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There is a scene in Little Mermaid where Eric is playing his flute and Grymsby tells him to just stop searching for the lost girl and move forward with the young lady (Ariel) who is quietly stealing his heart. He then looks at Ariel from her window and a tender smile steals his heart. Metaphor to Azriel's obsession with searching for his mate that he is failing to see what is in front of him (Gwyn). #Gwynriel #Azriel # Gwyn #acotar

✨ 𝒜 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑜𝒻 𝓈𝑒𝒸𝓇𝑒𝓉, 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁𝓎 𝒷𝑒𝒶𝓊𝓉𝓎 ✨

So, this is going to be a looooooong ride, I will start by saying I won't make a reference to any ships here, because I believe this theory works no matter who Gwyn ends up with. So if you are coming here to reinforce ship wars, that's not your cup of tea. That being said, let's start:

1) Appereance

Gwyn's looks are obviously similar to the disney's version of the little mermaid. She has coppery chestnut hair, fair skin, eyes who sometimes described as deep blue like the sea and others times as teal, a blue-green color. Ariel, however, has red hair, fair skin and deep blue-aqua eyes that take a blue-green tone depending on the environment. Her tail carries a shade of sea-green especifically created to her character. Both of them are tall, and said to have large eyes.

"Her hood was thrown back, and faelight danced in the rich coppery chestnut of her pin-straight hair. Her large teal eyes were as clear and depthless as the stone usually atop a priestess’s hood, and a scattering of freckles lay across her nose and cheeks, as if someone had tossed them with a careless hand."

"Gwyn gestured to her large eyes—blue so clear it could have been the shallow sea"

"Gwyn, however, stilled, those large teal eyes looking even more unearthly as they widened."

"Nesta had no glimpse of coppery-brown hair and large teal eyes."

"She didn’t realize she was holding back as Gwyn’s coppery-brown hair appeared. In the sunlight, the color of her hair was extraordinary, strands of gold glinting, and her teal eyes were a near-perfect match to the stones the other priestesses wore"

"The priestess drew up to her full height, which was slightly taller than average for Fae females."

Hans Andersen describes the little mermaid as being the most beautiful of all of her sisters, together with having expressive eyes and graceful movements. Gwyn is said to have a beauty that could rival Mor and Merrill, and to be good with balance and movement.

"Your beautiful form, your graceful walk, and your expressive eyes. Surely with these you can enchain a man's heart. Well, have you lost your courage?"

"Gwyn nimbly rolled to her feet, grinning so broadly that Nesta was momentarily taken aback by it. The priestess had been pretty in the library, but with that joy, that confidence as she aimed for the three priestesses, she had emerged into a beauty to rival Merrill or Mor"

"She bore it willingly, however, and moved at the prince's side as lightly as a bubble, so that he and all who saw her wondered at her graceful, swaying movements"

"Perhaps that was why Gwyn was so good at the balancing and movement."

"At each moment the little mermaid's beauty was more revealed, and her expressive eyes appealed more directly"

"The little mermaid lifted her glorified eyes toward the sun"

"Emotion stirred in those remarkable eyes. (Nesta talking about Gwyn)"

"You will still have the same floating gracefulness of movement, and no dancer will ever tread so lightly."

"Even with the robes, it was clear that Gwyn was built lithe and lean, accustomed to the casual grace of the Fae that Nesta was only learning"

"As graceful as Gwyn had been, Emerie proved to be equally awkward and unbalanced."

2) Personality

The little mermaid is a headstrong, brave, spirited, bright young girl who has a strong love for adventure and mystery. She's loving, compassionate, intuitive, and even obsessive when it comes to her interest for the human world. Gwyneth on the other hand, is written as brave, kind, intelligent and bright, also having a compassionate and intuitive side. She enjoys adventure, and is very competitive. Her sense of determination is so strong it impresses the people around her.

" The little mermaid: I will venture all for him and to win an immortal soul. While my sisters are dancing in my father's palace I will go to the sea witch, of whom I have always been so much afraid; she can give me counsel and help."

"Gwyn stroked Nesta’s head : Some things are more important than fear."

"You and that ribbon, Nesta muttered, shutting the tome. Of all of them, Gwyn had become the most relentless about succeeding."

"Ariel: I don't know when, I don't know how, but I know something's starting right now. Watch and you'll see someday I'll be part of your world."

"Gwyn lifted her chin in challenge: We look forward to proving you wrong."

"Finding objects to help our court protect the world is rather exciting. About as exciting as I’m willing to get these days, but it shall be an adventure."

"The priestess’s eyes glittered with amusement, as if aware of Nesta’s plan"

"The little mermaid smiled and shook her head. She knew the prince's thoughts better than any of the others."

"It has something to do with the Trove, Gwyn said, those teal eyes noticing too much."

"No, Gwyn said, apparently reading the thought on her face."

"Triton: Do you think I want to see my youngest daughter snatched by some fish-eater's hook?

Ariel: I'm sixteen. I'm not a child anymore."

"Gwyn’s mouth flattened to a line: I don’t need to be coddled. Only spoken to like a person. "

"If you will bear all this I will help you, said the witch.

Yes, I will, said the little princess in a trembling voice, as she thought of the prince and the immortal soul."

"Gwyn bared her teeth: I refuse to leave you here. [...] I’ll face it with you."

3) Mythology

Mermaids and water nymphs are tied closely together, the terms being often used to reference each other. The main difference between them is that mermaids have tails, while water nymphs have human forms. Using a water nymph as a representation of a mermaid would be a good way to tie the stories to the courts.

Although Gwyn is a river-nymph, many elements surrounding her character are compared to the sea:

"Gwyn’s eyes shone, like the sunlight on a warm sea"

"And when Gwyn reached the finish line, bloody and panting and grinning so wildly her teal eyes glowed like a sunlit sea"

"We were fraternal twins. Her hair was dark as onyx, her skin pale as the moon. And she was as moody as the sea"

"Gwyn reached into the pocket of her pale robe and pulled out the blue stone of the priestesses. It fluttered with light, like the sun on a shallow sea."

"Tell yourself, I am the rock against which the surf crashes. Your thoughts are the surf. Let them crash over you."

"Gwyn whispered, I am the rock against which the surf crashes. Nesta straightened at the words, as if they were a prayer and a summons. Gwyn lifted the blade. Nothing can break me."

