The symbol of Helsinki – a sculpture of a nude sea nymph – crowns the Havis Amanda Fountain, located on Market Square.
The charming maiden named Manta was installed here in 1908, two years after she was created in Paris by the Finnish sculptor Ville Vallgren. The city authorities considered the sculpture too revealing and therefore initially categorically refused to place it in the center of Helsinki. Only after two years of fierce disputes was it finally permitted to be installed. There are rumors that, because the sculptor’s fee was reduced over Manta’s explicit nudity, he turned her backside toward the city administration building.
According to Vallgren’s idea, the nymph rising from the depths of the sea, surrounded by jets of water, fish, and lions, symbolizes the rebirth of Helsinki. The sculptor’s notes reveal that his model was a 19-year-old Parisian named Marcelle Delquini.
Since the 1930s, a strange tradition has appeared: every year on May 1, during Vappu – one of Finland’s biggest holidays – a student cap is placed on the nymph’s head. This is accompanied by a cheerful ceremony and festivities lasting until morning.
There is a legend that Havis Amanda patronizes male potency. If you wash your face in the fountain and loudly shout “Rakastaa!” three times, which in Finnish means “to love,” a man’s sexual prowess will immediately increase.
