Hello and welcome! You’ve stumbled into my 7th Fairy Tale Re-Draw blog post! Today must be your lucky day because this particular trio of tales is especially magical! We’ve got another mysterious little man, a special story from Slavic folklore, and the real woman who potentially inspired a timeless classic.
If you want to catch up on all of the other blog posts that feature tonnes of information on all the fairy tales so far, then click here . Make sure you’re following the Puddles of Ink Instagram to see DAILY uploads this month, as well as all the behind the scenes exclusives for this project, and a chance to have a say on the mystery 9 stories I’ll be featuring in the zine!! On that note, if you have any suggestions for fairy tales you think I should check out, please leave them in the comments below - it may just get put into the final collection!
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s dive right in!
Rumplestiltskin
One thing I didn’t know before researching this story was that there are different ways to spell the title! It is generally agreed that ‘Rumpelstilzchen’ is classed as a German fairy tale; there are parallels across stories from other cultures, but the character and plot as we know it now comes from Germany, and was collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812. For this reason, it is generally spelt in English as Rumpelstiltskin, but Rumplestiltskin is also widely used, hence why I’ve gone with it in my work.
As I mentioned, the Brothers Grimm published their version of Rumpelstiltskin in 1812, but the story itself is thought to be far older than that - potentially thousands of years old in fact. The plot follows a miller who boasts to the king that his daughter can spin straw into gold, leaving her in a terrible predicament when the king orders her to perform her skill in his palace. She cries in despair, and Rumplestiltskin, an impish little creature, appears in front of her and offers to do the job for her if she gives him her necklace. This continues a few times, with the girl giving Rumplestiltskin various items in exchange, until the King puts her in a room full of straw and promises to marry her if she spins it all into gold. Rumplestiltskin offers to do the task for her if she swears to give him her first child (in some versions, he spins the gold first and then declares his payment). If you’re intrigued then make sure you have a read yourself because this is only the beginning! This is an interesting article to go alongside the tale with an analysis of the themes and symbolic elements throughout the narrative.
There are so many fairy tale characters from across the world that have similarities to Rumplestiltskin. There’s Whuppity Stoorie from Scottish folklore, Terrytop - the Devilish character from Cornish lore, Winterkölbl from Hungary, and so many more that you’ll find here. They are not re-tellings, or stories seeking to emulate the German story, but they do share many similarities, either between characters, events or circumstances that are fun to spot.
The Journey of the Sun and the Moon
Back in 2018, I had one or two similar stories on my list that involved explaining either why the sun and the moon are in the sky, why they are never able to be in the sky together, or humans asking the sun and the moon for answers that only they could provide. When I was researching them to prepare for this project, I stumbled across this one from Slovakia. I adored it so much that I allowed it to replace the others, and I’m really glad I did because I’m so happy with how this little illustration turned out.
We follow a young couple, Jean and Annette, who are head-over-heels in love. Annette is from a much wealthier background, and so when Jean goes to ask for her hand, her father meets his request with this response:
“If you would marry Annette, go and ask of the Sun why he does not warm the night as well as the day. Then inquire of the Moon why she does not shine by day as well as by night. When you return with these answers you shall not only have my daughter but all my wealth.”
If you want to find out what happens then make sure you read the rest of the story; it’s fun, light-hearted, and offers an interesting look at what people wanted answers to and how they explained things they couldn’t understand.
Snow White
Snow White, much like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid, falls into the category of timeless classic. It’s so renowned I know I don’t need to divulge all of the plot, although I will say that if you’re mostly familiar with the Disney film, or you haven’t read the original in a while, it’s worth rereading to refresh your memory! I mentioned in the Cinderella post that I want to do a series where I illustrate a few of the versions of her story, and I really want to do the same with Snow White because there are so many from across the world: Padmavat from India, a few versions from Albania, Hans Christian Anderson created his own adaptation, and there’s an interesting Malay tale called Bidasari in a similar vein that I’m excited to look into. So, if that’s something you want to see then give this post a like and comment which ones you’d like to see in particular!
But, adaptations aside, the German tale is said to be inspired by some specific women. The first, and most common mention being that of Margaretha von Waldeck. Famed for her beauty, Margaretha had a strict stepmother, and the cause of her death is suspected to be poisoning, but I recommend looking into her life because she had a lot of male suitors vying for her attention! The second woman said to have inspired the tale of Snow White is Maria Sohpia von Erthal; another woman whose stepmother apparently disliked her. Her life actually involves a “talking mirror”, so she’s someone definitely worth reading about!
There are so many stunning artworks related to Snow White, so I’d really recommend having a look through those if you’re ever in need of a shot of magic. But, there are also some hilarious articles on various corners of the internet, including this one which ranks the characters in the Disney film based on their intelligence! Also, I’d thoroughly recommend having a read through the IMDB trivia section for the 1937 Disney adaptation, because it is truly fascinating and you’re guaranteed to learn something new!
Thank you so much for reading this to the end! Comment below with any questions or recommendations, and make sure you keep your eyes peeled for the next installment on Sunday!