There is also the fact that The Little Mermaid story and character was heavily inspired by "Undine", a novella by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, and Undine was a water spirit/water nymph. So, the little mermaid was actually based on a nymph. (it's interesting to point out there was presence of an incident with golden necklace in Undine, given by her love interest to Beraltha, a girl he had a relationship with, that caused Undine to go back to the water).

Even if you don't find the resemblance in their appeareances and mythology enough, there are still similarites between Gwyn's story and the little mermaid one, both in the disney version and the original tale:

4) Story

"They were beautiful children, but the youngest was the prettiest of them all. Her skin was as clear and delicate as a rose leaf, and her eyes as blue as the deepest sea; but, like all the others, she had no feet and her body ended in a fish's tail. All day long they played in the great halls of the castle or among the living flowers that grew out of the walls."

"None of them longed so much for her turn to come as the youngest—she who had the longest time to wait and who was so quiet and thoughtful"

"Nesta had learned that Gwyn was twenty-eight—indeed, just a girl to him."

"She was young—almost coltish, with her slender, elegant limbs (Nesta about Gwyn)"

“Honestly, while I consider many of the females here to be my sisters, there are a few who are not what I would consider nice.”

“So I hate, I hate to even speak ill of any one of my sisters here, but..."

The little mermaid is the youngest between her sisters, and that plays a part in her being the last allowed to visit the surface. The own title "little mermaid" is used as a reference to her being young. Gwyneth is 28, one of the youngest priestesses, who she considers as sisters, living in the house of wind.

"Out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower and as clear as crystal, it is very, very deep; so deep, indeed, that no cable could sound it, and many church steeples, piled one upon another, would not reach from the ground beneath to the surface of the water above. There dwell the Sea King and his subjects."

"In the deepest spot of all stands the castle of the Sea King."

The sea king's home (atlantis in the disney movie) is in the depths of the sea, so deep that no cable could sound it, and extremely far from the surface. The house of wind is in Velaris mountains, the only way to get there is either flying or going through 10 000 steps, and nobody can winnow there without permission. A subtle little reference is that the library is located under the earth, while the little mermaid lived under the sea.

"Yet often, in the evening hours, the five sisters would twine their arms about each other and rise to the surface together. Their voices were more charming than that of any human being, and before the approach of a storm, when they feared that a ship might be lost, they swam before the vessel, singing enchanting songs of the delights to be found in the depths of the sea"

"The music took form behind Nesta’s eyes as the priestesses sang lyrics in languages so old, no one voiced them anymore. She saw what the song spoke of: mossy earth and golden sun, clear rivers and the deep shadows of an ancient forest"

The mermaids go to the surface in the evening (period between the end of the afternoon and night), and sing enchanting songs about the delights found in the depths of the sea, their voices sounding more charming than any human being. This is represented in the disney version by them having celebrations, and making presentations where they sing for their father and the rest of the merfolk. The priestesses, however, make dusk (period after the sun comes down before night) services, where they sing ancient songs about nature, and talk about the mother and the cauldron. Nesta describes their singing like a dream given form.

A cool detail is that in Andersen's tale there are 6 sisters, but in the disney movie there are seven including Ariel. Nesta mentions there were seven priestesses singing, counting Gwyn.

"Each of the young princesses had a little plot of ground in the garden, where she might dig and plant as she pleased. One arranged her flower bed in the form of a whale; another preferred to make hers like the figure of a little mermaid; while youngest child made hers round, like the sun, and in it grew flowers as red as his rays at sunset."

"She gave up tending her flowers, and they grew in wild confusion over the paths, twining their long leaves and stems round the branches of the trees so that the whole place became dark and gloomy."

"Nesta gazed at the sea of pale robes and blue stones as the entire room seemed to suck in a breath"

Each of the princesses have a little plot in the garden reserved just for them, while each of the priestesses has a blue stone. The little mermaid stops attending to her garden when she becomes too sad over the prince, and Gwyn doesn't use her stone because she doesn't believe she is deserving of it.

"Through the halls flowed a broad stream, and in it danced the mermen and the mermaids to the music of their own sweet singing. No one on earth has such lovely voices as they, but the little mermaid sang more sweetly than all. The whole court applauded her with hands and tails, and for a moment her heart felt quite gay, for she knew she had the sweetest voice either on earth or in the sea."

"The sea witch: You have the sweetest voice of any who dwell here in the depths of the sea."

"Triton: Especially my little Ariel

Sebastian: Yes, she has the most beautiful voice. "

"Eric: She had... the most beautiful voice"

One of the most important things about The Little mermaid/Ariel is her voice. She sings more sweetly than any of the other mermaids, and her voice is what Ursula demands as a payment and makes Eric long to find her. Gwyn has a voice who rises above all the other priestesses voices, and attracts people to her. It's described as sweet, lovely, powerful, pure and unlike any voice Nesta has ever heard.

"We were raised in the temple as well. I never left its grounds until … until I came here."

"The prince: I was in a ship that was wrecked, and the waves cast me ashore near a holy temple where several young maidens performed the service. The youngest of them found me on the shore and saved my life [...] She belongs to the holy temple, and good fortune has sent you to me in her stead. We will never part."

Gwyn and her sister were raised in a temple and Gwyn never left it's grounds until she was saved from Hybern's attack there. The prince was saved by the little mermaid and left in the shore near a holy temple before one of the maidens who performed the service found him. He says to the little mermaid she belongs there. Later, she is revealed to be the princess he was set to marry, and he believes she's the one who saved him.

"Oh, how eagerly did the youngest sister listen to all these descriptions! And afterwards, when she stood at the open window looking up through the dark-blue water, she thought of the great city, with all its bustle and noise, and even fancied she could hear the sound of the church bells down in the depths of the sea."

"Nothing gave her so much pleasure as to hear about the world above the sea."

"She grew more and more to like human beings and wished more and more to be able to wander about with those whose world seemed to be so much larger than her own"

"There was so much that she wished to know! but her sisters were unable to answer all her questions"

" I know that I shall love the world up there, and all the people who live in it."

" Up where they walk, up where they run

Up where they stay all day in the sun

Wanderin' free, wish I could be

Part of that world

[...]

What would I give if I could live out of these waters?

What would I pay to spend a day warm on the sand?

[...]

When's it my turn?

Wouldn't I love, love to explore that shore up above?

