Thank you for sharing this version of Cinderella. I'm fascinated by the birds--they almost remind me of faeries, especially the white bird in the tree and the two white pigeons who blind the stepsisters at the end. White often denotes otherworldly animals, and in faerie folklore, faeries sometimes blind humans for seeing past their glamour or for meddling in their ways.
Thank you for an indepth review of the many versions and impressive legacy of Cinderella in folklore! One of my favorites is the Slavic tale, "Baba Yaga and Vasilisa," in which the heroine has a powerful agency and inner strength. 🩷
A lovely discussion. I always find the sisters rather fascinating. There's a lot of sibling rivalry in the various versions of the tale and Cinderella's greater beauty is always a challenge for the sisters or stepsisters of various tales - particularly in the marriage markets, so to speak, of the past. People so often think of the stepsisters as ugly and rarely do they appear to be. Although there are plenty of other tales with ugly stepsisters who try to switch with the heroine to trick the prince into marriage. And so many fathers are absent or forgetful of their daughters! I do love Christine A. Jones discussion of Perrault's Cinderella as an argument for her having agency in learning to speak up and ask for just the right assistance.
Oh I haven't read this version of Cinderella since I was a child. I'd forgotten about the tree on the mother's grave. It brought back so many memories. And I have also always wondered why the fathers in these stories never interfere. I think in Hansel and Gretel the reason is basic survival, there are too many mouths to feed and the stepmother fights for survival, but Cinderella's dad is a merchant. He brings back precious gifts. I'd love to know what made this behaviour acceptable to those who listened to this version of the story when it was first told. 🤓
Thank you for sharing this version of Cinderella. I'm fascinated by the birds--they almost remind me of faeries, especially the white bird in the tree and the two white pigeons who blind the stepsisters at the end. White often denotes otherworldly animals, and in faerie folklore, faeries sometimes blind humans for seeing past their glamour or for meddling in their ways.
Thank you for an indepth review of the many versions and impressive legacy of Cinderella in folklore! One of my favorites is the Slavic tale, "Baba Yaga and Vasilisa," in which the heroine has a powerful agency and inner strength. 🩷
We've been enjoying your memoir series. So lovely! <3
So happy to hear you are enjoying my life stories woven with myths and fairy tales!
A lovely discussion. I always find the sisters rather fascinating. There's a lot of sibling rivalry in the various versions of the tale and Cinderella's greater beauty is always a challenge for the sisters or stepsisters of various tales - particularly in the marriage markets, so to speak, of the past. People so often think of the stepsisters as ugly and rarely do they appear to be. Although there are plenty of other tales with ugly stepsisters who try to switch with the heroine to trick the prince into marriage. And so many fathers are absent or forgetful of their daughters! I do love Christine A. Jones discussion of Perrault's Cinderella as an argument for her having agency in learning to speak up and ask for just the right assistance.
Oh I haven't read this version of Cinderella since I was a child. I'd forgotten about the tree on the mother's grave. It brought back so many memories. And I have also always wondered why the fathers in these stories never interfere. I think in Hansel and Gretel the reason is basic survival, there are too many mouths to feed and the stepmother fights for survival, but Cinderella's dad is a merchant. He brings back precious gifts. I'd love to know what made this behaviour acceptable to those who listened to this version of the story when it was first told. 🤓