fairy tales with swimming in rivers?
August 12, 2010 3:09 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for fairy tales that have swimming in them, or river symbolism: Puss in Boots is one.
I'm particularly interested in looking at the miller's son to marquis process that involves the river, (thought not in all Puss and Boots tellings include a river, interestingly.)
Sometimes Puss says to the King, who is driving past: "help, my master is drowning" and sometimes it's "help, he went for a swim and thieves stole his clothes!" That's an interesting difference and I wonder if there are other fairy tales, hopefully from the same sort of period of Perault and Straparola's Puss in Boots tales, that also feature swimming or rivers.
full disclosure: yes this is for an assignment but it's due Friday, so this is more for general interest for this subject rather than "please do my research for me." :)
I'm particularly interested in looking at the miller's son to marquis process that involves the river, (thought not in all Puss and Boots tellings include a river, interestingly.)
Sometimes Puss says to the King, who is driving past: "help, my master is drowning" and sometimes it's "help, he went for a swim and thieves stole his clothes!" That's an interesting difference and I wonder if there are other fairy tales, hopefully from the same sort of period of Perault and Straparola's Puss in Boots tales, that also feature swimming or rivers.
full disclosure: yes this is for an assignment but it's due Friday, so this is more for general interest for this subject rather than "please do my research for me." :)
The Three Billy Goats Gruff has no swimming per se, but the troll does get thrown into the river at the end.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:35 AM on August 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:35 AM on August 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Have you looked at the Aarne Thompson indices which try to classify folktales by type? Your library (if it's a university library) should have them.
posted by tavegyl at 3:45 AM on August 12, 2010
posted by tavegyl at 3:45 AM on August 12, 2010
Does it have to be fairy tales specifically?
If so, perhaps try The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin, but this is a lot later than the period you mention.
I.e. Aesop's The Dog and the Bone. Or the fable of The Donkey and the Merchant.
Also, there is obviously a lot of mythology and symbolism around the River Styx. E.g. the story of Echo and Narcissus.
Also, the Jewish fairy tale of The Beggar King
All exemplify the general theme of water as an agent of change - misfortune or redemption, peril or cleansing - and a strong link with greed/selfishness. In the case of the River Styx, the metaphor is overt - it is literally the border between life and death.
posted by MuffinMan at 3:49 AM on August 12, 2010
If so, perhaps try The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin, but this is a lot later than the period you mention.
I.e. Aesop's The Dog and the Bone. Or the fable of The Donkey and the Merchant.
Also, there is obviously a lot of mythology and symbolism around the River Styx. E.g. the story of Echo and Narcissus.
Also, the Jewish fairy tale of The Beggar King
All exemplify the general theme of water as an agent of change - misfortune or redemption, peril or cleansing - and a strong link with greed/selfishness. In the case of the River Styx, the metaphor is overt - it is literally the border between life and death.
posted by MuffinMan at 3:49 AM on August 12, 2010
[In Scottish Celtic mythology] "The Dracæ are a sort of water-spirits who inveigle women and children into the recesses which they inhabit, beneath lakes and rivers, by floating past them, on the surface of the water, in the shape of gold rings or cups."
posted by rongorongo at 4:00 AM on August 12, 2010
posted by rongorongo at 4:00 AM on August 12, 2010
The Water Babies may be interesting to you, though it's from a later period than you're looking at.
posted by Magnakai at 4:27 AM on August 12, 2010
posted by Magnakai at 4:27 AM on August 12, 2010
The Gingerbread Man runs from everyone until he needs the help of a fox to cross a river.
posted by TooFewShoes at 5:28 AM on August 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by TooFewShoes at 5:28 AM on August 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Das Rheingold from Der Ring des Nibelungen springs to mind...
posted by Hanuman1960 at 5:32 AM on August 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Hanuman1960 at 5:32 AM on August 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
The version of Bearskin that the nebulawindgirlfriend knows has the evil sisters drown in a river at the end.
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:42 AM on August 12, 2010
posted by nebulawindphone at 5:42 AM on August 12, 2010
The Frog Prince (frog swimming)
The children of Lir, who turn into swans who then swim around a bit.
The three billy goats Gruff, with a troll 'swimming' under the bridge (but in one illustration I've seen he's actually the river)
Possibly nothing to do with your assignment, but I wonder idly if, in fairy tales, rivers equal metamorphosis, while standing water (the frog's pool) doesn't. After all, the frog had to leave the pool before he was able to change. Also running water is generally a force for good (vampires can't pass over it) while standing water is generally evil (isn't is associated with that sorceress in Arthurian legend? Um, that's all I've got)...
posted by low_horrible_immoral at 5:47 AM on August 12, 2010
The children of Lir, who turn into swans who then swim around a bit.