Out of the sea

Wish I could be

Part of that world"

The Little Mermaid wants nothing more than to get out of the sea and go to the surface, she feels trapped under the water, longing for the world above. Gwyn spent her entire life in the temple before coming to the house of wind, she's tired of living in the library, but her trauma and fear stop her from ever leaving. The only time she actually leaves is to comfort Nesta, and even after the rite, she goes back to the library.

Locked beneath the earth/ Down in the depths of the sea.

When Gwyn sings, her hair and her skin glow, radiating beckoning light. Ariel's voice in the movie is literally represented by a glowing ball of light, who glows behind the pingent in Ursula's necklace. A golden gleam surrounds Ariel when she sings to Eric, and the water glows when she comes out of the sea as a human for the first time. When her father turns her back into a human, both the waters around her and her dress glow.

"She peeped out from among the green rushes, and if the wind caught her long silvery-white veil, those who saw it believed it to be a swan, spreading out its wings."

"[...] They all wore the same pale robes and so many kept the hoods over their faces"

"[...] he said, leaning back in the chair, surrounded by the sounds of rustling parchment and the robes of the priestesses like fluttering wings."

"Nesta bent down, picked up the fallen half of the ribbon, and solemnly tied it around Gwyn’s brow. A makeshift version of what the priestesses wore atop their heads with their stones."

The Little Mermaid in Andersen's original tale wears a silvery-white veil, and the people who saw it get caught up by the wind, confused it with a swan spreading out its wings. The priestesses all wear pale robes with hoods, who are compared to fluttering wings. Gwyn wears the robes, and the white ribbon around her head that crowns her as a Valkyrie.

Ursula:[watching Flotsam and Jetsam knock the boat with Ariel and Eric in it about to kiss]  Nice work boys. That was a close one, too close! The little tramp!

Ursula: Don't fool with me you little brat!

Ursula: Yes, hurry home, princess. We wouldn't want to miss old Daddy's celebration, now, would we? [...] Bah! In my day, we had fantastical feasts. When I lived in the palace.

Merril isn't that similar to Ursula when it comes to looks, although she carries her characteristic white hair, but it's interesting to notice her eyes are the color of a twilight sky, which is the time before sunrise and after sunset. The little mermaid has to get to the surface before sunrise to turn into a human, and get the prince to fall in love with her before the sunset of the third day.

Ursula is described as a rude, obnoxious, arrogant, power hungry, and intelligent. She's feared by most merpeople and has a very bad reputation amongst them, making sebastian take a more dramatic tone by calling her "a demon". She belittles Ariel constantly, and views her as a silly little girl, calling her "tramp" and "brat", plus referring to her by her title of "princess". Merrill is unpleasant to all the priestesses, including Clotho, and for that all of them fear her. She's demanding, obsessed, brilliant, resentful and arrogant. She seems to be more demanding and rude to Gwyneth, insulting her by calling her "silly" and "stupid", besides referring to her simply as "nymph".

Ursula used to live in the palace and participate on the feasts, after she was expelled, she became secluded and moved to her own lair/grotto. Merrill lives in the library, having her own chambers, and takes part on the services. Both are awfully skilled in what they do, and tend to have temper tantrums.

“Ursula: Flotsam! Jetsam! I want you to keep an extra close watch on this pretty little daughter of his. She may be the key to Triton's undoing...”

"The little mermaid: I will go to the sea witch, of whom I have always been so much afraid; she can give me counsel and help.

"I admit that in the past I've been nasty

They weren't kidding when they called me, well a witch

[...]

And I fortunately know a little magic

It's a talent that I always have possessed

[...]

Yes I've had the odd complaint

But on the whole I've been a saint

To those poor unfortunate souls

[...]

Beluga sevruga

Come winds of the Caspian Sea

Larengix glaucitis

Et max laryngitis

La voce to me"

" The sea witch: I know what you want, it is very stupid of you, but you shall have your way, though it will bring you to sorrow, my pretty princess."

"The Little Mermaid: Where am I? her voice sounded ethereal, like the voices of those who were with her. No earthly music could imitate it.

Daughter of the air: Among the daughters of the air"

Ursula is not only called a witch because of her abilities, but as herself says: for being a nasty. Nesta calls Merrill a witch right after she talks about her origins and her powers, making a statement about her behaviour. Ursula compares herlsef to saint, and Merrill is a priestess.

Merrill's name is from celtic origin, and means sparkling/bright sea, also carrying the meanings of joyful and happy (Gwyneth too is a celtic/welsh name, and it can mean both bright and joyful). It's originated from the names meriel, muriel or merle. Meriel also means bright sea, together with sea nymph. So not only is Merrill called a witch, but her name literally means sea, and it relates to nymph.

A sea witch can be presented by magical or fairy creature such as a mermaid or selmie, or as an ordinary human who uses magic to influence the sea. But their powers don't stop at that, since they also can have control over the winds and weather. A common feature of many tales was a rope tied into three knots, which witches often sold to sailors to aid them on a voyage. Pulling the first knot could yield a gentle, southeasterly wind while pulling two could generate a strong northerly wind, but the third knot would unleash a hurricane. 

Merrill is strongly associated to wind. She says she descent from Rabath, Lord of the western wind. She also says the winds whisper in her ear what is going on it the world, and she seems to be able to control it. Ursula has Jetsam and Flotsam, that travel the sea as her informants, who she later uses to spy on Ariel, and calls the power of the winds of the caspian sea in order to take her voice, later she gets Triton's trident which gives her total control of the ocean, plus control of the winds and the weather, being able to cause storms. The sea witch from Andersen knows what The Little Mermaid desires before she asks her. In his version, when Ariel dies she's received by and becomes one of the daughters of the air (that was even the original title of the story), while wind is nothing but the moving air.

Ariel and Andersen's little mermaid show ambiguous emotions towards Ursula/The sea witch, they are terrified of them, but can't help but feel admiration towards their powers and knowledge, ending up searching for them in order to achieve their goals. We can apply that to Gwyneth's feelings about Merrill, since she is deeply afraid of her and believes she's terrible, but at the same time shows admiration for her abilities, affirms she's brilliant and is excited to work on her research.

Merrill doesn't have to be a big villain in order to fit the sea witch's role, since in the original story she was more like a neutral enabler. She could also be associated to Koschei, which brings us to the next comparison.

