ITALIAN FOLKTALES - The Sleeping Queen
Context
The Sleeping Queen is an Italian fairy tale which was collected by Italo Calvino in his “Italian Folktales” (Fiabe Italiane). This is a collection of 200 Italian folktales published in 1956 by Italo Calvino. His project was begun in 1954 and was very much influenced by Vladimir Propp’s Morphology of the Folktales. It was first translated into English in 1980 by George Martin. Calvino collected the story, from Monatel Pistoise, Italy. Italian Folktales constituted the first comprehensive collection of Italian Folktales.
Summary
In a faraway land there was a kingdom ruled by a just and good king named Maximus who had three sons. He lost his eyesight and as a matter of fact he had summoned doctors from the entire world to cure him, but nobody could find a remedy for it. Taking into account the consent of one of his doctors, he called up soothsayers from everywhere. One of them was an old man, a mago, a stranger who said that the cure to his disease could be found nowhere else but in the well of the Sleeping Queen’s city. After these words have been said, the mago disappeared without any trace. Stephano, the eldest son of the king decided to go in search of the city. His father gave him his blessing and Stephano left the castle.He arrived at the Isle of Buda, a Greek port where the ship anchored for three hours. During this time, Stephano went ashore to see the island, met a gorgeous young women whom he talked to the whole time and forgot about the initial purpose of the voyage.The ship went further without him on board. Seeing that Stephano hadn’t returned from the voyage, the king thought the worst.
In order to bring some consolation to his father, his second son, Gian asked for permission to go and find his brother as well as the water.When he arrived at Buda, he was impressed by the island's landscapes which were full of myrtles, cypresses and laurels. He met his brother in a crystal palace with his beautiful wife Lugistella, the queen of the island who told him to stay with them as the queen was having two young sisters and he could choose either of them. As seeing and hearing all these things Gian totally forgot about his father’s blindness.The ship left without him on board. Like his brother, he became a guest in the crystal palace. Eventually, the youngest, Andrew decided to go himself, bring his two brothers back and the healing water. As his brothers did, he got to the famous Isle where the captain said the ship would anchor in there only for three hours. He recommended to be back on time or he’d be left on the island like the others young men. He searched his brothers and found them in the crystal palace. The two brothers described the wonderful life they had in there and invited Andrew to stay with them. Andrew scolded the two and said that they had lost their mind. His task was to find the Sleeping Queen’s healing water and nothing would turn away from it. So, the youngest arrived in Armenia, asked about the city, but apparently nobody had ever heard about it. However, an old woman directed him to an old man, Farfanello who told Andrew that the city is faraway, across the ocean and was full of dangers being also called the Isle of Tears. Andrew embarked himself at the port of Brindisse. The ocean crossing was difficult because the water was full of huge great white bears capable of wrecking big ships. He had no fear, reached the shore and asked the captain to wait him for three days. After he disembarked, he saw a sentinel, but it was motionless. All the people in this city were mute and motionless. He didn’t know what he could do or find in that city full of statues.In the courtyard he found an impressive apple orchard. Being hungry, he plucked an apple from one branch and bit it. That moment his eyesight dimmed, tripped and fell off in a large hole, full of water. When his head was out of water, he realised that he had already found the well. He was tired, so he was searching for a bed somewhere in the castle when he found out a chamber in which a beautiful maiden was sleeping. He undressed and spent the night in the castle with the beautiful sleeping lady. He didn’t go from there until he left her a note on which he included his name as well as the date, the month and the year in which he slept in her bed. He filled a bottle with water and plucked some apples from the tree. But, when his brothers saw him with the water they became envious so they conspired against him. They stole the water from him and replaced it by an ordinary one.When Andrew wanted to prove his father that he was the one who found the water, he couldn’t because the water he possessed was an ordinary one. The king thought that his youngest son wanted to blind her mother by giving her to bite from the apple that causes blindness and lied about the water. As a result he called up the guards and asked them to kill him. As a proof of their task the guards had to bring Andrew’s heart. Since they knew Andrew very well as a little boy, they couldn’t do that, so, instead of Andrew, they’ve killed a pig whose heart was taken to the castle.
