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Author
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Comment
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cb
Registered User
(1/7/03 5:47:44 am)
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Numbers in fairy tales
Dear all,
I am working on a research project about numbers in popular culture and at the moment I am especially concerned with the significance of numbers in fairy tales. Unfortunately I can find just little information about this subject.
Could anybody help me with suggestions for literature on this topic?
Thank you,
Cordula
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cpe
Unregistered User
(1/7/03 9:54:52 pm)
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number books
dear Cordula, what an interesting name dearie.
Try "Number and Time" (I think that's the title) by von franz, but keep in mind her work is laced with classicsm and some things worse.
Also Cooper's encyclopedia of symbols goes into an exhilaration of ideas about each number up to ten and then 100 I believe.
hope this might help a little
all best
cpe
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Andrey Bobev
Unregistered User
(1/10/03 7:44:07 am)
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Numbers
Hi!
A very interesting topic, I think. Try finding anything of Vladimir Prop - he writes about fairy tales. I could help a little about Old Slavonic medieval tradition, but it's a religious one, not mythological. But the theme is rather big, I think. Anything more concrete?
andreybobev@abv.bg
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Jess
Unregistered User
(1/10/03 7:56:08 pm)
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This is a common topic
Hi!
Have you had a chance to search the archives? This is a common topic. Discussions tend to focus on 3 and 7. I have also read items regarding 40 in biblical references, 12, and other even numbers in North American folklore. I think you will find some resources listed as well. Have fun!
Jess
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zanobia
Unregistered User
(1/13/03 1:12:55 pm)
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odd numbers
In Islamic tradition, only odd numbers are used in the worship of God. Prayer phrases are usually repeated in threes. Prayers are five times a day. In pilgrimage, a Muslim must walk around the Ka'ba 7 times. Worry-beads can range from 11 to 33 beads. God has 99 names. And of course, the basis of the belief in Islam, there is one 1 God - no son, no father, no family, just one and alone and supreme. The whole obsession with odd numbers is that they cant be divided - at least not equally.
I think there is an extention of this phenomenon into Islamic folklore. It is a 1000 and 1 nights. There are 3 wishes from the genie in Alladin. Sindbad sails the 7 seas.
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Rod
Registered User
(1/14/03 8:10:04 pm)
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Numbers - Lots of significance
In biblical passages there is plenty of reference and recurrence of the number theme. The numbers 3 & 7 are divine numbers ie. 3 great feasts, the threefold blessing, the trinity, the three hours of prayer, the thrid heaven, and on the third day he rose again from the dead, etc. The numbers of greatest significance are 3,4, 7, 10 and 12. A friend of mine pulled up a huge excerpt on the significance of numbers in the bible which was compiled on biblesoft. Very interesting reading.
I find it interesting that many of these same numbers, especially 3 & 7 have a high degree of correlation to many fairytales.
Hope this helps
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