Grandmother: We have not immortal souls, we shall never live again; [...] Human beings, on the contrary, have souls which live forever, even after the body has been turned to dust. They rise up through the clear, pure air, beyond the glittering stars. As we rise out of the water and behold all the land of the earth, so do they rise to unknown."

The Little Mermaid: why have not we immortal souls? I would gladly give all the hundreds of years that I have to live, to be a human being only for one day and to have the hope of knowing the happiness of that glorious world above the stars.

Grandmother: You must not think that. We believe that we are much happier and much better off than human beings.

The Little Mermaid: So I shall die, and as the foam of the sea I shall be driven about, never again to hear the music of the waves or to see the pretty flowers or the red sun? Is there anything I can do to win an immortal soul?

Grandmother: No, unless a man should love you so much that you were more to him than his father or his mother, and if all his thoughts and all his love were fixed upon you."

"Then the little mermaid went out from her garden and took the road to the foaming whirlpools, behind which the sorceress lived"

"Ursula: King Triton's headstrong, love-sick girl would make a charming addition to my little garden"

"The sea witch: But think again, you will never return through the water to your sisters or to your father's palace again. And if you do not win the love of the prince [...] then you will never have an immortal soul. The first morning after he marries another, your heart will break and you will become foam on the crest of the waves."

"Poor unfortunate souls

In pain, in need

This one longing to be thinner

That one wants to get the girl

And do I help them?

Yes, indeed

Those poor unfortunate souls

So sad, so true

They come flocking to my cauldron

Crying, "Spells, Ursula, please!"

And I help them!

Yes I do

Now it's happened once or twice

Someone couldn't pay the price

And I'm afraid I had to rake 'em 'cross the coals

[...]

have we got a deal?"

"Ursula: Oh, and there is one more thing. We haven't discussed the subject of payment.

Ariel: But I don't have-

Ursula: I'm not asking much, just a token really, a trifle! What I want from you is... your voice."

"The sea witch: But I must be paid also, and it is not a trifle that I ask. You have the sweetest voice of any who dwell here in the depths of the sea, and you believe that you will be able to charm the prince with it. But this voice you must give to me. The best thing you possess will I have as the price of my costly draft"

"In the midst of this spot stood a house, built of the bones of shipwrecked human beings. There sat the sea witch, allowing a toad to eat from her mouth just as people sometimes feed a canary with pieces of sugar."

"Ursula: I always was a girl with an eye for a bargain"

"The Little Mermaid sisters: We have given our hair to the witch, to obtain help for you, that you may not die to-night. She has given us a knife; see, it is very sharp. Before the sun rises you must plunge it into the heart of the prince. When the warm blood falls upon your feet they will grow together again into a fish's tail, and you will once more be a mermaid and can return to us to live out your three hundred years before you are changed into the salt sea foam."

Koschei and Ursula/The sea witch have very easy parallels to set. Ursula/The sea witch is a sorceress and a bargainer who makes deals with merpeople, and uses her magic to give them what they desire, but orders them to pay a heavy price. Koschei (besides also having the white hair) is too a sorcerer and a bargainer, he makes deals with fae and humans, and usually asks something in exchange for his magic.

They are heavily connected with souls, black magic and death: The sea witch is mentioned to live in a house made out of human bones (Ursula lives in the skeleton of a huge leviathan). She makes a deal with Ariel, and claims that she will turn into a human and have a soul if she gets the prince to fall in love with her, if she fails she'll turn into foam of the sea. So, basically, the cost of her failure is death. Later, the mermaid's sisters appear and say they traded their hair for a knife with the sea witch, if she kills the prince with it, she'll be able to go back to the sea. The price for her life is his own.

They changed this in the disney version, by making Ursula a collector of souls. Every person who fails in doing what she orders, ends up with their soul being abducted by her and placed or her "garden". Ursula makes a deal with Ariel, and says if Eric doesn't fall in love with her, she will be hers, meaning her soul will belong to her.

Koschei is a god of death, and he thrives in it. He takes souls, kidnaps maidens and traps them in rivers. Is mentioned that he might have made a deal with father archeron in exchange for his soul. Lastly, he has powers over the wind and communicates through it.

Both have the ability of shape-shifting. The sea witch and Ursula transform Ariel into a human, later turning herself into human too and transforming King Triton into a polyp. Koschei casted a spell on Vassa, turning her into a fire bird by day.

We can add that to the fact that Koschei is literally trapped in a lake, and in the legends his soul is hidden in an island in the middle of the ocean.

5) References

Sarah already stated in a interview that she would like to adapt the wild swans, and mix it with a Little Mermaid retelling, since they have a similar story and were originally written by the same author. She also said she wanted to do the firebirds legends, which she's doing now with Vassa.

She has a board on pinterest called "story kernels" in which she saved a lot of little mermaid pins, in this same board she also saved pictures of harps and masks that we know relate to Nesta's story. There's an illustration that is basically identical to how Gwyn is described there too. The board is from 2 years ago, so is safe to say she was already imagining her character:

She saved a bunch of mermaid pictures in the acotar board especifically (the closest thing to mermaids are water nymphs, and the only character who has an arc and is a nymph is Gwyn). I picked the ones who are actually from the little mermaid and the wild swans or related to them to show here:

The first is an illustration of Undine by Arthur Rackman, the story in which The Little Mermaid was based on. The second is also by him, but from "the seven ravens" which is a version of the wild swans.

(Again Merril's name has more than one meaning, it can mean "blackbird" or simply "bird", since it's derived from the name Merle. So we have her name directly associated with the two main items on H.C. Andersen tales: the sea and birds. Gwyn's name means white, and the color is present in many elements of the various versions of The wild swans, being that in Andersen's story the protagonist is saved by a white glowing flower and mentions that the image of the swans flying looked like a long white ribbon.)

The third is an drawing of the daughters of air finding the little mermaid by miss-etoile on devianart. The fourth a illustration from The little mermaid book by Dorothy P. Lathrop.

The fifth and the sixth are drawings representing Elisa, the main character from the wild swans. One is from catlait on devianart, showing Elisa with one of the shirts she has to knit, and one is from LiigaKlavina, from the moment Elisa goes to the churchyard.

Finally, there is this illustration from a book based on the wild swans by John Jude Alencar:

I don't know if Gwyn will get a book or a pov, but Sarah didn't try to hide the references to her and the little mermaid in acosf. Her looks, her voice and her heritage are already enough for anyone to make that association. If you read the book and compare it to the H.C Anderen's story and the disney movie, you will easily connect it to Gwyn/Merrill/Koschei, and it's not like sjm doesn't expect people to do any research after noticing the resemblance. Her pinterest board is also pretty much open for everyone to see.

