Colin Snow
Sleeping Beauty is a classic fairy tale about a princess cursed to sleep for a hundred years. The earliest version of the tale is found in the French narrative Perceforest, written between 1330 and 1344. The story has since been adapted by many authors, including Giambattista Basile, Charles Perrault, and the Brothers Grimm. The term Sleeping Beauty is often used metaphorically to refer to something that is unrecognized but has great potential, waiting to be discovered.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the Princess | Rosamund |
| Type | Fairy Tale |
| Origin | French |
| Original Title | La Belle au bois dormant |
| Meaning | The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood |
| Alternative Titles | Little Briar Rose, The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods |
| Author | Charles Perrault |
| Year of Publication | 1697 |
| Other Authors | Brothers Grimm, Giambattista Basile |
| Curse | Pricking her finger on a spinning wheel |
| Duration of Sleep | 100 years |
| Awakened by | Kiss of a prince |
| Term Usage | Someone or something unrecognized but valuable |
| Curse Altered by | A good fairy |
| Curse Origin | An evil fairy |
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What You'll Learn
The princess cursed to sleep for a hundred years
"Sleeping Beauty" is a classic fairy tale about a princess who falls under a curse and sleeps for a hundred years. The original story, written between 1330 and 1344, is called "La Belle au bois dormant" in French, which translates to "The Beauty in the Sleeping Forest" or "The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood". The German version is called "Dornröschen", or "Little Briar Rose".
In the tale, a princess is cursed by an evil fairy who was not invited to her christening. The curse is that she will die by pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. However, a good fairy intervenes and alters the curse so that, instead of dying, the princess falls into a deep sleep that can only be broken by the kiss of a prince. Knowing that the princess would be frightened if she woke up alone, the good fairy uses her wand to put every living person and animal in the palace and forest to sleep, to awaken when the princess does.
The earliest known version of the tale is found in the French narrative "Perceforest", written in the 14th century. Another early version is the Catalan poem "Frayre de Joy e Sor de Paser". Giambattista Basile wrote "Sun, Moon, and Talia" for his collection "Pentamerone", published posthumously in 1634–36. This version was adapted by Charles Perrault in "Histoires ou contes du temps passé" in 1697. The Brothers Grimm also published a version of the tale, which was orally transmitted from Perrault's.
The story of Sleeping Beauty has been interpreted in various ways, with some seeing it as a symbol of unrecognized or unused potential, waiting to be awakened or discovered. Italo Calvino's version, "Sleeping Beauty and Her Children", includes a twist where the princess's sleep is caused by a wish made by her mother. In this version, the prince rapes the princess in her sleep, and their children are born.
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The evil fairy's spell
The story of Sleeping Beauty begins with a princess being cursed by an evil fairy. This fairy, sometimes referred to as a wise woman or a wicked godmother, was disgruntled because she had not been invited to the princess's christening. In a fit of vengeance, she cursed the princess to die by pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel.
However, another fairy, a benevolent one, intervened and altered the curse. Instead of death, the princess would fall into a deep slumber, a magical sleep that would last a hundred years. This good fairy also put everyone else in the palace and forest to sleep, so that when the princess finally awoke, she would not be alone and frightened.
The tale of Sleeping Beauty is often interpreted as a symbol of something or someone who is unrecognized or unused but possesses great inherent value and potential, waiting to be discovered or realised.
In some versions of the tale, the spell is broken when the princess is awakened by the kiss of her true love, a handsome prince. In others, the prince arrives at the sleeping princess, but there is no mention of a kiss. The Brothers Grimm version, for example, ends when the prince arrives, and does not include the kiss.
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![Sleeping Beauty [Two- Blu Ray Disc Platinum 50th Anniversary Edition + DVD] [1958] [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61FuSpuUYhL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
The good fairy's alteration
The fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty is a classic story with many interpretations and variations. The tale's meaning has been analysed and reinterpreted over the years, with the core narrative remaining the same.
The Good Fairy's actions demonstrate her power and her benevolent nature. By altering the curse, she provides a chance for the princess's life to be saved and for happiness to be found. This alteration also adds an element of suspense and anticipation to the story, as the audience knows that the princess's life is at stake, and her salvation depends on breaking the spell.
