Fairy Tale Facts: Rapunzel

I can’t believe I haven’t talked about Rapunzel yet! So here I go! It was first published by the Brothers Grimm in their 1812 collection, Children’s and Household Tales.

What It’s About

A young wife is pregnant. A window in her house overlooked a garden of a powerful enchantress. Day after day, she would sit at the window and look at the rampion plant and wish she had some to eat. Eventually she became sick. Her husband grew worried and asked what he could do to help. She demanded rampion, or else she would die. The husband reluctantly agreed to get her some. That night, he scaled the wall around the garden and took some of the rampion. He returned the next night to retrieve more, but was confronted by the enchantress. When the husband explains he stole for his pregnant wife, she agrees to give him as much rampion as he wants on one condition; he must give the enchantress the child after it is born. The man agrees and when the baby girl is born, the enchantress takes her away and names her Rapunzel. When Rapunzel was twelve, the enchantress shut her in a tower in the forest. There were no doors or stairs. The only way up was to climb Rapunzel’s long, golden hair. A young prince one day finds the tower and, overhearing the enchantress’s words, makes his way up Rapunzel’s hair. The two fall in love and devise a way to get Rapunzel out of the tower. Then she stupidly mentions to the enchantress that she’s much heavier than the prince when climbing her hair. The enchantress is furious and cuts off Rapunzel’s hair, banishing her too the desert alone. Meanwhile, the prince returns and climbs the hair thrown down to him. The enchantress angrily tells the prince that Rapunzel is gone and he will never see her again. He jumps from the tower to escape and somehow survives, but he lands on a thorny bush, which blinds him. So he wanders around the forest for a few years (the story says lamenting the loss of his wife, but it never says when they were married). Eventually he stumbles upon the desert where Rapunzel is living with, surprise!, twins; a boy and a girl. Rapunzel cries on the prince’s face and he can see again! Happily ever after, the end, etc.

Fun Fact #1

Different versions of the story have different phrases that Rapunzel responds to: “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down thy hair”, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair, That I may climb the golden stair”, or some other variation of that.

Fun Fact #2

Another name for the rampion plant is rapunzel. So the enchantress named the girl for the plant that got her parents into the mess in the first place. Kind of asking for trouble, don’t you think?

Fun Fact #3

The plan Rapunzel and the prince came up with to escape involved several skeins of silk; every time the prince visited, he brought one to Rapunzel, who wove them into a ladder. Why it has to be one at a time, I don’t know. Sadly, they never get to use the ladder.

Fun Fact #4

The enchantress’s name, or at least the name Rapunzel uses to refer to her, is Dame Gothel.

If You’re Interested….

Disney’s Tangled takes the story of Rapunzel and turns it into a fun-filled, musical adventure. There aren’t a whole lot of similarities to the original story, but it’s still a great tale.

Do you have any favorite adaptations of Rapunzel?

Until next time, word nerds!

Words About Introverts

Now, I don’t mean to discriminate against extroverts or ambiverts, it’s simply that I have more experience with introverts (namely, I am one), so today’s topic is debunking a few popular myths about introverts. I should also add that introverts do often display these characteristics. I only mean to say that you can’t assume things about a person because they have an introverted personality. The same goes for any sort of label, really. If any of you extroverts or ambiverts want to give me information about your personality type, I’d be happy to do a video about that!

Until next time, word nerds!

The Big Three: Perrault, Andersen, and the Brothers Grimm

I’ve spent a lot of time on this blog talking about fairy tales. In exploring the different stories, I’ve found what I consider to be the most famous authors of fairy tales; Charles Perrault, the Grimm Brothers, and Hans Christian Andersen. So today I’m going to dive a little more into their backgrounds.

Charles Perrault

From: France, late 17th century

History: Born to a wealthy family, Perrault studied law and had a career in the French government. He was involved in the development of art and literature during his lifetime.

Writings: Perrault spent much of his career publishing essays on art, literature, and even the development of opera. In 1686, he wrote an epic poem about the Christian saint, Paulinus of Nola. In 1695, at the age of 67, Perrault published a collection of fairy tales, Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals, subtitled Tales of Mother Goose. In 1699, he published a French translation of 100 Fables from the Latin poet, Gabriele Faerno.

Inspiration: Perrault drew mostly from the tales that were handed down orally for generations.

Most Famous For: Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, and Sleeping Beauty.

Legacy: Perrault is considered by many to be the founder of the modern fairy tale genre, even though it had existed previously.

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

From: Germany, early 19th century

History: The Grimm brothers were two in a family of eleven. While initially fairly well-off, their father’s early death forced them both to assume more responsibility. They were both hard-working and studious, graduating at the top of their respective classes from a prestigious school. They went on to study medieval German literature at the University of Marburg. Jacob was appointed the court librarian for the King of Westphalia and later, along with Wilhelm, became a librarian in Kassel.

Writings: In 1812, the brothers published Children’s and Household Tales, a collection of 86 fairy tales. They revised it and added to it over the years, until it contained over 200 stories. They also published two volumes of German legends and a volume of early literature history. The Grimm Brothers also published works on Danish and Irish folk tales and Norse mythology.