So, this is going to be a looooooong ride, I will start by saying I won't make a reference to any ships here, because I believe this theory works no matter who Gwyn ends up with. So if you are coming here to reinforce ship wars, that's not your cup of tea. That being said, let's start:

1) Appereance

Gwyn's looks are obviously similar to the disney's version of the little mermaid. She has coppery chestnut hair, fair skin, eyes who sometimes described as deep blue like the sea and others times as teal, a blue-green color. Ariel, however, has red hair, fair skin and deep blue-aqua eyes that take a blue-green tone depending on the environment. Her tail carries a shade of sea-green especifically created to her character. Both of them are tall, and said to have large eyes.

"Her hood was thrown back, and faelight danced in the rich coppery chestnut of her pin-straight hair. Her large teal eyes were as clear and depthless as the stone usually atop a priestess’s hood, and a scattering of freckles lay across her nose and cheeks, as if someone had tossed them with a careless hand."

"Gwyn gestured to her large eyes—blue so clear it could have been the shallow sea"

"Gwyn, however, stilled, those large teal eyes looking even more unearthly as they widened."

"Nesta had no glimpse of coppery-brown hair and large teal eyes."

"She didn’t realize she was holding back as Gwyn’s coppery-brown hair appeared. In the sunlight, the color of her hair was extraordinary, strands of gold glinting, and her teal eyes were a near-perfect match to the stones the other priestesses wore"

"The priestess drew up to her full height, which was slightly taller than average for Fae females."

Hans Andersen describes the little mermaid as being the most beautiful of all of her sisters, together with having expressive eyes and graceful movements. Gwyn is said to have a beauty that could rival Mor and Merrill, and to be good with balance and movement.

"Your beautiful form, your graceful walk, and your expressive eyes. Surely with these you can enchain a man's heart. Well, have you lost your courage?"

"Gwyn nimbly rolled to her feet, grinning so broadly that Nesta was momentarily taken aback by it. The priestess had been pretty in the library, but with that joy, that confidence as she aimed for the three priestesses, she had emerged into a beauty to rival Merrill or Mor"

"She bore it willingly, however, and moved at the prince's side as lightly as a bubble, so that he and all who saw her wondered at her graceful, swaying movements"

"Perhaps that was why Gwyn was so good at the balancing and movement."

"At each moment the little mermaid's beauty was more revealed, and her expressive eyes appealed more directly"

"The little mermaid lifted her glorified eyes toward the sun"

"Emotion stirred in those remarkable eyes. (Nesta talking about Gwyn)"

"You will still have the same floating gracefulness of movement, and no dancer will ever tread so lightly."

"Even with the robes, it was clear that Gwyn was built lithe and lean, accustomed to the casual grace of the Fae that Nesta was only learning"

"As graceful as Gwyn had been, Emerie proved to be equally awkward and unbalanced."

2) Personality

The little mermaid is a headstrong, brave, spirited, bright young girl who has a strong love for adventure and mystery. She's loving, compassionate, intuitive, and even obsessive when it comes to her interest for the human world. Gwyneth on the other hand, is written as brave, kind, intelligent and bright, also having a compassionate and intuitive side. She enjoys adventure, and is very competitive. Her sense of determination is so strong it impresses the people around her.

" The little mermaid: I will venture all for him and to win an immortal soul. While my sisters are dancing in my father's palace I will go to the sea witch, of whom I have always been so much afraid; she can give me counsel and help."

"Gwyn stroked Nesta’s head : Some things are more important than fear."

"You and that ribbon, Nesta muttered, shutting the tome. Of all of them, Gwyn had become the most relentless about succeeding."

"Ariel: I don't know when, I don't know how, but I know something's starting right now. Watch and you'll see someday I'll be part of your world."

"Gwyn lifted her chin in challenge: We look forward to proving you wrong."

"Finding objects to help our court protect the world is rather exciting. About as exciting as I’m willing to get these days, but it shall be an adventure."

"The priestess’s eyes glittered with amusement, as if aware of Nesta’s plan"

"The little mermaid smiled and shook her head. She knew the prince's thoughts better than any of the others."

"It has something to do with the Trove, Gwyn said, those teal eyes noticing too much."

"No, Gwyn said, apparently reading the thought on her face."

"Triton: Do you think I want to see my youngest daughter snatched by some fish-eater's hook?

Ariel: I'm sixteen. I'm not a child anymore."

"Gwyn’s mouth flattened to a line: I don’t need to be coddled. Only spoken to like a person. "

"If you will bear all this I will help you, said the witch.

Yes, I will, said the little princess in a trembling voice, as she thought of the prince and the immortal soul."

"Gwyn bared her teeth: I refuse to leave you here. [...] I’ll face it with you."

3) Mythology

Mermaids and water nymphs are tied closely together, the terms being often used to reference each other. The main difference between them is that mermaids have tails, while water nymphs have human forms. Using a water nymph as a representation of a mermaid would be a good way to tie the stories to the courts.

Although Gwyn is a river-nymph, many elements surrounding her character are compared to the sea:

"Gwyn’s eyes shone, like the sunlight on a warm sea"

"And when Gwyn reached the finish line, bloody and panting and grinning so wildly her teal eyes glowed like a sunlit sea"

"We were fraternal twins. Her hair was dark as onyx, her skin pale as the moon. And she was as moody as the sea"

"Gwyn reached into the pocket of her pale robe and pulled out the blue stone of the priestesses. It fluttered with light, like the sun on a shallow sea."

"Tell yourself, I am the rock against which the surf crashes. Your thoughts are the surf. Let them crash over you."

"Gwyn whispered, I am the rock against which the surf crashes. Nesta straightened at the words, as if they were a prayer and a summons. Gwyn lifted the blade. Nothing can break me."

There is also the fact that The Little Mermaid story and character was heavily inspired by "Undine", a novella by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, and Undine was a water spirit/water nymph. So, the little mermaid was actually based on a nymph. (it's interesting to point out there was presence of an incident with golden necklace in Undine, given by her love interest to Beraltha, a girl he had a relationship with, that caused Undine to go back to the water).

