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Original Fairy Tales
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The Snake Prince in the Olive Fairy Book
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There are a number of tales in in I've never read.
In addition to the Snake Prince I found The Blue Parrot, The Story of Little King Loc, Samba the Coward and Kupti and Imani particularly delightful. I have not read all of them yet, but there are tales from India,Armenia,Turkey and Sudan!
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I definitely want to read ALL of the colored fairy books. I might start doing that next year. Might be a good project to work on!
They are an interesting overview. They have their weakness -- virtually all the Asian tales are Japan or India, for instance, and all the French ones are literary -- but I don't know of a better.
Mary wrote: "They are an interesting overview. They have their weakness -- virtually all the Asian tales are Japan or India, for instance, and all the French ones are literary -- but I don't know of a better."It was probably easier to find European tales in the 1880s-1910s. He does cover some Chinese tales in the Green Fairy Book. And also delves into some African and Middle Eastern tales.
Here's the wiki page for anyone interested.
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I had no idea that some of the books were only poetry and others were "True Story" books! I just assumed they were all fairy tale!
They were. Someone decided to pepper the page with Lang's other books for some inexplicable reason.
Mary wrote: "They were. Someone decided to pepper the page with Lang's other books for some inexplicable reason."Your original comment mentioned the lack of other cultures. I was merely pointing out that other cultures are addressed in his other fairy books. The link is a reference for anyone looking to read the rest of the series, or find a book more suitable to their taste.
Rachel wrote: "Mary wrote: "They were. Someone decided to pepper the page with Lang's other books for some inexplicable reason."Your original comment mentioned the lack of other cultures. I was merely pointing ..."
Huh?
What does someone's having decided to treat the page as a bibliography of Andrew Lang have to do with the cultures and lack thereof in the twelve books?
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Mary wrote: "They were. Someone decided to pepper the page with Lang's other books for some inexplicable reason."
It looks like there's a distinction between the Coloured Fairy Books which are the ones we typically think of when we think of Lang, and his Fairy Books in general. I hadn't heard of their being other types of anthologies in the series either, but I poked around a bit and it seems that it really is how Lang himself defined the series.
Given when they were published, when you look at all the Coloured books as a whole, they seem really diverse to me. More European than anything else, of course, especially in the first couple of volumes but even the European ones are from a wide variety of countries, and not just the ones with the famous national fairy tale collections (French, German, Italian, etc).
Makes me wonder about Lang. To what lengths did he have to go to find these tales in the first place, and then find translators to translate them? I know his wife did quite a bit of the translation work, but I'm sure not all of it. For that matter, how did he pick and choose which stories to include without actually being able to read the languages himself?
Mary wrote: "What does someone's having decided to treat the page as a bibliography of Andrew Lang have to do with the cultures and lack thereof in the twelve books? "Melanti wrote: "I think there's a miscommunication going on here? "
I'm sorry Mary. I clearly misinterpreted your original message and owe you an apology. I thought your original comment referred to my posting the link on this page being inappropriate, hence my responses. Now, being a new day, I realize you were referring to the wikipedia page and not my comment on this page. Very sorry about that and for the confusion it caused.
Melanti wrote: "Makes me wonder about Lang. To what lengths did he have to go to find these tales in the first place, and then find translators to translate them? I know his wife did quite a bit of the translation work, but I'm sure not all of it. For that matter, how did he pick and choose which stories to include without actually being able to read the languages himself? "I am curious about this as well, and would love to compare his translations with other translations. Specifically, how much of the translations were influenced by his European background. Did he make significant changes to them or do they stay rather true to their original wording and culture.
There was a thriving community of folklorists in his day. For instance, he knew Yei Theodora Ozaki, indeed encouraged her in her fairy tale collecting.And, of course, he collected some himself. All from India, IIRC.
Rachel wrote: "I am curious about this as well, and would love to compare his translations with other translations..."He tends toward the idiomatic in the translations, I think.
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His wife started doing some translations in the very first book. She did more and more of the work until he started writing in the introductions that it ought to be Mrs. Lang's book (but of course the brand was built by then).