On the Isle of Tears all the city came back to life after nine months when the queen gave birth to a fine little boy. But now,the queen wanted to know who was her kindly benefactor that slept in her bed and broke the spell. She found out the note on the bedside table and she immediately wrote a note to king Maximus to sent to her Prince Andrew. Though Stephano went to the Isle in his brother’s place, the queen was doubtful, questioned him and seeing that he was lying, he was punished; his head had been chopped off and stucked on a spike across the city gate. The queen sent a second letter to the king and summoned nobody else except Andrew. Gian went to the isle, but when he saw his brother killed, he turned back and confessed his father all the treachery, how they were enspelled by the ladies, they stole the water and put in Andrew’s bottle an ordinary one. They wanted to get all the admirations and acclamations of their father and of the entire kingdom.
Eventually, as Andrew wasn’t killed in the woods returned to the joy of his father and the entire court. He set out for the Isle where he was given a hero’s welcome, married the queen and became King of the island. So, the isle was now called the Isle of Happiness.
Position in the Aarne –Thomson- Uthern Index
The Sleeping Queen belongs to the category of Supernatural or Enchanted wife (Husband) or Other Relative (400-459) ; position 410 (The Sleeping Beauty) which is the version of our tale.
Characters and functions according to Vladimir Propp
Characters
The hero – Andrew, the youngest son of King Maximus.
The villain – in this tale is being represented by the two brothers who want to lose him and take his place.
The father – is presented as a just and respected king from the kingdom. However, in the last part of the story he behaved in a bad manner. When their eldest sons had tricked him and had told him lies about their youngest, he did not offer Andrew a chance to explain himself.
We mention in here the important role of the three enchanting and charming ladies from the isle of Buda who appear in the tale as a test (inial test) for the three sons. The first two sons are trapped in their charms and totally forgot about their father and the purpose of their voyage (to search for and bring the healing water). Only the youngest was capable of passing the test and continue his voyage toward the Sleeping Queen’s city.
Fata Morgana –who has cast a spell over the queen out of envy.
The functions of the fairy tale
We have an initial situation –in which is presented the kingdom ruled by a just and respected king as well as his three sons.
The lack of something –one member of the family (in here the king) lacks something ( his eyesight) and desires to have it back.
Misfortune or lack is made known –the king’s lose of eyesight and the hero is approached with a request or command. In our tale the eldest brothers of the king (Stephano and Gian) are allowed to go in search of the healing water. As they do not come back, the youngest, Andrew ask for permission to go and bring his two brothers back as well as the water.
The hero leaves home. On his way toward the healing water, Andrew is tested. He finds his two brothers on the isle of Buda where he is also tempted to stay in the crystal palace with them and their wives. He doesn’t fall in the trap, but wants to accomplish the task which was being given to him.
A difficult task is proposed to the hero. He has to cross a dangerous sea full of white bears in order to get to the Sleeping Queen’s city. This is a test of strength, adroitness, fortitude.
The hero acquires the use of a magical agent –in this tale the hero acquires the use of the healing water and of the apples which cause blindness.
A false hero presents unfounded claims –in our case the hero arrives home, but false claims are presented by his brothers (claim to have found the water and the city of the Sleeping Queen). The two brothers pose as captures of the prize. The hero is banished from the kingdom and sent to death.
The false hero is exposed. The two brothers are exposed and punished. Stephano is killed and spiked atop the queen’s city gate whereas Gian is banished from his father’s side.
The hero is married and ascends the throne. Andrew marries the Queen and he becomes King of the Isle of Happiness which was now called up due to the songs of joy who could have been heard for months afterwards.
Similarities With Other Tales
Obviously, this tale may be considered another version of the Sleeping Beauty. Sleeping Beauty or Little Briar Rose, also titled as The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods, is a classic fairy tale which involves three elements, a beautiful princess, a sleeping enchantment and a handsome prince. Though the story was originally published by Charles Perrault, the version collected by the Grimm Brothers was an orally transmitted version of the original literary tale published by Perrault. This, in turn was based on Soon, Moon and Talia by Italian poet, Giambatistta Basile which was in turn based on one or more folk tales.