Even if you don't find the resemblance in their appeareances and mythology enough, there are still similarites between Gwyn's story and the little mermaid one, both in the disney version and the original tale:

4) Story

"They were beautiful children, but the youngest was the prettiest of them all. Her skin was as clear and delicate as a rose leaf, and her eyes as blue as the deepest sea; but, like all the others, she had no feet and her body ended in a fish's tail. All day long they played in the great halls of the castle or among the living flowers that grew out of the walls."

"None of them longed so much for her turn to come as the youngest—she who had the longest time to wait and who was so quiet and thoughtful"

"Nesta had learned that Gwyn was twenty-eight—indeed, just a girl to him."

"She was young—almost coltish, with her slender, elegant limbs (Nesta about Gwyn)"

“Honestly, while I consider many of the females here to be my sisters, there are a few who are not what I would consider nice.”

“So I hate, I hate to even speak ill of any one of my sisters here, but..."

The little mermaid is the youngest between her sisters, and that plays a part in her being the last allowed to visit the surface. The own title "little mermaid" is used as a reference to her being young. Gwyneth is 28, one of the youngest priestesses, who she considers as sisters, living in the house of wind.

"Out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower and as clear as crystal, it is very, very deep; so deep, indeed, that no cable could sound it, and many church steeples, piled one upon another, would not reach from the ground beneath to the surface of the water above. There dwell the Sea King and his subjects."

"In the deepest spot of all stands the castle of the Sea King."

The sea king's home (atlantis in the disney movie) is in the depths of the sea, so deep that no cable could sound it, and extremely far from the surface. The house of wind is in Velaris mountains, the only way to get there is either flying or going through 10 000 steps, and nobody can winnow there without permission. A subtle little reference is that the library is located under the earth, while the little mermaid lived under the sea.

"Yet often, in the evening hours, the five sisters would twine their arms about each other and rise to the surface together. Their voices were more charming than that of any human being, and before the approach of a storm, when they feared that a ship might be lost, they swam before the vessel, singing enchanting songs of the delights to be found in the depths of the sea"

"The music took form behind Nesta’s eyes as the priestesses sang lyrics in languages so old, no one voiced them anymore. She saw what the song spoke of: mossy earth and golden sun, clear rivers and the deep shadows of an ancient forest"

The mermaids go to the surface in the evening (period between the end of the afternoon and night), and sing enchanting songs about the delights found in the depths of the sea, their voices sounding more charming than any human being. This is represented in the disney version by them having celebrations, and making presentations where they sing for their father and the rest of the merfolk. The priestesses, however, make dusk (period after the sun comes down before night) services, where they sing ancient songs about nature, and talk about the mother and the cauldron. Nesta describes their singing like a dream given form.

A cool detail is that in Andersen's tale there are 6 sisters, but in the disney movie there are seven including Ariel. Nesta mentions there were seven priestesses singing, counting Gwyn.

"Each of the young princesses had a little plot of ground in the garden, where she might dig and plant as she pleased. One arranged her flower bed in the form of a whale; another preferred to make hers like the figure of a little mermaid; while youngest child made hers round, like the sun, and in it grew flowers as red as his rays at sunset."

"She gave up tending her flowers, and they grew in wild confusion over the paths, twining their long leaves and stems round the branches of the trees so that the whole place became dark and gloomy."

"Nesta gazed at the sea of pale robes and blue stones as the entire room seemed to suck in a breath"

Each of the princesses have a little plot in the garden reserved just for them, while each of the priestesses has a blue stone. The little mermaid stops attending to her garden when she becomes too sad over the prince, and Gwyn doesn't use her stone because she doesn't believe she is deserving of it.

"Through the halls flowed a broad stream, and in it danced the mermen and the mermaids to the music of their own sweet singing. No one on earth has such lovely voices as they, but the little mermaid sang more sweetly than all. The whole court applauded her with hands and tails, and for a moment her heart felt quite gay, for she knew she had the sweetest voice either on earth or in the sea."

"The sea witch: You have the sweetest voice of any who dwell here in the depths of the sea."

"Triton: Especially my little Ariel

Sebastian: Yes, she has the most beautiful voice. "

"Eric: She had... the most beautiful voice"

One of the most important things about The Little mermaid/Ariel is her voice. She sings more sweetly than any of the other mermaids, and her voice is what Ursula demands as a payment and makes Eric long to find her. Gwyn has a voice who rises above all the other priestesses voices, and attracts people to her. It's described as sweet, lovely, powerful, pure and unlike any voice Nesta has ever heard.

"We were raised in the temple as well. I never left its grounds until … until I came here."

"The prince: I was in a ship that was wrecked, and the waves cast me ashore near a holy temple where several young maidens performed the service. The youngest of them found me on the shore and saved my life [...] She belongs to the holy temple, and good fortune has sent you to me in her stead. We will never part."

Gwyn and her sister were raised in a temple and Gwyn never left it's grounds until she was saved from Hybern's attack there. The prince was saved by the little mermaid and left in the shore near a holy temple before one of the maidens who performed the service found him. He says to the little mermaid she belongs there. Later, she is revealed to be the princess he was set to marry, and he believes she's the one who saved him.

"Oh, how eagerly did the youngest sister listen to all these descriptions! And afterwards, when she stood at the open window looking up through the dark-blue water, she thought of the great city, with all its bustle and noise, and even fancied she could hear the sound of the church bells down in the depths of the sea."

"Nothing gave her so much pleasure as to hear about the world above the sea."

"She grew more and more to like human beings and wished more and more to be able to wander about with those whose world seemed to be so much larger than her own"

"There was so much that she wished to know! but her sisters were unable to answer all her questions"

" I know that I shall love the world up there, and all the people who live in it."

" Up where they walk, up where they run

Up where they stay all day in the sun

Wanderin' free, wish I could be

Part of that world

[...]

What would I give if I could live out of these waters?

What would I pay to spend a day warm on the sand?

[...]

When's it my turn?

Wouldn't I love, love to explore that shore up above?

Out of the sea

Wish I could be

Part of that world"

The Little Mermaid wants nothing more than to get out of the sea and go to the surface, she feels trapped under the water, longing for the world above. Gwyn spent her entire life in the temple before coming to the house of wind, she's tired of living in the library, but her trauma and fear stop her from ever leaving. The only time she actually leaves is to comfort Nesta, and even after the rite, she goes back to the library.

