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Author
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Comment
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GailS
Unregistered User
(12/4/04 9:09 am)
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Fairytale Potions
Looking for references to potions in fairytales. Searched the archives and came up blank. Thought of Snow White, but could use help with other suggestions.
Thanks,
GailS
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Crceres
Unregistered User
(12/4/04 10:24 am)
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Potions
Some of the Scandinavian stories, in which the hero arrives at the castle of a troll and finds a princess, have an elixir of strength that he has to drink in order to lift the huge sword off the wall (to kill the troll, of course).
Then there is the sleeping draught in East of the Sun West of the moon. It also shows up in stories where the hero is supposed to be awake all night on watch, ie Twelve Dancing Princesses and The Glass Mountain. In the Robber Bridegroom a hapless young woman is plied with three glasses of wine, after which she dies.
Are those the sort you're looking for?
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Helen J Pilinovsky
Registered User
(12/4/04 11:50 am)
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Re: Potions
Also, there's the potion which the Sea Witch provides for the Little Mermaid in HCA's tale, which bifurcates her tail and provides her with the semblence of legs ...
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aka Greensleeves
Registered User
(12/4/04 7:37 pm)
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Re: Potions
Whether or not this fits your topic depends on your view of Carrol, but there are potion scenes in the Alice stories.
Edited by: aka Greensleeves at: 12/5/04 1:42 pm
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GailS
Unregistered User
(12/4/04 9:34 pm)
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Traditional Tales
Thanks for your help. I am looking for classic tales; preferably those with a sinister connotation. Your suggestions have given me food for thought.
GailS
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janeyolen
Registered User
(12/6/04 5:12 am)
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Re: Traditional Tales
"The Water of Life" Grimms, Trina Schart Hyman did a gorgeous version.
Jane
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bielie
Unregistered User
(12/7/04 1:07 pm)
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Potions
I suppose Shrek's ever after potion is not classic enough?
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AliceCEB
Registered User
(12/7/04 1:27 pm)
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Re: Potions
Natalie Babbitt's Tuck Everlasting is not a "classic" fairy tale, but is a classic in it's own right. Also the magic well's spell does have a sinister aspect to it.
Best,
Alice
Edited by: AliceCEB at: 12/7/04 1:28 pm
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MadFae
Registered User
(12/7/04 3:01 pm)
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Re: Potions
While not exactly a fairtytale, there's always the potion in the cauldron of Cerridwen that grants the gift of prophetic poetry (I think). Gwyion or Gwydion tastes three drops, doesn't he?
Here's some info from this link: www.thewhitemoon.com/gall...idwen.html
"Cerridwen was originally worshipped by the people of Wales. It is told that she lived on an island, in the middle of Lake Tegid, named after her husband, with her two children, a beautiful daughter, Creidwy, and a very ugly son, Afagdu. To compensate her son for his unfortunate appearance, Cerridwen brewed a magickal formula, known as "greal", which would make Afagdu the most brilliant and inspired of men. For a year and a day, she kept six herbs simmering in her magickal cauldron, known as "Amen", under the constant care of a boy named Gwion.
One day, while Gwion was stirring the cauldron, a few drops of the bubbling liquid spattered on his hand. Unthinkingly, and in pain, Gwion, sucked his burned hand, and, suddenly, he could hear everything in the world, and understood all the secrets of the past and future. With his newly enchanted foresight, Gwion knew how angry Cerridwen would be when she found he had acquired the inspiration meant for her son.
He ran away, but Cerridwen pursued him. Gwion changed into a hare, and Cerridwen chased him as a greyhound; he changed into a fish, and Cerridwen pursued him as an otter; he became a bird, and she flew after him as a hawk; finally, he changed into a grain of corn, and Cerridwen, triumphant, changed into a hen, and ate him."
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GailS
Unregistered User
(12/7/04 3:42 pm)
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Potions
Thank you all again, for the great leads on potions.
GailS
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stacer
Unregistered User
(12/8/04 11:15 pm)
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Potions
The washerwife at the end of Lang's version of The Black Bull of Norroway gives a sleeping draught to the prince, so that he won't wake up when the girl comes into his room at night to sing to him.
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redtriskell
Registered User
(12/11/04 2:35 am)
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to MadFae
I noted the story you posted. I found it intersting that there is a very similar tale about Fionn Macoul (or however you choose to spell it) cooking a salmon for a powerful magician. He is warned not to taste the fish because the magician wants its magic for himself. Fionn, being an honorable man, agrees not to taste it, but while it's cooking, oil splatters on his hand and he unthinkingly puts his burned fingers in his mouth. At which time the salmon's magic passes to him. The magician is furious and hunts Fionn to kill him to get the knowledge back. The rest of the story is Fionn cleverly outwitting the magician, using the awesome skills provided by the salmon. Of course, Fionn eventually kills the magician and continues to use the wisdom of the salmon most judiciously for the rest of his legendary days.
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Jess
Unregistered User
(12/17/04 9:12 am)
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How about Myths?
I was thinking Tristin and Isolde. Wasn't there a potion to make them fall in love in the first place? And not to get way off fairy tales, but there is always Romeo and Juliet.
Jess
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GailS
Unregistered User
(12/28/04 8:21 am)
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In Love
Sorry I dropped off the board--have been sick. Thanks for the Shakespeare idea. Hadn't thought of going in that direction, but fits the mode.
GailS
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DawnReiser
Registered User
(1/4/05 4:56 pm)
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How about myths?
Iseult's maid, Brangaene, brings a love potion while attending Iseult on her voyage to marry Mark of Cornwall. Iseult and her escort, Tristan, accidentally drink this potion and become lovers.
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