Sleeping Beauty is one of the most popular fairy tales in the world. The idea of the helpless beautiful young girls falling asleep in the castle and waiting for the rescuer has fascinated writers for at least one thousand years. It's a simple story (but not too simple) with the right amount of characters, a bit of action, and abundant symbolism.
We can find the same plot in French Medieval romantic novels (Perceforest), German epics (Nibelungenlied), early Italian fairy tales (Sun, Moon, and Talia), French fairy tales (Percinette), a bit later French fairy tales (Sleeping Beauty in the Woods), the most influential German fairy tales (Briar Rose), and of course, the American movie adaptation (Sleeping Beauty). Scholars are familiar with hundreds of variations from all over the world.
The evolution of the main female character is quite interesting, as well. While most of the earlier versions present her as a strong personality who is being punished for not being obedient to higher authorities, she later becomes a simple victim of circumstances or a treasure that has to be guarded from the outer world (except the Mr. Right, obviously). Only modern versions are giving her back some špower in the spirit of emancipation and equality.
Prince Charming went through transformations, as well. In several earlier versions, he is a guy who exploits the situation, sleeps with the girl without her consent, and even punishes his wife for being jealous of his unfaithfulness. In recent versions, he is mostly squeaky clean and, let's be honest - empty and boring.
Prince Charming went through transformations, as well. In several earlier versions, he is a guy who exploits the situation, sleeps with the girl without her consent, and even punishes his wife for being jealous of his unfaithfulness. In recent versions, he is mostly squeaky clean and, let's be honest - empty and boring.
The princess is born. Fairies are invited to the Christening. One of the fairies is skipped from the invitation list. She curses the baby girl. When she grows up, she'll prick her finger with a spindle and die.
The curse is relieved by another fairy. Instead of dying, she'll be only sleeping. Yet, this sleep will last one hundred years. Everybody from her castle will sleep, too. When a century passes, a charming prince will come and wake them.
The king wants to prevent the accident by forbidding the spinning in his kingdom. This doesn't work. The princess finds a spinning lady, wants to try spinning and immediately pricks her finger.
The curse is relieved by another fairy. Instead of dying, she'll be only sleeping. Yet, this sleep will last one hundred years. Everybody from her castle will sleep, too. When a century passes, a charming prince will come and wake them.
The king wants to prevent the accident by forbidding the spinning in his kingdom. This doesn't work. The princess finds a spinning lady, wants to try spinning and immediately pricks her finger.
Everybody in the castle falls asleep.
Everybody! Even the animals!
The princess sleeps for one hundred years. Her castle is overgrown by thorns protecting everybody inside from the outside world. They are safe.
The legend of sleeping beauty attracts many heroes who try to get through the thorns. Nobody succeeds.
The sleeping beauty has to wait for the right one.
The legend of sleeping beauty attracts many heroes who try to get through the thorns. Nobody succeeds.
The sleeping beauty has to wait for the right one.
One full century passes. A charming prince hears about the legend and wants to try his luck. He wants to go through the thorns and save the sleeping princess from her curse. When he reaches the thorns, they move and make a path through.
This is a path just for him. Instead of thorns, he is surrounded by blossoming flowers.
This is a path just for him. Instead of thorns, he is surrounded by blossoming flowers.
The prince enters the castle and finds everybody sleeping. It's exactly as the legend claims. He wanders around until he finds the sleeping beauty.
She wakes up and everybody else wakes up as well. It's time for celebration!
Sleeping Beauty is not a completely innocent story for children as some parents may believe. Everything connected to spinning is charged with erotics. The spindle is an old phallic symbol. The moment of touching it means her death (just like the climax is in many cultures compared with death or transition from one to another world). Falling asleep is associated with a bed and the bed is, of course, not for sleeping only. It's the father (who else) who wants to protect the girl from growing up, but this is inevitable. It's an old lady (with life experience), who predicts what will happen. It's a teenager who is careless and causes problems for an entire society.
This very same collection, illustrated by Gilbert James is very fond of spinning (The Shreds and Rumpelstiltskin) and phallic symbols (think about Frog King and Hare's Bride). We don't know why. It may be a total coincidence. Still, we can't deny the power of its symbolism, no matter if we perceive it on rational or irrational levels.
A few words about the colors: the yellow-green combination dominates the story. This combo is typically live, energetic, and youthful. Yellow with green symbolizes freshness, growth, and vitality. In short - it tells an immortal story about a young girl becoming a woman, eventually turning into a mother, and making another circle of the life wheel.
This very same collection, illustrated by Gilbert James is very fond of spinning (The Shreds and Rumpelstiltskin) and phallic symbols (think about Frog King and Hare's Bride). We don't know why. It may be a total coincidence. Still, we can't deny the power of its symbolism, no matter if we perceive it on rational or irrational levels.
A few words about the colors: the yellow-green combination dominates the story. This combo is typically live, energetic, and youthful. Yellow with green symbolizes freshness, growth, and vitality. In short - it tells an immortal story about a young girl becoming a woman, eventually turning into a mother, and making another circle of the life wheel.