Locked beneath the earth/ Down in the depths of the sea.

When Gwyn sings, her hair and her skin glow, radiating beckoning light. Ariel's voice in the movie is literally represented by a glowing ball of light, who glows behind the pingent in Ursula's necklace. A golden gleam surrounds Ariel when she sings to Eric, and the water glows when she comes out of the sea as a human for the first time. When her father turns her back into a human, both the waters around her and her dress glow.

"She peeped out from among the green rushes, and if the wind caught her long silvery-white veil, those who saw it believed it to be a swan, spreading out its wings."

"[...] They all wore the same pale robes and so many kept the hoods over their faces"

"[...] he said, leaning back in the chair, surrounded by the sounds of rustling parchment and the robes of the priestesses like fluttering wings."

"Nesta bent down, picked up the fallen half of the ribbon, and solemnly tied it around Gwyn’s brow. A makeshift version of what the priestesses wore atop their heads with their stones."

The Little Mermaid in Andersen's original tale wears a silvery-white veil, and the people who saw it get caught up by the wind, confused it with a swan spreading out its wings. The priestesses all wear pale robes with hoods, who are compared to fluttering wings. Gwyn wears the robes, and the white ribbon around her head that crowns her as a Valkyrie.

Ursula:[watching Flotsam and Jetsam knock the boat with Ariel and Eric in it about to kiss]  Nice work boys. That was a close one, too close! The little tramp!

Ursula: Don't fool with me you little brat!

Ursula: Yes, hurry home, princess. We wouldn't want to miss old Daddy's celebration, now, would we? [...] Bah! In my day, we had fantastical feasts. When I lived in the palace.

Merril isn't that similar to Ursula when it comes to looks, although she carries her characteristic white hair, but it's interesting to notice her eyes are the color of a twilight sky, which is the time before sunrise and after sunset. The little mermaid has to get to the surface before sunrise to turn into a human, and get the prince to fall in love with her before the sunset of the third day.

Ursula is described as a rude, obnoxious, arrogant, power hungry, and intelligent. She's feared by most merpeople and has a very bad reputation amongst them, making sebastian take a more dramatic tone by calling her "a demon". She belittles Ariel constantly, and views her as a silly little girl, calling her "tramp" and "brat", plus referring to her by her title of "princess". Merrill is unpleasant to all the priestesses, including Clotho, and for that all of them fear her. She's demanding, obsessed, brilliant, resentful and arrogant. She seems to be more demanding and rude to Gwyneth, insulting her by calling her "silly" and "stupid", besides referring to her simply as "nymph".

Ursula used to live in the palace and participate on the feasts, after she was expelled, she became secluded and moved to her own lair/grotto. Merrill lives in the library, having her own chambers, and takes part on the services. Both are awfully skilled in what they do, and tend to have temper tantrums.

“Ursula: Flotsam! Jetsam! I want you to keep an extra close watch on this pretty little daughter of his. She may be the key to Triton's undoing...”

"The little mermaid: I will go to the sea witch, of whom I have always been so much afraid; she can give me counsel and help.

"I admit that in the past I've been nasty

They weren't kidding when they called me, well a witch

[...]

And I fortunately know a little magic

It's a talent that I always have possessed

[...]

Yes I've had the odd complaint

But on the whole I've been a saint

To those poor unfortunate souls

[...]

Beluga sevruga

Come winds of the Caspian Sea

Larengix glaucitis

Et max laryngitis

La voce to me"

" The sea witch: I know what you want, it is very stupid of you, but you shall have your way, though it will bring you to sorrow, my pretty princess."

"The Little Mermaid: Where am I? her voice sounded ethereal, like the voices of those who were with her. No earthly music could imitate it.

Daughter of the air: Among the daughters of the air"

Ursula is not only called a witch because of her abilities, but as herself says: for being a nasty. Nesta calls Merrill a witch right after she talks about her origins and her powers, making a statement about her behaviour. Ursula compares herlsef to saint, and Merrill is a priestess.

Merrill's name is from celtic origin, and means sparkling/bright sea, also carrying the meanings of joyful and happy (Gwyneth too is a celtic/welsh name, and it can mean both bright and joyful). It's originated from the names meriel, muriel or merle. Meriel also means bright sea, together with sea nymph. So not only is Merrill called a witch, but her name literally means sea, and it relates to nymph.

A sea witch can be presented by magical or fairy creature such as a mermaid or selmie, or as an ordinary human who uses magic to influence the sea. But their powers don't stop at that, since they also can have control over the winds and weather. A common feature of many tales was a rope tied into three knots, which witches often sold to sailors to aid them on a voyage. Pulling the first knot could yield a gentle, southeasterly wind while pulling two could generate a strong northerly wind, but the third knot would unleash a hurricane. 

Merrill is strongly associated to wind. She says she descent from Rabath, Lord of the western wind. She also says the winds whisper in her ear what is going on it the world, and she seems to be able to control it. Ursula has Jetsam and Flotsam, that travel the sea as her informants, who she later uses to spy on Ariel, and calls the power of the winds of the caspian sea in order to take her voice, later she gets Triton's trident which gives her total control of the ocean, plus control of the winds and the weather, being able to cause storms. The sea witch from Andersen knows what The Little Mermaid desires before she asks her. In his version, when Ariel dies she's received by and becomes one of the daughters of the air (that was even the original title of the story), while wind is nothing but the moving air.

Ariel and Andersen's little mermaid show ambiguous emotions towards Ursula/The sea witch, they are terrified of them, but can't help but feel admiration towards their powers and knowledge, ending up searching for them in order to achieve their goals. We can apply that to Gwyneth's feelings about Merrill, since she is deeply afraid of her and believes she's terrible, but at the same time shows admiration for her abilities, affirms she's brilliant and is excited to work on her research.

Merrill doesn't have to be a big villain in order to fit the sea witch's role, since in the original story she was more like a neutral enabler. She could also be associated to Koschei, which brings us to the next comparison.

Grandmother: We have not immortal souls, we shall never live again; [...] Human beings, on the contrary, have souls which live forever, even after the body has been turned to dust. They rise up through the clear, pure air, beyond the glittering stars. As we rise out of the water and behold all the land of the earth, so do they rise to unknown."

The Little Mermaid: why have not we immortal souls? I would gladly give all the hundreds of years that I have to live, to be a human being only for one day and to have the hope of knowing the happiness of that glorious world above the stars.

