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27

Celtic Magazine, vol. xiii, pp. 454-465. (Narrated by M. Sinclair, Tiree, and given as nearly as possible in his words.)

"THE SNOW-WHITE MAIDEN, AND THE FAIR MAID, AND THE SWARTHY MAID, AND FRIZZLE OR BALD-PATE THEIR MOTHER."

ABSTRACT

Ill-treated heroine (by step-mother and step-sisters)--Menial heroine--Befriended by "Cantrips" or Trouble the House-- Magic dresses--Starlings three sit on either shoulder--Cantrips strikes rock and produces black steed--Meeting-place (church) --Flight (two-fold) shoe--Shoe marriage test--Heroine hidden under wash-tub--Happy Marriage--Milk and honey from heroine's finger-tips allay thirst of prince. "Fair maid" accompanies heroine as maid of honour, pushes her whilst bathing into lock where great beast "Senselessness" seizes her. Heroine comes up twice and questions herd-boy, third time is waylaid by prince, who slays monster. Birds sing for heroine alone. Steed weeps tears of blood for her.

TABULATION

(1) King has married second wife Frizzle, mother of Fair and Swarthy Maid.-- (2) These go to church to see a king's son, and leave Snow White at home at hard work.-- (3) "Cantrips", or Trouble the House, asks her if she would not like to go also, lays an enchantment-rod upon her, and transforms her; her dress is like sunlight, a golden shoe on one foot, a silver one on the other, and three starlings on each shoulder.-- (4) If Snow White is thirsty and puts her hand to her mouth, wine and honey will flow out.-- (5) She is to seat herself near the door and not to wait for close.-- (6) Cantrips strikes the enchantment-rod on a rock and turns it into a black steed,-- (7) First visit to church, escape, wonder of sisters, Snow White's demand to go, and refusal on account of her plainness.-- (8) Second visit to church, king's son pursues, and wins a golden shoe.-- (9) Prince's vow to wed one whom the shoe fitted.-- (10) His visit to Snow White's house; she is hidden under washing-tub by stepmother and sisters.-- (11) The shoe nearly fits Fair Maid, but the prince is not satisfied. Snow White cries out, is fetched, and shoe fitted on her.-- (12) Wedding lakes place, and Fair Maid accompanies Snow White as maid of honour.-- (13) Snow White when her husband is thirsty gives him milk and honey from her fingers.-- (14) The sisters go to bathe, Fair Maid pushes Snow White into loch, where she is seized by the Great Beast Senselessness.-- (15) When the prince returns the birds are not singing, and the black steed is shedding tears of blood.-- (16) He is thirsty, but he cannot get the wine and honey from Fair Maid's hand. He falls into deep melancholy.-- (17) Snow White asks the Monster to let her go on shore to warm herself; it is granted if she promise to return.-- (18) She comes to a herd-boy and asks, "Are wine and honey flowing, are the buds singing, is the black steed dead, is the King of Erinn's son glad?"-- (19) The herd relates this to prince, who bids him kindle a fire in his hut.-- (20) Snow White again comes up on land, again questions the herd-boy, who again tells the prince, saying the woman was like the queen.-- (21) Snow White again comes up, is waylaid by prince, who calls together his soldiers and they slay the Beast.

Note.--Editor points out Irish provenance testified to by title of hero; the pre-Christian character of such incidents as the Druidic wand and the lake-beast; the connection of the latter with the Kelpie belief. This fine story has two "runs"; one descriptive of heroine's appearance when transformed, and one, the heroine's question about her home.

Cox, Marian Roalfe. Cinderella: Three Hundred and Forty-five Variants of Cinderella, Catskin, and Cap O' Rushes, abstracted and tabulated. London: David Nutt for the Folklore Society, 1893.

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