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Author
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Comment
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moonshell
Unregistered User
(4/15/02 2:48:17 am)
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Supernatural role in fairy tales
Hi, I am an english university student looking into fairy tales and folktales.
I was hoping someone could help me by providing me with some ideas on the role of the supernatural within Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel and The little mermaid (not Disney versions)
I have a few ideas floating around regarding Stepmothers and the aid of the dead parent within the tales.
I would be grateful for any help provided
Thanks
Michelle
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isthmus
nekoi
Registered User
(4/16/02 3:03:00 pm)
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Re: Supernatural role in fairy tales
I believe there's a version of Cinderella in which her dead mother returns to aid her. I'm sure someone more knowledgable on this board could clarify this!
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Laura
McCaffrey
Registered User
(4/16/02 3:37:44 pm)
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re: supernatural
You can find the Cinderella version with the ghost mother in Grimms'.
I believe other tales in their collections have ghostly mother/protectors
as well, but am too tired to check.
Laura Mc
Edited by: Laura McCaffrey at: 4/16/02 3:40:57 pm
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Terri
Registered User
(4/17/02 6:48:43 am)
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Re: re: supernatural
By "the supernatural," do you mean ghosts specifically, or elements of magic in general? If it's the former, you might want to examine The Juniper Tree, too. Like Cinderella, it involves a parental ghost giving aid from the grave. If you're not limited to European tales, there are many ghosts in the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean fairy tale traditions.
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Helen
Registered User
(4/17/02 7:14:08 am)
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Re: re: supernatural
The Russian tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful," is built around the idea of the daughter receiving aid from her dead mother through the medium of a poppet. It's an interesting story, placing a lot of emphasis on a) obeying societal dictates and respecting one's elders (i.e., not disobeying the stepmother sending one to certain death, not offending Baba Yaga inadvertantly by not following proper etiquette), and b) maintaining the connections one has with one's family and heritage to maintain personal power and a sense of self (the heroine's relationship with her mother).
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