Grandmother: You must not think that. We believe that we are much happier and much better off than human beings.

The Little Mermaid: So I shall die, and as the foam of the sea I shall be driven about, never again to hear the music of the waves or to see the pretty flowers or the red sun? Is there anything I can do to win an immortal soul?

Grandmother: No, unless a man should love you so much that you were more to him than his father or his mother, and if all his thoughts and all his love were fixed upon you."

"Then the little mermaid went out from her garden and took the road to the foaming whirlpools, behind which the sorceress lived"

"Ursula: King Triton's headstrong, love-sick girl would make a charming addition to my little garden"

"The sea witch: But think again, you will never return through the water to your sisters or to your father's palace again. And if you do not win the love of the prince [...] then you will never have an immortal soul. The first morning after he marries another, your heart will break and you will become foam on the crest of the waves."

"Poor unfortunate souls

In pain, in need

This one longing to be thinner

That one wants to get the girl

And do I help them?

Yes, indeed

Those poor unfortunate souls

So sad, so true

They come flocking to my cauldron

Crying, "Spells, Ursula, please!"

And I help them!

Yes I do

Now it's happened once or twice

Someone couldn't pay the price

And I'm afraid I had to rake 'em 'cross the coals

[...]

have we got a deal?"

"Ursula: Oh, and there is one more thing. We haven't discussed the subject of payment.

Ariel: But I don't have-

Ursula: I'm not asking much, just a token really, a trifle! What I want from you is... your voice."

"The sea witch: But I must be paid also, and it is not a trifle that I ask. You have the sweetest voice of any who dwell here in the depths of the sea, and you believe that you will be able to charm the prince with it. But this voice you must give to me. The best thing you possess will I have as the price of my costly draft"

"In the midst of this spot stood a house, built of the bones of shipwrecked human beings. There sat the sea witch, allowing a toad to eat from her mouth just as people sometimes feed a canary with pieces of sugar."

"Ursula: I always was a girl with an eye for a bargain"

"The Little Mermaid sisters: We have given our hair to the witch, to obtain help for you, that you may not die to-night. She has given us a knife; see, it is very sharp. Before the sun rises you must plunge it into the heart of the prince. When the warm blood falls upon your feet they will grow together again into a fish's tail, and you will once more be a mermaid and can return to us to live out your three hundred years before you are changed into the salt sea foam."

Koschei and Ursula/The sea witch have very easy parallels to set. Ursula/The sea witch is a sorceress and a bargainer who makes deals with merpeople, and uses her magic to give them what they desire, but orders them to pay a heavy price. Koschei (besides also having the white hair) is too a sorcerer and a bargainer, he makes deals with fae and humans, and usually asks something in exchange for his magic.

They are heavily connected with souls, black magic and death: The sea witch is mentioned to live in a house made out of human bones (Ursula lives in the skeleton of a huge leviathan). She makes a deal with Ariel, and claims that she will turn into a human and have a soul if she gets the prince to fall in love with her, if she fails she'll turn into foam of the sea. So, basically, the cost of her failure is death. Later, the mermaid's sisters appear and say they traded their hair for a knife with the sea witch, if she kills the prince with it, she'll be able to go back to the sea. The price for her life is his own.

They changed this in the disney version, by making Ursula a collector of souls. Every person who fails in doing what she orders, ends up with their soul being abducted by her and placed or her "garden". Ursula makes a deal with Ariel, and says if Eric doesn't fall in love with her, she will be hers, meaning her soul will belong to her.

Koschei is a god of death, and he thrives in it. He takes souls, kidnaps maidens and traps them in rivers. Is mentioned that he might have made a deal with father archeron in exchange for his soul. Lastly, he has powers over the wind and communicates through it.

Both have the ability of shape-shifting. The sea witch and Ursula transform Ariel into a human, later turning herself into human too and transforming King Triton into a polyp. Koschei casted a spell on Vassa, turning her into a fire bird by day.

We can add that to the fact that Koschei is literally trapped in a lake, and in the legends his soul is hidden in an island in the middle of the ocean.

5) References

Sarah already stated in a interview that she would like to adapt the wild swans, and mix it with a Little Mermaid retelling, since they have a similar story and were originally written by the same author. She also said she wanted to do the firebirds legends, which she's doing now with Vassa.

She has a board on pinterest called "story kernels" in which she saved a lot of little mermaid pins, in this same board she also saved pictures of harps and masks that we know relate to Nesta's story. There's an illustration that is basically identical to how Gwyn is described there too. The board is from 2 years ago, so is safe to say she was already imagining her character:

She saved a bunch of mermaid pictures in the acotar board especifically (the closest thing to mermaids are water nymphs, and the only character who has an arc and is a nymph is Gwyn). I picked the ones who are actually from the little mermaid and the wild swans or related to them to show here:

The first is an illustration of Undine by Arthur Rackman, the story in which The Little Mermaid was based on. The second is also by him, but from "the seven ravens" which is a version of the wild swans.

(Again Merril's name has more than one meaning, it can mean "blackbird" or simply "bird", since it's derived from the name Merle. So we have her name directly associated with the two main items on H.C. Andersen tales: the sea and birds. Gwyn's name means white, and the color is present in many elements of the various versions of The wild swans, being that in Andersen's story the protagonist is saved by a white glowing flower and mentions that the image of the swans flying looked like a long white ribbon.)

The third is an drawing of the daughters of air finding the little mermaid by miss-etoile on devianart. The fourth a illustration from The little mermaid book by Dorothy P. Lathrop.

The fifth and the sixth are drawings representing Elisa, the main character from the wild swans. One is from catlait on devianart, showing Elisa with one of the shirts she has to knit, and one is from LiigaKlavina, from the moment Elisa goes to the churchyard.

Finally, there is this illustration from a book based on the wild swans by John Jude Alencar:

I don't know if Gwyn will get a book or a pov, but Sarah didn't try to hide the references to her and the little mermaid in acosf. Her looks, her voice and her heritage are already enough for anyone to make that association. If you read the book and compare it to the H.C Anderen's story and the disney movie, you will easily connect it to Gwyn/Merrill/Koschei, and it's not like sjm doesn't expect people to do any research after noticing the resemblance. Her pinterest board is also pretty much open for everyone to see.

Azriel before that:

Scenario 2: Gwyn doesn’t get the necklace from Clotho.

Azriel before that: