When I was browsing the internet I ran across an alternate telling of Rapunzel that had French origins. Now anyone that has read Rapunzel will easily be able to see the similarities between these two stories.
Here is a link to the French version - http://talesoffaerie.blogspot.com/2012/04/french-rapunzel.html
A few differences that stand out from even a quick look are
-The husband takes a side role in place of the wife
-The wife makes a deal with a faerie, rather than a witch
-The faerie seems rather generous compared to the witch
-The faerie punished Rapunzel because of her constant lies
-There really wasn't a happy ending
I found it an interesting read, as it shows how a few simple changes to a story can give the story a completely different viewpoint to the reader. Because this version of Rapunzel paints the faerie in a kinder light than that of the witch, in our book. This also seems to be one of those stories that is meant to teach a person that they should not tell lies to their parent figure, in this case the godmother faerie.
The French version was very interesting to read. I was also kind of surprised how lenient and nice the fairy godmother was. In my opinion, she didn't really ask much of Rapunzel and when Rapunzel disobeys her, it actually puts her in a bad light instead of the witch. I agree that the lesson of the story seems to be: don't lie to your parents or guardians because lying is bad. The ending is also abrupt without any kind of happy ending or much of a resolution besides Rapunzel and the prince being turned into a frog and growing a pig's snout, respectively.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is remarkable that with one basic story we can have so many different variations to read. I like that in the different versions of this story the morals actually change.
ReplyDeleteFun story, there's a version of Sleeping Beauty where he asks the princess to marry him after she wakes up and has his child, but she tells him basically "No. Screw off" and leaves. I believe it's the version in the Arabian Nights.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what inspired the difference between the two stories, and which one came first. That could say a lot for the situations that created the two; why was the french version of the story such that the moral wound up being "Don't disobey your parents?" Was there a sudden outbreak of childish shenanigans that did it? Or did the previous generation realize that they should have listened to their parents more, and so they told this story as a way to try to convey that message without saying it outright?
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely a weird take on the story, leave it to the French. Personally, I never liked Rapunzel. I'm convinced she could have found a way out of that tower, especially with that magic hair.
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