fairytale feminism 101

[boojumlol]

I was talking about fairytales today with Stuart (who is now five)  and he mentioned the twelve dancing princesses, which he knows because puppydogtail has a t-shirt of it.

ME: I like the story, but I think the ending is sad.
STUART: Why?
ME: Well princesses often weren’t allowed go out and have adventures like princes; they were made to stay in the palace and do

Comments

[badylugz]

Wait.
Peanut is how old?
It was just yesterday that I was piecing his blanket together on my floor!

[boojumlol]

I know, it surprises me too, and I've been around the whole time!

[blindmouse]

That is a cooler story by far :D

(The original is such a weirdly pragmatic story. No peril besetting the kingdom, no young man off to seek his fortune, just a tired old soldier with no savings and a father with a discipline problem, and then the thing at the end with the soldier picking the eldest sister, after stalking the youngest all night, because it made sense given his age. It's like a collar of pragmatism around the glittering story of the princesses and the magical world they found the way to. The fact that the evidence of that world is the very earthly worn out shoes is a little heartbreaking; you get the impression the reader's been exiled to the wrong story entirely.)

(Now I'm wondering if there are other versions of it. I might poke around.)

[boojumlol]

I prefer Andrew Lang's version, actually.

[blindmouse]

Oh, much nicer ♥

[boojumlol]

Yes, it's sweeter, and I kind of like how creepy the princesses are - drugging man after man so they can go on dancing. In the soldier version he has to find out what's going on and tell their father, whereas the cow-boy has to persuade the princesses that what they are doing is wrong, even if he has to sacrifice himself doing so. Unlike in the other version (Grimms'?) the characters actually grow. He's an unusually sweet fairytale hero, isn't he.

[hecticred]

It's interesting how some fairytales are horribly misogynistic and then some have quite awesome, cunning, bold female characters. There was one I found about a mischievous cook who wore red-heeled shoes, which you will have to remind me to to tell you next time I see you.

[boojumlol]

As I was just saying to blindmouse, in Andrew Lang's version of the same story, the princesses drug all the men sent to watch them so all they ever want to do is dance in the underground ballroom. They do it with 50 men, I believe. I think that's... well, quite horrible, I suppose, but rather impressive, for princesses.

I always like hearing fairytales. :)

[katiefoolery]

Absolutely awesome. I hope that stays with him for a long time.

On a side note, I love how the simple question "why?" kept drawing more and more information out of you. These kids are clever in their apparent simplicity, they are.

[boojumlol]

It's surprisingly hard to keep answering 'why?' especially when it's a complex subject. You have to formulate your response and then simplify it, so the child can understand, but without compromising the truth. It can make you think about things you take for granted.

[errantmeme]

Speaking of fairy tales... you got me thinking the other night about my favourites. My mother used to read me The Black Bull of Norroway when I was a kid, and I loved it, but now I can't remember if that is the one with the glass mountain and the pair of iron shoes or not... same story of different story? I think I'll have to find it and read it again.

I know it's maybe not technically a fairy tale... but I also really adored Lynn Reid Banks' The Faraway Mountain...

[boojumlol]

I think one of my books of modern interpretations of fairy tales has one of the Black Bull. It's often hard to remember fairy tales exactly as the same bit of plot will appear in many stories, even those from different cultures.

I also loved The Farthest Away Mountain, especially the gargoyles. :)