Thomas Ralph Spence   (British, 1855 - 1918) Sleeping Beauty The Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince. Written as an original literay tale, it was first published by Charles Perrault in Histoires ou contes du temps passé in 1697. In 1959 the story was made into the 1959 Walt Disney animated film, which draws as much from Tchaikovsky’s ballet (premiered at Saint Petersburg in 1890) as it does from Perrault. The beloved fairy tale story of a young woman who goes into a comatose state after getting a splinter in her finger and then being revived by a handsome prince, has its basic elements in both Nordic mythology and 16th century French literature. The Brothers Grimm included a variant, Little Briar Rose, in their collection (1812). It truncates the story as Perrault and Basile told it to the ending now generally known: the arrival of the prince concludes the tale. Some translations of the Grimm tale give the princess the name Rosamond. The brothers considered rejecting the story on the grounds that it was derived from Perrault’s version, but the presence of the Brynhild tale convinced them to include it as an authentically German tale. Still, it is the only known German variant of the tale, and the influence of Perrault is almost certain. The Brothers Grimm also included, in the first edition of their tales, a fragmentary fairy tale, The Evil Mother-in-Law. This began with the heroine married and the mother of two children, as in the second part of Perrault’s tale, and her mother-in-law attempted to eat first the children and then the heroine. Unlike Perrault’s version, the heroine herself suggested an animal be substituted in the dish, and the fragment ends with the heroine’s worry that she can not keep her children from crying, and so from coming to the attention of the mother-in-law. Like many German tales showing French influence, it appeared in no subsequent edition.

Thomas Ralph Spence   (British, 1855 - 1918)

Sleeping Beauty

The Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince. Written as an original literay tale, it was first published by Charles Perrault in Histoires ou contes du temps passé in 1697.

In 1959 the story was made into the 1959 Walt Disney animated film, which draws as much from Tchaikovsky’s ballet (premiered at Saint Petersburg in 1890) as it does from Perrault.

The beloved fairy tale story of a young woman who goes into a comatose state after getting a splinter in her finger and then being revived by a handsome prince, has its basic elements in both Nordic mythology and 16th century French literature.

The Brothers Grimm included a variant, Little Briar Rose, in their collection (1812).

It truncates the story as Perrault and Basile told it to the ending now generally known: the arrival of the prince concludes the tale. Some translations of the Grimm tale give the princess the name Rosamond.

The brothers considered rejecting the story on the grounds that it was derived from Perrault’s version, but the presence of the Brynhild tale convinced them to include it as an authentically German tale. Still, it is the only known German variant of the tale, and the influence of Perrault is almost certain.

The Brothers Grimm also included, in the first edition of their tales, a fragmentary fairy tale, The Evil Mother-in-Law. This began with the heroine married and the mother of two children, as in the second part of Perrault’s tale, and her mother-in-law attempted to eat first the children and then the heroine.

Unlike Perrault’s version, the heroine herself suggested an animal be substituted in the dish, and the fragment ends with the heroine’s worry that she can not keep her children from crying, and so from coming to the attention of the mother-in-law. Like many German tales showing French influence, it appeared in no subsequent edition.

  • January 19
  • , 2012
John William Waterhouse: Pandora, 1896 Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on earth. Zeus ordered Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship, to create her and he did, using water and earth. The gods endowed her with many talents; Aphodite gave her beauty, Apollo music, Hermes persuasion, and so forth. Hence her name: Pandora, “all-gifted”. When Prometheus stole fire from heaven, Zeus took vengeance by presenting Pandora to Epimetheus, Prometheus’ brother. With her, Pandora had a jar which she was not to open under any circumstance. Impelled by her natural curiosity, Pandora opened the jar, and all evil contained escaped and spread over the earth. She hastened to close the lid, but the whole contents of the jar had escaped, except for one thing which lay at the bottom, and that was Hope. She opened the jar out of simple curiosity and not as a malicious act.  

John William Waterhouse: Pandora, 1896

Pandora

In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on earth.

Zeus ordered Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship, to create her and he did, using water and earth. The gods endowed her with many talents; Aphodite gave her beauty, Apollo music, Hermes persuasion, and so forth. Hence her name: Pandora, “all-gifted”.

When Prometheus stole fire from heaven, Zeus took vengeance by presenting Pandora to Epimetheus, Prometheus’ brother.

With her, Pandora had a jar which she was not to open under any circumstance. Impelled by her natural curiosity, Pandora opened the jar, and all evil contained escaped and spread over the earth.

She hastened to close the lid, but the whole contents of the jar had escaped, except for one thing which lay at the bottom, and that was Hope.

She opened the jar out of simple curiosity and not as a malicious act.

 

  • July 12
  • , 2011