.
The following picture shows a Syrena (syren) from the Greek mythology. If you leave out the feet, the resemblance to a (late) Melusine is quite striking.This does not mean that they have to be in the same tradition but it is possible.
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, The Hague, KB, KA 16, Jacob van Maerlant, Der Naturen Bloeme, Flanders, ca. 1350, fol. 109rb
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