|
Author
|
Comment
|
Jess
Unregistered User
(3/20/02 12:50:50 pm)
|
Of frogs and toads
I have been convalescing for the last few days with nothing to do but read and I managed to reread my collection of Grimms and Perrault, which leads me rather long-windedly to my topic. What is it with frogs? In my copy of Grimms for instance it is a frog that tells Briar Rose's mother that she is to become pregnant. Then there is the frog prince and the toads and frogs story (the Fairies). Frogs appear to have different significance depending upon their place of origin (fertility in Germany and punishment in France). Any thoughts or discussions? I remember our thread(s?) about the Frog Prince, but what of these other stories? Any that I missed?
Jess
|
Elizabeth
Unregistered User
(3/20/02 1:15:37 pm)
|
YES!
The most amazing frog story I ever read was an Asian tale called the Frog Princess. I haven't read it since I was a very small child but its about a prince or nobleman who falls in love with a beautiful maiden. She's supposed to marry him, but is very sad because she's a frog. Anyway all the noble ladies of the house are jealous of her and try to discover the secret of her beauty and find out that she is a frog. They persuade the prince to throw the frog skin into the fire and the princess has to go away or something. Anyway they eventually end up living happily ever after.
Hopr this is helpful to you.
Liz
|
catja1
Registered User
(3/23/02 2:43:25 pm)
|
Frogs?
Maybe as traditional emblems of loathsomeness? Maybe not active evil, like snakes, but general ugliness, sliminess, etc. I was thinking of Byatt's "Story of the Eldest Princess," where the heroine's animal helpers are a scorpion, a toad, and a cockroach. Then there's that thing in _Romeo and Juliet_ about how the ugly toad has beautiful eyes, and the beautiful lark has ugly eyes, or something. Then there's the lore of toads as poisonous, as witches' familiars, and will give you warts, which frogs do too. Also, the French are called "Frogs," for some reason -- they eat frogs' legs?
Catja
|
Jade
Unregistered User
(4/1/02 2:57:11 pm)
|
Frog prince
I'm looking for information on the fairy tale Prince Charming. I am an artist and I'm trying to remember the whole tale from my childhood. I would love to look at a picture book or a video of the fairy tale. Maybe I made up all of the pictures in my head when I was young. Any books or anything related would be very helpful. Thanks Jade
|