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Finished "The Snake Prince!" I had read it before in Beauty and the Beast Tales from Around the World, and enjoyed it equally as much the second time around. I don't know about everyone else, but I would much rather travel east of the sun, west of the moon, walk through seven pairs of iron boots, and face an ogre, than have to confront a snake queen. I'm not even particularly afraid of snakes, but that would take some guts!
Same here! I've always been terrified of snakes! I thought the princess was very brave!
I also liked the old woman who found the snake, then when it turned into a necklace gave it to the king!
It's a very magical tale! I liked it very much!
Margaret wrote: I definitely want to read ALL of the colored fairy books. I might start doing that next year. Might be a good project to work on! "
You know I was just thinking that when we create our 2018 Challenge, I am going to suggest one of them being reading a collection of choice of the Colored Fairy books!
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That sounds great!
Lila wrote: "You know I was just thinking that when we create our 2018 Challenge, I am going to suggest one of them being reading a collection of choice of the Colored Fairy books! "
Love that idea!
I enjoyed The Snake Prince, but I like all variants of the search for the lost husband.On other hand, the plot doesn't forget to point out everything happened because of their mistakes. I mean not only The Snake Prince, but also East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Although I remember there are gender inversed versions in italian folklore.
I never blamed Princesses for asking questions they shouldn't or trying to resolve a mystery of the night guest. In the end it's not just about redemption and fixing what's gone wrong, but also maturing as a person. When the quest is over, Princes are their equals.
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Absolutely. I think that's one reason why I love the lost husband stories over the more well-known B&B. I also wonder if part of my enjoyment with these tales has to do with pop culture's stereotype that FTs tend to have questing heroes rather than heroines. We FT folk know better, but whenever I hear people say that, or when I hear about a story or film that has a strong female protagonist, unlike classic tales, I'm like, "Well, actually..." :)
I wrote a poem about the lost husband tale-types, but no publication seems to want it, haha. It's going to remain one of my favorites nonetheless!
Margaret wrote: "We FT folk know better, but whenever I hear people say that, or when I hear about a story or film that has a strong female protagonist, unlike classic tales, I'm like, "Well, actually..." :) "Popculture has been enamoured with B&tB, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty or Red Riding Hood for years, so if these movies introduce people to fairy tales, then no wonder they think fairy tale heroine = passive heroine.
What's even more hilarious, in Polish literary fairy tales there is an unnamed princess sorceress, who at first mocks her suitors and whom much later sends on deadly quests, then compete with the winner. In the end the rivalry between them turns into kind of battle of sexes. Passive heroine? Maybe a bit, but a creative one. Nice, sweet girl? Absolutely no, although she is coy and fearful when Siła [spelled Shiwa] is present.
The Princess openly said to her father king she isn't going to marry unless he finds someone smarter and more powerful than her. He didn't heed these words. The consequences were... Let's say not very nice. Knights, Common People, Kings, Lords, Knyazes [knyaz - rusin royal and noble title, kniaź in Polish] were coming from the whole world. They all were mocked in the worst possible words by her. When the girl realized it wasn't deterring suitors, she began to send them on the most dangerous quests she could think. And so they were dying with her name on their lips. However, nothing lasts forever. There was a powerful and wise prince-wizard Siła (The Power/Might), who heard much about the beauty of the Princess. And from the moment he had laid his eyes on her, he knew he was madly in love. 'This girl shall be mine or I shall die!'. The Princess was horrified (or was she?), so she sent Siła to get the water of life. When he returned, everybody was in tears, because the Princess' brother had died. Siła revived the boy, everybody was overjoyed, everybody but the sorceress. ' I'll only marry you if you find me in my seven shapes. One shape, one day' she said. Siła found her each time thanks to his own abilities and wits, good luck, the girl's flushing cheeks and fear as well as spying birds . Before one of the last shapeshiftings, the Princess was desperate to find a suitable disguise so her sisters came in: 'Sister, the sea is vast and deep, transform yourself into fish, he won't find you'. Of course he did and the Princess couldn't stand the humiliation any longer. 'Oh, why didn't I agree to become his wife, when he asked for the first time? I would be spared the humiliation'
On the last challenge, all womanfolk from the whole country gathered in the castle to debate the best shape the Princess should change herself into to win and couldn't think anything. Before the dawn, the girl turned herself into a she-beggar. Her father passed her, her brother passed her. Siła gave her a ring out of pity and almost passed her if not for a tiny gesture - she wanted to hide her face deeper into the hood. It was enough for him to catch a glimpse of the unusual beggar's eyes for she was never able to change them. Or maybe she let him recognize her, because she saw he has a good heart and since the beginning he had been the one for her, but her proud and fear got in the way earlier.
