With Starbucks cups dominating the news lately, have you ever stopped to wonder how the famous mermaid emblazoned on each beverage came to be the brand's logo?
Last week, Atlas Obscura published a detailed history of Starbucks' famous siren - tracing her origins to a 12th century mosaic found in the small Italian town of Otranto.
"It's one of the largest in Europe and depicts all the important stories and figures of the time: the Tree of Life, the expulsion from Eden, Alexander the Great, elephants, sphinxes, centaurs, and much more." Says author Angelica Calabrese of the diverse influences that went into the making of the piece.
Back in 2011, Starbucks gave their own story behind the siren's origins, saying they got the idea to use the image from a 16th century Norse woodcarving.
"...there she was: a 16th century Norse woodcut of a twin-tailed mermaid, or Siren. There was something about her - a seductive mystery mixed with a nautical theme that was exactly what the founders were looking for. A logo was designed around her, and our long relationship with the Siren began."
Whatever the Siren's true origins, one can't deny that she's facing some rough seas at the moment thanks to Starbucks 'red cup' controversy.
Last week, Christian evangelist Joshua Feuerstein criticized the design of the coffee chain's Holiday themed cups for not promoting Christmas. In a now viral video rant posted to his Facebook page he says, "Do you realize that Starbucks wanted to take Christ and Christmas off of their brand new cups? That's why they're just plain red. In fact, do you realize that Starbucks isn't allowed to say 'Merry Christmas' to customers?"
In a press release, Starbucks says that the decision to go with the simpler all-red design was made to create "a culture of belonging, inclusion and diversity."