Inspiration: The brothers, like Perrault, drew from the traditional stories they had grown up hearing. They also included their versions of some Perrault tales, like Cinderella. They wanted their work to reflect the German culture, so most of the tales are specifically German, or at least the German version.

Most Famous For: Cinderella, The Frog Prince, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Rumplestiltskin, and Snow White. (Look up the actual German titles sometime; they’re kind of fun to try to say. For example Snow White=Schneewittchen.)

Legacy: The Brothers Grimm are the go to source of fairy tales. They popularized the genre and had a comprehensive collection of works that are still well-known today. The Disney empire was built on movies based on their work. While some scholars today debate how appropriate the grim (pun intended) and often violent tales are for children, we still tell them, though perhaps happier versions.

Hans Christian Anderson

From: Denmark, mid 19th century

History: Andersen was the only child of a poor family. He received a basic education and at 14, moved to Copenhagen to pursue a career in acting. Eventually he was encouraged to write.

Writings: Andersen did a lot of writing, so I’ll skip to the important bits. He published the first two installments of his now famous Fairy Tales in 1835, completing the first volume in 1837. They sold poorly, especially compared to the two novels he wrote around the same time, which were quite famous. In 1838, he wrote another collection of stories, Fairy Tales Told for Children. In 1845, Andersen finally began getting recognition for his fairy tales. He published three more collections and continued to writes fairy tales in installments until 1872.

Inspiration: Andersen first began his writing by using the stories he grew up hearing. As he grew more confident, he began writing original stories, drawing on the common themes  and motifs of fairy tales.

Most Famous For: The Little Mermaid, The Snow Queen, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and The Ugly Duckling.

Legacy: Andersen was one of the first authors to write original fairy tales, rather than transcribe them. He, along with writers like George MacDonald (who is fantastic!), set the standard for fairy tales, as well as what would become the fantasy genre.

So there you have it! A look at the most influential writers of fairy tales. It had to be a short look, so I encourage you to do some research on your own about these men. They had such interesting lives and careers. And fairy tales themselves have an incredible history! Comment below and let me know what fun facts you find about them!

Until next time, word nerds!

Fairy Tale Facts: The Princess and the Pea

In May of 1835, Hans Christian Anderson published a brochure of four original fairy tales. One of the stories was the now-popular The Princess and the Pea. Today we’ll take a look at some aspects of the story.

Peas

What It’s About

A young prince wishes to marry a princess and travels the world to find a bride. Though he finds many princesses, he is never satisfied with them. He is determined to find a “real” princess. Eventually he returns home, dejected. Not long after, a storm blows in. With it came a bedraggled young girl who insisted she was a real princess. The queen decides to test the girl’s claim. On the queen’s orders, a pea is placed under a stack of bedding. The next morning, they asked the girl how she slept. She replied that she slept badly because of a lumpy mattress. The royal family then knew that she was a true princess, because only a real princess could be so sensitive. The prince married her and happily ever after ensued.

Fun Fact #1

The number of mattresses varies from telling to telling; the version I have states that the pea was placed under twenty mattresses and then twenty down beds.

Fun Fact #2

Anderson treats this story as a true one; as an ending he states that the pea was put in a museum, where it can still be viewed.

If You’re Interested….

In 1959, Anderson’s tale was adapted into a stage musical, Once Upon a Mattress. It’s a hilarious piece that follows Prince Dauntless the Drab in his search for a wife. He becomes infatuated with Princess Winnifred “Fred” the Woebegone. Despite the queen’s meddling, and through a set of catchy songs, the two fall in love and fight for their happily ever after. In 2005, a film version was released. Check it out sometime!

Until next time, word nerds!

Four Resolutions for 2015

Happy 2015! It’s a little hard to believe, isn’t it?

With a new year comes a plethora of resolutions made. And as much as I hate to be cliche, I’ve decided to share some resolutions I’ve made with you, dear readers, so that you can hold me accountable.

First and foremost, I want to edit and polish the manuscript I finished in November. I’m rather proud of that story and think I should get it ready for pitching.

Secondly, I want to publish at least four short stories this year. I have one coming out in February, so that leaves three more!

Thirdly, I want to finish another book manuscript. It might be another NaNoWriMo project, or something I do in my spare time through the whole year, but I need to keep creating content.

Fourth, (I’m not convinced fourthly is a word, so I’m breaking that repetition), I want to commit to a more concrete schedule for this blog. So I will be posting on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Tuesdays will be Tuesday Tales and focus on fairy tales and related subjects. Saturdays…well, you’ll just have to wait until then to see. I’ve got a big surprise in store! (Though I might be willing to share that information to the first five people who like, share, or comment on this post on my Facebook page).

What are some of your goals for the coming year?

Fairy Tale Facts: Rumplestiltskin

Rumplestiltskin is a fairy tale that I often forget about for chunks of time. Then I’ll stumble across some re-imagining of it that reminds me how great the story is. It was written by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812.