Perrault’s narrative is written in two parts, which some folklorists believe were originally separate tales as they were in the Brother Grimm’s version, and were later joined together by Giambattista Basile and once more by Perrault.
We have in our tale the three elements of the original version of the Sleeping Beauty: a beautiful princess, but in here is a queen, a sleeping enchantment (she has been cast under a spell by Fata Morgana) and a handsome prince (who comes and wakes her).
In my opinion this tale contains a combination of elements from different fairy tales. For instance, the test (initial test) that all three brothers have to pass at the beginning of the tale when the ship has been anchored on the Isle of Buda can be compared to other Romanian fairy tales, such as “Harap-Alb” or “Praslea cel Voinic” in which the hero also has to get through a test in order to continue his voyage.
In the last part of the tale, Andrew’s sentence to death in the woods and the proof the guards need to bring to the king (his heart) is very similar to that of Snow-White who as well is sent to the woods to be slaughtered and to have her heart ripped out of her chest. Andrew is saved by the mercifulness of his guards who have known him since he was a child, instead him, a pig is killed and brought to the castle. Snow-White is rescued by the kindness of the huntsman, instead of her heart a wild boar is killed and taken to her stepmother.
The main idea, the foundation is based on that of The Sleeping Beauty tale as its name implies, but the author has inserted some elements which can be found in others well-known Romanian fairy tales.
Modern-day-editions
Being a well-known fairy tale many modern day editions have been written. From them, we can mention:
Coover, Robert. Briar Rose. New York: Grove Press, 1998.
Davidson, Avram and Grania Davis. Marco Polo & the Sleeping Beauty. New York: Baen, 1988.
Dickerson, Melanie. The Healer's Apprentice. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010.
Dokey, Cameron. Beauty Sleep. New York: Simon Pulse, 2002.
Doman, Regina. Waking Rose. Front Royal, VA: Chesterton Press, 2008.
Flinn, Alex. A Kiss in Time. New York: HarperTeen, 2009.
Geras, Adele. Watching the Roses. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992.
Golden, Christopher. When Rose Wakes. San Diego: MTV Books, 2010.
Harvey-Fitzhenry, Alyxandra. Waking. Orca Book Publishers, 2006.
Haskell, Merrie. The Castle Behind Thorn. New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2014.
Lackey, Mercedes. Gates of Sleep. New York: Daw, 2002.
Lackey, Mercedes. Sleeping Beauty. Don Mills, Ontario: Luna, 2010.
Levine, Gail Carson. Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep. New York: Harpercollins, 1999.
Lickiss, Rebecca. Never After. New York: Ace, 2002.
Lowe, Helen. Thornspell. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2008.
Mahy, Margaret. The Changeover: A Supernatural Romance. London: Magnet, 1984.
Masson, Sophie. Clementine. Australia: Hodder Headline, 1999.
McGowan, Maureen. Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer. San Diego: Silver Dolphin Books, 2011.
McKiernan, Dennis L. Once Upon a Summer Day New York: Roc, 2005.
McKinley, Robin. Spindle's End. New York: Putnam, 2000.
Mlynowski, Sarah Whatever After #4: Dream On. New York: Scholastic Press, 2014.
Moss, Jenny. Shadow. New York: Scholastic Press, 2010.
Sheehan, Anna. A Long, Long Sleep. New York: Candlewick, 2011.
Strohmeyer, Sarah. The Sleeping Beauty Proposal. New York: Dutton Adult, 2007.
Tepper, Sheri S. Beauty. New York: Bantam Spectra, 1992.
Yolen, Jane. Briar Rose. New York: Tor Books, 1993.
Zahler, Diane. Sleeping Beauty's Daughters. New York: HarperCollins, 2013.
Zelazny, Roger and Robert Sheckley. Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming. New York: Bantam Doubleday, 1991.
SOURCES
http://www.jesterbear.com/Aradia/sleepingqueen.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeping_Beautyhttp://www.surlalunefairytales.com/slee ... hemes.htmlhttp://www.mftd.org/index.php?action=atu&https://archive.org/stream/MorphologyOf ... 7/mode/2up
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