Isabella Flores
The Grimm Brothers' fairy tale Rapunzel is a classic story about a young girl imprisoned in a tower by an enchantress. The story was first published in 1812 and later edited in 1857 by Wilhelm Grimm, who removed elements that he believed were added to the original German fairy tale. The Grimm Brothers' version of the story is the most prevalent in the Western literary canon, but it is based on earlier European folktales, such as the Italian story Petrosinella and the French tale Persinette. The tale has inspired various adaptations and retellings, including paintings, sculptures, illustrations, poems, novels, and films, demonstrating its enduring appeal and versatility.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Original Source | "Persinette" by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force (1697/1698) |
| Original Source Translation | "Rapunzel" by Friedrich Schulz (1790) |
| Original Source Collector | Brothers Grimm (1812/1857) |
| Plot | A girl with long hair is locked in a tower by an enchantress/sorceress |
| A prince hears Rapunzel singing and falls in love with her | |
| Rapunzel lets down her hair for the enchantress/sorceress to climb up | |
| The prince climbs up Rapunzel's hair and proposes to her | |
| Rapunzel agrees and devises a plan to escape | |
| The sorceress finds out and cuts off Rapunzel's hair | |
| The prince falls into a thorn bush and is blinded | |
| Rapunzel gives birth to twins | |
| Rapunzel's tears restore the prince's sight | |
| The sorceress takes pity on the couple and transports them to the prince's kingdom |
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What You'll Learn
Rapunzel's name origin
The name Rapunzel brings to mind the famous long-haired princess from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. However, the name has older roots than the 1812 German fairy tale. The Grimms' version was based on a story by Friedrich Schulz, published in 1790, which was itself a translation of the French fairy tale 'Persinette' by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force, published in 1697. It was Schulz who changed the name of the maiden and the plant she craved to Rapunzel.
In the story, Rapunzel's mother craved rapunzel, a vegetable, while she was pregnant with her. The sorceress agreed to let the mother's husband take as much rapunzel as he wanted, on the condition that the baby was given to her when she was born. The baby girl was then named Rapunzel, after the plant her mother had craved while pregnant.
The name Rapunzel is rarely used outside of the fairy tale or its adaptations. However, in Liechtenstein, Sweden, and Denmark, the name consistently ranks among the top 10,000 names for girls.
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Rapunzel's mother's forbidden desire
The story of Rapunzel, collected by the Brothers Grimm, can be traced back to earlier European folktales, such as the Italian story "Petrosinella" by Giambattista Basile and the French tale "Persinette" by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force. These earlier versions share common elements with the Brothers Grimm’s "Rapunzel," such as a girl locked in a tower, a prince, and the use of long hair as a means of escape.
In the Grimm brothers' version of the story, Rapunzel's mother is pregnant and sees a bed of rapunzel in a garden outside her window. She longs for the rapunzel so much that she becomes miserably ill. Her husband, fearing for her life, climbs over the wall to get some of the rapunzel for her. However, the garden belongs to an enchantress, who catches him and demands that he hand over the couple's future child in exchange for the rapunzel. The enchantress names the baby Rapunzel and imprisons her in a tower when she turns twelve years old.
While the Grimm brothers' version of the story emphasizes Rapunzel's mother's desire for the rapunzel plant, other variations of the tale, such as the Disney movie "Tangled," focus on the mother's desire for the lanterns that represent the forbidden. In both versions, the mother's longing for something she cannot have sets the stage for Rapunzel's own exploration of forbidden desires, particularly her desire for love.
In conclusion, Rapunzel's mother's forbidden desire in the Grimm brothers' story is her longing for the rapunzel plant, which leads to her making a deal with the enchantress and ultimately results in Rapunzel's imprisonment. This forbidden desire sets the tone for the rest of the story and highlights the consequences of giving in to one's desires.
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Rapunzel letting down her hair
The story of Rapunzel, a maiden with long golden hair, locked in a tower by an old, jealous witch, has captured the imagination of generations of readers and inspired retellings in various forms. The original tale, attributed to the Grimm Brothers, has been adapted and republished multiple times, with each retelling adding new elements to the story.
In the Grimm Brothers' version, Rapunzel is not a princess but becomes one after marrying her true love. Locked away in a tower by an old witch, Rapunzel lets down her long hair every night so that her lover can climb up to meet her. The couple dreams of escaping their confined existence, and the prince smuggles fabric for them to make a rope. However, their secret trysts are revealed when Rapunzel becomes pregnant, leading to the witch's anger and retribution. As punishment, the witch cuts off Rapunzel's hair and banishes her to the forest, where she gives birth to twins alone.
