So there's this princess who is promised to a prince of another kingdom. When she is to leave, her mother, the queen gives her treasures as dowry, a talking horse - Falada, and a waiting woman to attend to her. As a final gift, she gives her a handkerchief on which the Queen puts three drops of her blood, for protection and support. The princess puts the handkerchief in her bosom, and then the two women make their way to the groom's kingdom.
O: There is a lot of symbolism in this story, starting right from the talking horse, which seems like a representation of the Princess' own ego. Also, again we see the three drops of blood. While a gift of blood could simply be the mother's way of giving her daughter a part of herself, why three drops specifically, I wonder.
On the journey, the princess feels thirsty, and asks the maid to get her some water in her gold cup. The waiting woman refuses to be a slave, and asks the princess to go get water herself if she so needed. The princess in the end gets off and goes to the brook to drink water. The drops of blood lament:
"If your mother knew of this, it would break her heart!"
They continue on their journey and the same thing happens a second time. This time though the princess is so upset at having to do work herself, she doesn't notice when the handkerchief falls into the stream and is washed away. The maid however notices, and decides that now the princess was vulnerable. She threatens the princess into giving her Falada and all her rich clothes and take her place as the waiting woman. She also threatens the princess to keep her mouth shut about whatever had transpired or else forfeit her life.
O: The waiting woman is depicted as being envious and conniving in her treatment of the princess. She is rude but doesn't truly threaten the princess or take advantage of her until she loses the handkerchief with the Queen's blood. This would signify some kind of protective power to royal blood. Alternatively, it could be seen as evidence of the Princess' claim to her identity. Once she loses it, the waiting woman feels comfortable taking her place. Given the reaction of the blood drops to the princess having to stoop to drink water, I have reason to think even the blood signifies the royal ego.
The duo arrive at the King's palace, and the prince duly takes the fake princess to meet the king. The king notices the princess, now the maid, and asks the imposter about her. Upon learning that she is a maid, he tells her to help the geese herder, Conrad. The imposter, now almost living her dream, makes sure the prince executes Falada, just in case the horse tell the truth of the matter to anyone else. When the princess hears of the execution, she bribes the executioner with a gold coin to make sure that Falada's head was mounted at the palace gate that she passes every day while herding the geese.
O: The prince is depicted as a fool who will do anything to please his would be bride, whereas the king is shown as experienced and kind. The best part about this story is that we finally have a named character. One that is not a talking horse.
The princess follows Conrad every day out of the palace to the meadows, and talks to dead horse Falada on the way:
O: The prince is depicted as a fool who will do anything to please his would be bride, whereas the king is shown as experienced and kind. The best part about this story is that we finally have a named character. One that is not a talking horse.
The princess follows Conrad every day out of the palace to the meadows, and talks to dead horse Falada on the way:
"O Falada, dost thou hang there?"
And the head answers,
"Princess, dost thou so meanly fare?
But if thy mother knew thy pain,
Her heart would surely break in twain."
When they reach the meadows, the princess opens her blonde hair up and combs them. Conrad loves the way they glitter in the sun and wants to pluck a few, but the princess summons a wind to send him running after his own hat:
"O wind, blow Conrad's hat away,
Make him run after as it flies,
While I with my gold hair will play,
And twist it up in seemly wise."
Once this happens two times, Conrad goes and tells the king that he can't work with the girl. Upon questioning he tells the king about Falada and the summoning of the wind. The king, of course, wants to see everything for himself, so the entire routine is played out a third time, with the king watching.
O: Another trinity, although here I suppose three is just a symbolism for 'after n number of times'. Falada here again is a representation of the princess' ego, lamenting on the lowering of her station, always from her mother's eyes. What transpires at the meadows seems like a very subtle way of talking about a guy who REALLY wants to enjoy a woman's beauty, if you catch my drift, but is foiled every time, but given that this is a fairy tale, that is expected.
The king sends for the goose girl and asks her to tell him the truth. But no matter how much he presses her, she refuses, citing an oath she took under danger to her life. The king, in the end, asks her to tell the oven if not him, and walks away. The princess laments and opens up to the oven, outside of which, of course, the king stands, eavesdropping. He then calls her out, dresses her in fineries, calls his son and proves to him that he was in fact duped. The prince readily accepted her, "glad at heart when he saw her beauty and gentleness", and a feast is prepared where both the real and fake brides are present along with the high gentry of the land.
The king asks the false bride what should be done with a person who deceives her masters in the ways mentioned above. The haughty false bride suggests a harsh punishment:
The king sends for the goose girl and asks her to tell him the truth. But no matter how much he presses her, she refuses, citing an oath she took under danger to her life. The king, in the end, asks her to tell the oven if not him, and walks away. The princess laments and opens up to the oven, outside of which, of course, the king stands, eavesdropping. He then calls her out, dresses her in fineries, calls his son and proves to him that he was in fact duped. The prince readily accepted her, "glad at heart when he saw her beauty and gentleness", and a feast is prepared where both the real and fake brides are present along with the high gentry of the land.
The king asks the false bride what should be done with a person who deceives her masters in the ways mentioned above. The haughty false bride suggests a harsh punishment:
"No better than this," answered the false bride, "that she be put naked into a cask, studded inside with sharp nails, and be dragged along in it by two white horses from street to street, until she be dead."
And thus the servant sentences herself, and the real princess lives happily ever after with the king.
Analysis
The trope of good winning over evil of its own virtue and accord is at play here a lot in this tale. Despite losing all proof of her identity and being shoved into servitude, the princess finds help when needed, because of her inner goodness. The number three is used as good luck here, with the three drops of blood for protection and identity, and the third time she herds the geese acting as the time the king sees the truth.
The end of European feudalism and lacklustre viewing of slavery is seen through the words of the serving lady. However, she is also characterised as being envious and plotting to reverse roles, so equality of classes are still not considered the norm.
The prince is shown as ruled by desire and blinded by what he sees in front of him, while the king is shown to have deep insight and kind gentleness for his people, even the servants. The princess on the other hand, is the picture of naiveté and innocence, one who takes her punishment readily, even if it were undeserved. Again there is a hint at the base animalistic man, who is seduced/attracted by the golden hair of the princess and just wants to 'pluck' some for himself.
Illustration Watch
There are three illustrations for this story, one that simply shows the two goose herders minding the geese along a path. There is the representation of the princess sending Conrad on his way to collect his hat. Of special note is the head of Falada the talking horse on the headpiece of this artwork. Does Falada have blond hair too?
The trope of good winning over evil of its own virtue and accord is at play here a lot in this tale. Despite losing all proof of her identity and being shoved into servitude, the princess finds help when needed, because of her inner goodness. The number three is used as good luck here, with the three drops of blood for protection and identity, and the third time she herds the geese acting as the time the king sees the truth.
The end of European feudalism and lacklustre viewing of slavery is seen through the words of the serving lady. However, she is also characterised as being envious and plotting to reverse roles, so equality of classes are still not considered the norm.
The prince is shown as ruled by desire and blinded by what he sees in front of him, while the king is shown to have deep insight and kind gentleness for his people, even the servants. The princess on the other hand, is the picture of naiveté and innocence, one who takes her punishment readily, even if it were undeserved. Again there is a hint at the base animalistic man, who is seduced/attracted by the golden hair of the princess and just wants to 'pluck' some for himself.
Illustration Watch
There are three illustrations for this story, one that simply shows the two goose herders minding the geese along a path. There is the representation of the princess sending Conrad on his way to collect his hat. Of special note is the head of Falada the talking horse on the headpiece of this artwork. Does Falada have blond hair too?
No comments:
Post a Comment