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Author
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Comment
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attagrrl
Unregistered User
(8/7/05 11:28 am)
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down the well?
I'm trying to think of fairy tales or any popular stories where someone gets pushed down a well. I'm writing an essay about a novel in which a woman murders someone by pushing him down a well. It really rings a bell--it seems like there has to be some kind of fairy tale connection, but I can't think of/find it. I would appreciate any help. Thanks!
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DerekJ
Unregistered User
(8/7/05 2:52 pm)
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Re: down the well?
You're probably thinking of "The Blue Light", but it'll disappoint you to find out the pushee not only survives, but...well, read the story.
And suppose we can also disqualify the end of "Bearskin",
where one of the vain sisters throws herself down the well--Still,
at least it was a casualty, if you'll settle for that.
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Erica Carlson
Registered User
(8/7/05 3:52 pm)
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Re: down the well?
Mother Holle is the tale that leaps immediately to my mind--the
stepmother in the tale sends "the good daughter" down
the well after a spindle or shuttle, hoping to be rid of her for
good. The girl doesn't die in this one either, but it might still
be of interest. Here's a link to Mother
Holle online (courtesy of Sacred Texts).
It can be awfully hard to kill people in fairy tales, sometimes.
Best,
Erica
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attagrrl
Unregistered User
(8/11/05 11:28 pm)
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thanks
Thanks for your replies. Both of those sound like they will be very useful.
And just to be more precise, my dissertation chapter is on Lady Audley's Secret, an 1860s sensation novel, and the "murdered" man turns up alive at the end. It's about as hard to kill someone in sensation novels (like today's soap operas) as it is in fairy tales.
Thanks again!
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Random
Registered User
(8/12/05 9:18 am)
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Re: wells
You might also try The
Golden Bird in which an enterprising young man's brothers push
him down a well with the intent to murder. This particular story
is also being done in an entertaining and comic form in the communal
webcomic, Golden.
I was searching for a similar fairytale that I had in mind, whose
details I couldn't remember, and came to this one - Simorgh
- An Old Persian Fairy Tale, which is pretty similar to the one
I was looking for. In this one, the hero is again betrayed by his
brothers and left down a well to die (shades in both stories, perhaps,
of the biblical story of Joseph)
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Rosemary Lake
Registered User
(8/12/05 5:19 pm)
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ravine, tomb, comic Cinderella
Jealous brothers or some other rival pushing a hero who has succeeded in the fairy tale task down a 'ravine' is a frequent motif in some Northern European tales. I think it's on Propp's list.
Sinbad was somehow imprisoned in a cave/tomb sort of place.
Oddly, the only 'down a well' fairy tale I can think of, other than "Mother Holle", is an Italian comic 'Cinderella' variant. She is a mischevious youngest sister, who climbs down the well on purpose, comes out in someone else's garden down the hill, and plays pranks.
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janeyolen
Registered User
(8/15/05 5:32 am)
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Re: ravine, tomb, comic Cinderella
Tam Lin, of course. Janet holds him tight and the Queen of the Fey turns him into a serpent, a lion, and then a burning brand. When he turns into a burning brand, she flings him into the well (baptism???) and he emerges a naked man. Then she wraps him in her cloak, having successfully taken him from the fairies.
Jane
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