THEMES and CHARACTERIZATION
Many scholars have interpreted “Maiden in the Tower” stories, which Rapunzel is a part of, as a metaphor for the protection of young woman from pre-marital relationships by overzealous guardians.Scholars have drawn comparisons of the confinement of Rapunzel in her tower to that of a convent, where women’s lives were highly controlled and they lived in exclusion from outsiders.
Scholars have also noted the strong theme of love conquering all in the story, as the lovers are united after years of searching in all versions after Persinette and are ultimately happily reunited as a family.
The seemingly unfair bargain that the husband makes with the sorceress in the opening of Rapunzel is a common convention in fairy tales, which is replicated in Jack and the Beanstalk when Jack trades a cow for beans or in Beauty and the Beast when Beauty comes to the Beast in return for a rose. Furthermore, folkloric beliefs often regarded it as dangerous to deny a pregnant woman any food she craved, making the bargain with the sorceress more understandable since the husband would have perceived his actions as saving his wife at the cost of his child.Family members would often go to great lengths to secure such cravings and such desires for lettuce and other vegetables may indicate a need for vitamins.
The “Maiden in the Tower” archetype has drawn comparisons to a possible lost matriarchal myth connected to the sacred marriage between the prince and the maiden and the rivalry between the maiden, representing life and spring, and the crone, representing death and winter.
MYTHOLOGICAL and RELIGIOUS INSPIRATION
Some researchers have proposed that the earliest possible inspiration for the “Maiden in the Tower” archetype is to the pre-Christian European (or proto-Indo-European) sun or dawn goddess myths, in which the light deity is trapped and is rescued. Similar myths include that of the Baltic solar goddess, Saulė, who is held captive in a tower by a king.Inspiration may also be taken from the classical myth of the hero Perseus. Perseus’ mother, Danaë, was confined to a bronze tower by her father, Acrisius the King of Argos, to prevent her from becoming pregnant, as it was foretold by the Oracle of Delphi that she would bare a son who would kill his grandfather.
Inspiration may come from the life of Saint Barbara of Nicomedia, who was a beautiful woman who was confined to a tower by her father to hide her away from suitors.While in the tower, she converted to Christianity and is ultimately martyred for her faith after a series of miracles delaying her execution. Her story was included in The Book of City Ladies by Chirstine de Pizan, which may have been highly influential on later writers, as it was popular throughout Europe.
kiara
July 1, 2020 at 9:02 AM
IT’S OK TO NOT BE OK: Episode 5 Upcoming fairy tale “RAPUNZEL”
Original tale:
“Petrosinella” (1634) by Giambattista Basile
https://fairytalearchive.wordpress.com/2017/05/03/petrosinella-1634-by-giambattista-basile/
“Persinette” (1698) by Charlotte-Rose de La Force
https://fairytalearchive.wordpress.com/2017/05/03/persinette-1698-by-charlotte-rose-de-la-force/
“Rapunzel” (1812) by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
https://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm012.html
THEMES and CHARACTERIZATION
Many scholars have interpreted “Maiden in the Tower” stories, which Rapunzel is a part of, as a metaphor for the protection of young woman from pre-marital relationships by overzealous guardians.Scholars have drawn comparisons of the confinement of Rapunzel in her tower to that of a convent, where women’s lives were highly controlled and they lived in exclusion from outsiders.
Scholars have also noted the strong theme of love conquering all in the story, as the lovers are united after years of searching in all versions after Persinette and are ultimately happily reunited as a family.
The seemingly unfair bargain that the husband makes with the sorceress in the opening of Rapunzel is a common convention in fairy tales, which is replicated in Jack and the Beanstalk when Jack trades a cow for beans or in Beauty and the Beast when Beauty comes to the Beast in return for a rose. Furthermore, folkloric beliefs often regarded it as dangerous to deny a pregnant woman any food she craved, making the bargain with the sorceress more understandable since the husband would have perceived his actions as saving his wife at the cost of his child.Family members would often go to great lengths to secure such cravings and such desires for lettuce and other vegetables may indicate a need for vitamins.
The “Maiden in the Tower” archetype has drawn comparisons to a possible lost matriarchal myth connected to the sacred marriage between the prince and the maiden and the rivalry between the maiden, representing life and spring, and the crone, representing death and winter.
MYTHOLOGICAL and RELIGIOUS INSPIRATION
Some researchers have proposed that the earliest possible inspiration for the “Maiden in the Tower” archetype is to the pre-Christian European (or proto-Indo-European) sun or dawn goddess myths, in which the light deity is trapped and is rescued. Similar myths include that of the Baltic solar goddess, Saulė, who is held captive in a tower by a king.Inspiration may also be taken from the classical myth of the hero Perseus. Perseus’ mother, Danaë, was confined to a bronze tower by her father, Acrisius the King of Argos, to prevent her from becoming pregnant, as it was foretold by the Oracle of Delphi that she would bare a son who would kill his grandfather.
Inspiration may come from the life of Saint Barbara of Nicomedia, who was a beautiful woman who was confined to a tower by her father to hide her away from suitors.While in the tower, she converted to Christianity and is ultimately martyred for her faith after a series of miracles delaying her execution. Her story was included in The Book of City Ladies by Chirstine de Pizan, which may have been highly influential on later writers, as it was popular throughout Europe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapunzel
7 Parts Of The Grimms Brothers’ ‘Rapunzel’ That Will Shock You
https://www.bustle.com/articles/68595-7-parts-of-the-grimms-brothers-rapunzel-that-will-shock-you-or-at-least-strike-you
Karmen ~ 🍜🏢🎭 ~ 📚☔🦋 ~ 🪂🌱💘 ~ ✨🍊💫 ~
July 1, 2020 at 10:05 AM
Thank you!
purplesheesh
July 1, 2020 at 10:12 PM
Wow! Thank you for this!