What It’s About

A poor miller, trying to gain some respect, boasts that his beautiful daughter can spin straw into gold. The King hears of this and decides that he wants to see such an incredible feat for himself. The girl is brought to the palace and shut in a room full of straw with a spinning wheel. The girl, who most certainly can’t spin straw into gold, is at a loss, until a little man comes in and offers to do the task for her. He asks for her necklace as payment. The King, pleased with his newly acquired wealth, puts her in a larger room the next night and tells her, again under threat of death, to spin the straw into gold. The little man comes and, for the girl’s ring, spins through the night. The King was once again delighted by the room full of gold. He took the girl to a third room and promised that if she could spin the straw into gold, not only would she live but she would be his queen. The little man came to aid her, but she had nothing else to offer. The man made her promise to give him her firstborn child as payment, should she become queen. The girl agreed, not thinking he would really hold her to the deal. A year later, the girl was indeed queen and with child. After she gave birth, the man appeared to claim the child. She was heartbroken and the man, feeling sympathy for her, offered her an alternative; if she could guess his name in three days, he would leave her, with her child, in peace. The first two days the queen failed to guess his name. On the third day, with the information a messenger gave her, the queen correctly guessed his name as Rumplestiltskin. The queen got to keep her child and Rumplestiltskin disappeared.

Fun Fact #1

The messenger who discovered the little man’s name was traveling through the forest, where he overheard the man singing a song about how clever he was and how the queen would never guess that his name was Rumplestiltskin. Serves him right for being overconfident.

Fun Fact #2

Grimms’ version has Rumplestiltskin throwing a tantrum at the end. He stomps his right foot so hard it gets stuck in the ground. He then pulls his left leg so hard he tears himself in half. Other tellings have him riding off in a ladle or falls into a hole in the ground.

Fun Fact #3

Another Grimm tale, The Three Spinners, is similar to this one. In it, three old women help a young girl spin for a queen. They don’t ask for future payment as children, though.

If You’re Interested….

The main reason I chose this fairy tale is I just finished reading Rumplestiltskin by K.M. Shea. It’s the fourth in her fairy tale series, though all four can be read as stand alone novels. I find them entertaining and each book gives a classic tale a new twist. I’m also a huge fan of how the TV series Once Upon A Time portrays Rumplestiltskin, or Mr. Gold, as he is known in Storybrook.

What are some of your favorite characterizations of the man who can spin straw into gold?

Fairy Tale Facts: Little Red Riding Hood

I’m breaking away from the winter theme for a week (because it’s surprisingly hard to find them) to examine Little Red Riding Hood. This week the movie Into the Woods comes out (and I am beyond excited to see it!) and part of the story follows Little Red as she attempts to navigate the woods to her grandmother’s house. Little Red Riding Hood was a story told for years before being published. Charles Perrault wrote the earliest version in 1697. The Grimm Brothers’ version was published in 1812. The Grimms actually based the story off of two separate versions and split the tale into two parts; the original and the sequel. The first part is nearly identical to Perrault’s, so they probably drew inspiration from it.

Perrault’s Version

Perrault’s tale features a young lady travelling to her grandmother’s house. A scheming wolf tricks her into telling him where the grandmother’s home is and he heads there, avoiding the woodcutters in the forest. He eats the grandmother and when Little Red arrives, he tricks her into climbing into the bed where he’s hiding and he eats her as well. That’s it. No happy ending. It’s rather depressing. It was published in a book called Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals. So the moral of Little Red? Don’t talk to strangers. At least, not wolves.

Grimm’s Version

The only change the Grimm Brothers made to the first part of the Red Riding Hood story was the ending. In their tale, a huntsman saves Red and her grandmother when he kills the wolf for it’s skin. The sequel shows Red and her grandmother wiser for the experience; after another run in with a wolf, Red and her grandmother lay elaborate traps for it, eventually killing it.

Fun Fact #1

In the Grimm story, the main character is actually called Little Red-Cap because she wears a red cap, not a red hooded cloak.

Fun Fact #2

As is often the case with fairy tales, the older tales are much more gruesome than the ones we see today. In some of the earliest tellings, the wolf tricked Red into eating parts of her grandmother and tells poor Red to take her clothes and throw them in the fire before getting into bed. In some versions, he eats her. In others, she manages to escape.

Fun Fact #3

Instead of a wolf, some versions feature an ogre or a werewolf.

If You’re Interested….

Like I said, Disney’s Into the Woods comes out on Christmas. It’s a film adaptation of Sondheim’s musical, which I have loved for years. I highly recommend the movie, even though I haven’t seen it yet. What I’ve seen from commercials and teasers looks fantastic! The plot also features fairy tale favorites Cinderella, Jack and his beanstalk, Rapunzel, and of course, Little Red.

Until next time, Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

Hello everyone!

As you may have noticed, I only posted once last week. I’ve decided to cut back on posting during December to spend time with my family and relax while I’m on break. So, for the rest of the month, I’ll only be posting once a week. Don’t worry, I’ll be back on schedule in January, with a special surprise as well! So keep your eyes peeled and enjoy the holiday season!

Best wishes!

Kate