The Good Fairy's actions can be interpreted as a symbol of hope and transformation. Her alteration of the curse demonstrates that even in the face of darkness and evil, there is the potential for light and change. This interpretation adds depth to the story, suggesting that the fairy's magic goes beyond simply changing the curse, but also offers a message of resilience and the power to overcome adversity.
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The prince's kiss
The kiss that breaks the spell cast upon the princess in "Sleeping Beauty" has been the subject of much debate and discussion. The prince's kiss has been criticised as an act of non-consensual assault, particularly due to the princess's unconscious state when she is kissed. This critique is further fuelled by the fact that the princess has little agency throughout the story and is the passive recipient of blessings and curses that alter her body and personality.
However, others argue that the kiss in the most popular versions of the story, including Perrault, Grimm, and Disney, is not portrayed as creepy or assault. In the original French tale by Perrault, the prince does not even kiss the princess to wake her up. Instead, she awakens upon seeing him and they converse for a long time, indicating a level of mutual interest and attraction.
The Disney version also modifies the story to address potential concerns surrounding the kiss. By shortening the princess's sleep to a few hours, the kiss becomes less "icky" as Aurora is kissed awake by Phillip, a man she already knows and has expressed mutual interest in, rather than a stranger. Additionally, Aurora is portrayed as having chosen Phillip over her betrothed prince, adding an element of mutual consent and agency to their relationship.
The interpretation of the kiss in "Sleeping Beauty" has evolved over time, reflecting societal changes in attitudes towards consent, agency, and gender roles. While the original tale may have been criticised for its portrayal of a passive princess and a potentially non-consensual kiss, later adaptations, such as Disney's version, have attempted to address these concerns by empowering the princess and portraying a more mutual and consensual relationship between her and the prince.
Ultimately, the prince's kiss in "Sleeping Beauty" can be viewed through a variety of lenses, each offering a different interpretation and defence of this complex and controversial aspect of the classic fairy tale.
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The Brothers Grimm's version
The Brothers Grimm version of Sleeping Beauty, titled "Little Briar Rose", was included in the first volume of Children's and Household Tales, published in 1812. The tale starts with the birth of a princess, with all the fairies presenting her with birthday wishes. However, one fairy, who had not been invited to the celebration, places a curse on the princess, predicting that she will prick her finger on a spindle and die at age fifteen. The king and queen attempt to protect their daughter by ridding the kingdom of spindles, but the prophecy is fulfilled regardless.
In the Brothers Grimm version, the fairies are described as wise women, and there are twelve of them, along with the thirteenth, who is left out and places the curse. The princess's name is given as Briar Rose, although some translations of the tale also refer to her as Rosamond or Rosamund.
The story then introduces a prince, who arrives to wake Sleeping Beauty with a kiss after she has been asleep for one hundred years. Interestingly, the prince's kiss does not actually break the curse; he simply arrives at the right time, just as the curse is about to end. This part of the tale differs from other versions, such as the one by Charles Perrault, where the princess is awakened with a kiss.
The Brothers Grimm version of Sleeping Beauty ends when the prince arrives and kisses the princess, and does not include a second part found in other variants. Their decision to include this tale was notable, as they had considered rejecting it due to its French origins and similarities to Perrault's version. However, the presence of the Brynhild tale, an earlier influence on the Sleeping Beauty story, convinced them to include it as an authentically German tale.
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Frequently asked questions
Sleeping Beauty is a fairy tale about a princess who is cursed by an evil fairy to sleep for a hundred years. She is awakened by a handsome prince who breaks the spell with a kiss.
The original French name for the tale is "La Belle au bois dormant", which translates to "The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood". The present participle "sleeping" refers to the beauty, not the wood, though it is sometimes misinterpreted as "the beauty in the sleeping wood".
The term "Sleeping Beauty" is often used to symbolise something or someone that is valuable but unrecognized or unused, waiting to be discovered.
Yes, there are several versions of the story. The earliest known version is found in the French narrative Perceforest, written between 1330 and 1344. Another version was published by Giambattista Basile in his collection titled The Pentamerone in 1634. This was adapted by Charles Perrault in 1697. The Brothers Grimm also published an oral version of the tale that was transmitted from Perrault.