The Grimm Brothers' tale, first published in 1812, retains elements of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, which was later removed in the 1857 edition, edited by Wilhelm Grimm, to make it more suitable for children. The story's origins can be traced back to even earlier versions, such as "Persinette" by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force, published in 1697, and its German translation, "Rapunzel," by Friedrich Schulz in 1790.
The image of Rapunzel letting down her hair from the tower window has become an iconic symbol of the story. This act of lowering her hair represents Rapunzel's desire to connect with her lover, defying the isolation imposed by the witch. The long, golden hair symbolises beauty, femininity, and power, and its cutting represents shame and vulnerability in the context of the story.
Rapunzel's hair also serves a functional purpose in the plot, acting as a rope for her lover to climb, creating a sense of secrecy and intrigue. The tower setting enhances the sense of isolation and the need for clandestine meetings. The image of Rapunzel in the tower, letting down her hair, has become a defining feature of the fairy tale, inspiring artists, poets, and filmmakers to create their interpretations of this classic story.
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Rapunzel's out-of-wedlock pregnancy
The story of Rapunzel has been adapted and published in various versions. The original tale by the Grimm Brothers included an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, where Rapunzel becomes pregnant after her trysts with the prince. In the original 1812 version, the pregnancy reveals the prince's secret visits to the tower. However, in the 1857 version, edited by Wilhelm Grimm, this detail was altered to address criticism that the story was inappropriate for children. Instead, Rapunzel's slip of the tongue about her waistband getting tighter reveals the affair.
The tale carries hidden messages about womanhood, parenting, and desire. Rapunzel's mother, during her own pregnancy, craves a herb from her neighbour's garden and refuses to eat anything else. Her husband, fearing for her life, steals the herb but is caught by the neighbour, who is referred to as a fairy, sorceress, enchantress, or witch in different versions of the story. The neighbour agrees to let the husband take as much of the herb as he wants on the condition that they give her their unborn child.
Rapunzel grows up in confinement, locked in a tower by the sorceress. One day, a prince discovers the tower and becomes entranced by Rapunzel's singing. He learns how to access the tower and visits her frequently. However, their affair is discovered by the sorceress, leading to consequences for both Rapunzel and the prince. In the original tale, the sorceress cuts Rapunzel's hair and banishes her to live in the desert, where she gives birth to twins alone. The prince, in a clear act of attempted suicide, leaps from the tower and loses his eyesight.
In later versions, the Grimms altered the tale to make the prince and Rapunzel betrothed before their affair, softening the impact of their premarital relationship. Years later, Rapunzel and her twins find the blinded prince, and her tears miraculously restore his sight. They return to his kingdom, where they live happily ever after.
The story of Rapunzel has been interpreted as a cautionary tale about the consequences of women seeking agency and control over their lives. It also reflects the societal norms and expectations around pregnancy and women's bodies during the time it was written.
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Rapunzel's tears restoring the prince's sight
Rapunzel is a fairy tale that has been adapted and retold in various forms. The story was first published by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force in 1697 under the name "Persinette". The tale was later translated into German and appeared in 1790 as "Rapunzel". The Grimm Brothers included the story in their first (1812) and seventh (1857) editions of "Children's and Household Tales".
In the Grimm Brothers' version of the story, Rapunzel is a maiden who becomes pregnant out of wedlock with the prince's child. The prince is tricked by the villain, causing him to go blind. Rapunzel and the prince have twins, and when they are reunited, Rapunzel's tears fall into the prince's eyes and restore his sight. This element of the story is also present in the original tale by de La Force.
In the original story, the prince rides through the forest and hears Rapunzel singing from a tower. He becomes entranced by her voice and discovers the tower, but is unable to enter. The prince returns often, listening to Rapunzel's singing. One day, he sees the sorceress visit Rapunzel and learns how to gain access to the tower.
When the prince and Rapunzel are finally reunited, she holds him and cries, and her tears fall onto his eyes, restoring his sight. This restoration of his eyesight is symbolic of the prince's realization that he must take responsibility for making Rapunzel pregnant.
The story of Rapunzel has been adapted and retold in many ways, including in the Disney film "Tangled" and the German film "Rapunzel oder Der Zauber der Tränen" (Rapunzel or the Magic of Tears). The tale has also inspired various books, poems, and other creative works.
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Frequently asked questions
No, there is no mention of Rapunzel painting in the Grimm Brothers story.
The story of Rapunzel collected by the Brothers Grimm tells the story of a young girl named Rapunzel who is imprisoned in a tower by an enchantress. The tale includes elements such as a girl locked in a tower, a prince, and the use of long hair as a means of escape.
The story of Rapunzel can be traced back to earlier European folktales, such as the Italian story "Petrosinella" by Giambattista Basile and the French tale "Persinette" by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force. The Grimm Brothers' immediate source of "Rapunzel" was a story published by Friedrich Schultz in 1790.