Not so good retelling, just to give you a gist of it.
When I see strong and female protagonist stringed together, immediately flashes in my mind an image of sword swinging woman, who can push 2000 kg with one hand :)
Asaria wrote: "Although I remember there are gender inversed versions in italian folklore.."More than there. There's variants of the Frog Princess that have the quest for the lost wife. Soria Moria Castle. And several more in Lang.
Here's a sampling:
http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/sw...
Mary wrote: "More than there. There's variants of the Frog Princess that have the quest for the lost wife. Soria Mor..."I feel like I read Soria Moria Castle once or some variant of that tale. I remember the three princesses and trolls.
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I've also read Soria Moria Castle, and other gender inversions. When I first started reading the FT summary you gave, I thought it would be similar to The Bamboo Child and the Moon Cutter, a Japanese Tale: http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/72/japanese...
But it's totally different, except for the suitors killing themselves to marry a beautiful girl!
Margaret wrote: "A love that tale, Asaria! Thanks for sharing!I've also read Soria Moria Castle, and other gender inversions. When I first started reading the FT summary you gave, I thought it would be similar to..."
You're welcome :) .
While reading this tale for the first time, I thought it was going to take the 'King Thrushbeard' route. Well, the story turned out completely different than expected. I was very surprised to see supportive sisters there (so rare in fairy tales) and female magic user, who isn't vilified by plot or narrator .
The Bamboo Child and the Moon Cutter's ending is very sad
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It is!
Just finished Strange Adventures of Little Maia. I find it interesting that this story has no source listed yet follows the story of Thumelina so closely. His other books contain other stories by Hans Christian Andersen. I wonder why he changed her name in this retelling?
So, I'm terrible at actually coming back here to discuss once I finish the books lately. This was my first time reading one of the colored fairy books, and it made me want to read all the others! It took my a rather longer span of time to get through than I was hoping, though. I finished it at the end of December.The Snake Prince ended up being one of the stories I really liked in this book, along with The Blue Parrot (what is a swan fairy and how can I become one when I grow up?), Samba the Coward, The Boy Who Found Fear at Last, and The Punishment of the Fairy Gangana (despite, or perhaps because of its eccentricities).
Dorani was interesting. Sort of Twelve Dancing Princesses with only one princess? And The Story of Zoulvisia was so utterly bizarre I couldn't quite believe I was reading it. What???
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Kelsey, I did not read any of the Colored Fairy books until a few years ago when The Blue Fairy Book was part of a group read here. I've since readThe Red Fairy Book and recently The Olive Fairy Book and I feel like you! I want to read them all! That's why I suggested reading one for the 2018 Challenge. I was really impressed with the stories . I really liked almost all of them and there were a number of them I was not familiar with.
I'm reading The Yellow Fairy Book right now. There are 12 "color" titles and 13 others in the complete series, according to Wikipedia.
I just finished the Snake Prince. It had gotten buried in my huge TBR pile. I too am looking forward to the Colored Fairy book in the 2018 Challenge. I have only read (and reread and reread) The Blue Fairy Book and The Red Fairy Book.
Kelsey wrote: Sort of Twelve Dancing Princesses with only one princess?"There are a number like that. I offer Twelve Dancing Princesses Tales from Around the World
There are a number like that. I offer Twelve Dancing Princesses Tales from Around the World"Ooooooooh that looks good!
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Books mentioned in this topic
Twelve Dancing Princesses: Tales from Around the World (other topics)Twelve Dancing Princesses: Tales from Around the World (other topics)
The Blue Fairy Book (other topics)
The Red Fairy Book (other topics)
The Blue Fairy Book (other topics)
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The tale can be found in The Olive Fairy Book