The three billy goats Gruff, with a troll 'swimming' under the bridge (but in one illustration I've seen he's actually the river)
Possibly nothing to do with your assignment, but I wonder idly if, in fairy tales, rivers equal metamorphosis, while standing water (the frog's pool) doesn't. After all, the frog had to leave the pool before he was able to change. Also running water is generally a force for good (vampires can't pass over it) while standing water is generally evil (isn't is associated with that sorceress in Arthurian legend? Um, that's all I've got)...
posted by low_horrible_immoral at 5:47 AM on August 12, 2010
Urashima Taro is a well known Japanese folktale about a fisherman who rides on the back of a sea turtle to an underwater kingdom, with some unforseen consequences.
The Kappa is a Japanese folk creature who lives in and around rivers.
posted by Geameade at 6:44 AM on August 12, 2010
The Kappa is a Japanese folk creature who lives in and around rivers.
posted by Geameade at 6:44 AM on August 12, 2010
Chinese folk tales and mythology are crammed with references to rivers, water and rain. This might be too far afield but the stories are fascinating.
posted by Go Banana at 6:45 AM on August 12, 2010
posted by Go Banana at 6:45 AM on August 12, 2010
Writers (and spouses) Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson teamed up to write Water: Tales of Elemental Spririts, a collection of short stories about mythological creatures associated with water.
posted by orange swan at 6:51 AM on August 12, 2010
posted by orange swan at 6:51 AM on August 12, 2010
"SurLaLune Fairy Tales features 49 annotated fairy tales, including their histories, similar tales across cultures, modern interpretations and over 1,500 illustrations."
posted by elle.jeezy at 8:36 AM on August 12, 2010
posted by elle.jeezy at 8:36 AM on August 12, 2010
Seven Chinese Brothers and Anansi the Spider involve river drinking, I believe.
posted by cross_impact at 10:18 AM on August 12, 2010
posted by cross_impact at 10:18 AM on August 12, 2010
The folk tale Phalene is referring to is called Issunboshi, and it's essentially Tom Thumb Japan-style.
There are lots of Japanese folk tales with water in them, although that may just be a consequence of being a relatively small island country. That said, Urashima Taro, as mentioned, uses the ocean as a Rip Van Winkle-esque device. Momotaro ("peach boy") is another decent one. He goes on an epic journey across the ocean to Oni Island ("monster island") to do battle and win treasure.
Also be sure to check out the Shinto and Hindu creation myths. They're awesome, fascinating, and just bursting with all kinds of crazy water-based symbolism on an epic scale. If you get overwhelmed and don't know where to start, look for stories about Izanagi and Izanami for the Shinto stuff and read up on Brahma's birth for Hindu stories.
posted by Diagonalize at 11:34 AM on August 12, 2010
There are lots of Japanese folk tales with water in them, although that may just be a consequence of being a relatively small island country. That said, Urashima Taro, as mentioned, uses the ocean as a Rip Van Winkle-esque device. Momotaro ("peach boy") is another decent one. He goes on an epic journey across the ocean to Oni Island ("monster island") to do battle and win treasure.
Also be sure to check out the Shinto and Hindu creation myths. They're awesome, fascinating, and just bursting with all kinds of crazy water-based symbolism on an epic scale. If you get overwhelmed and don't know where to start, look for stories about Izanagi and Izanami for the Shinto stuff and read up on Brahma's birth for Hindu stories.
posted by Diagonalize at 11:34 AM on August 12, 2010
Not a river, but The Light Princess by George MacDonald features a gravity-challenged princess who alleviates her condition by swimming, and much of the plot involves the lake in which she does it.
posted by notquitemaryann at 3:25 PM on August 12, 2010
posted by notquitemaryann at 3:25 PM on August 12, 2010
Response by poster: Wow, thanks everyone! It's good to get some breadth when thinking about fairy tales. Also, a huge theme my prof is talking about is that fairy tale is everywhere: Doctor Who is fairy tale, Jane Austen is fairy tale, etc etc.
I really wish I hadn't left this assignment to the last minute now... :)
posted by titanium_geek at 3:39 PM on August 12, 2010
I really wish I hadn't left this assignment to the last minute now... :)
posted by titanium_geek at 3:39 PM on August 12, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Happy Dave at 3:25 AM on August 12, 2010