Gina Johnson
The tale of a princess falling into an enchanted sleep has been told and retold countless times, with many variations. The story of Sleeping Beauty, as told by the Brothers Grimm, features a princess named Briar Rose who pricks her finger and falls into a deep sleep. In the Aarne-Thompson classification system for fairy tales, this story is listed as Type 410, and includes a princess who is magically forced into sleep and later awakened by true love's kiss. In Disney's 1959 animated film, the princess is named Aurora, and she is cursed by the evil fairy Maleficent. Other versions of the story include the medieval courtly romance Perceforest, in which a princess named Zellandine falls into an enchanted sleep, and Giambattista Basile's version, in which the sleeping beauty is named Talia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Princess | Aurora, also known as Briar Rose |
| Name of Fairy Tale | Sleeping Beauty |
| Year of Release | 1959 |
| Type of Film | Animated feature film |
| Studio | Walt Disney Productions |
| Voice Artist | Mary Costa |
| Aurora's Parents | King Stefan and Queen Leah |
| Aurora's Alias | Briar Rose |
| Aurora's Appearance | Golden hair, blue eyes, sweet laughter, kind, graceful, and a heartwarming smile |
| Aurora's Gifts | Beauty and song |
| Aurora's Age | 16 |
| Aurora's Love Interest | Prince Phillip |
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What You'll Learn
Princess Aurora, also known as Briar Rose
Aurora is graceful, playful, and optimistic. She is loyal in her relationships with her animal friends, the good fairies Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, and her kingdom. She is kind and imaginative, often sharing stories with her forest friends. Aurora is based on the titular protagonist of the 1697 fairy tale La Belle au bois dormant by Charles Perrault. However, in Perrault's version, the princess is not named. She is called Talia in the original Italian version.
In Disney's Sleeping Beauty, Princess Aurora is cursed by the evil fairy Maleficent at birth. The three good fairies hide her in a secluded cottage under the alias Briar Rose to protect her from Maleficent until her sixteenth birthday. On her sixteenth birthday, Aurora pricks her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and falls into a deep sleep, just as Maleficent had cursed. The good fairies place a powerful spell on all the people in the kingdom, causing them to fall into a deep sleep until the spell on their princess is broken.
In the original fairy tale, the princess sleeps for 100 years before she is awakened by a prince's kiss. In Disney's version, Aurora is awakened much sooner. She is awakened by a kiss from her true love, Prince Phillip, to whom she had been betrothed since infancy.
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Cursed to die by Maleficent
The princess who takes a beauty sleep is Princess Aurora, also known as Briar Rose, the titular protagonist of Disney's 1959 animated feature film Sleeping Beauty. She is cursed by the evil fairy Maleficent to die by pricking her finger on a spinning wheel before sunset on her sixteenth birthday.
In the original tale, the princess's parents are told by a wicked fairy that their daughter will die when she pricks her finger on a particular item. In the Grimm Brothers' version, this item is a spindle. The parents rid their kingdom of these items in an attempt to protect their daughter, but the prophecy is fulfilled regardless.
In the Disney film, Princess Aurora is cursed by Maleficent at her christening. Maleficent is angry at not receiving an invitation and, in an act of revenge, she curses the newborn Aurora. The curse is that before sunset on her sixteenth birthday, Aurora will prick her finger on a spinning wheel's spindle and die. However, one of the three good fairies, Merryweather, alters the curse so that Aurora will not die but will fall into a deep sleep, only to be awakened by a kiss from her true love.
In the 2014 live-action reimagining of the film, Maleficent, the story is retold from the villain's perspective. In this version, Maleficent curses the princess as an infant to avenge a years-old betrayal by King Stefan, Aurora's father. Despite her rage toward Stefan, Maleficent's pity for the princess overcomes her anger, and she herself helps raise Aurora covertly. When Aurora ultimately encounters Maleficent for the first time, she is touched by Aurora's affectionate nature, and the girl regards Maleficent as her fairy godmother.
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Falls into deep sleep after pricking her finger
The story of a princess who pricks her finger and falls into a deep sleep is most famously told in the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty. The princess in the original fairy tale is unnamed, but in Disney's 1959 animated film adaptation, she is called Aurora, also known as Briar Rose. In the original tale, the princess pricks her finger on a spindle, or a piece of flax, and falls into a deep sleep for 100 years. In the Disney film, the princess Aurora is cursed by the evil fairy Maleficent to prick her finger on a spinning wheel's spindle and die before sunset on her sixteenth birthday. However, one of the three good fairies weakens the curse, so instead of dying, Aurora falls into a deep sleep.
In Giambattista Basile's version of Sleeping Beauty, called Sun, Moon, and Talia, the sleeping beauty, Talia, falls into a deep sleep after getting a splinter of flax in her finger. She is discovered in her palace by a wandering prince who takes advantage of her, and she later gives birth to twins while still unconscious. In Basile's version, the princess's life is predicted by wise men and astrologers after her birth, and her father, a great lord, learns that she will be in danger from a splinter of flax. Talia, now grown, sees an old woman spinning outside her window and, intrigued, invites the woman over. She takes the distaff from the woman and pricks her finger, causing her to fall asleep.
In the 1959 Disney film, the three good fairies raise Aurora as a peasant to protect her from Maleficent's curse. On the day of her sixteenth birthday, Aurora is hypnotically lured by Maleficent to a tower room, where she pricks her finger on a spindle and falls into a deep sleep. The fairies place Aurora on a bed in the highest tower to sleep, and they put the entire kingdom to sleep until the spell is broken. The good fairies realise that Prince Phillip is the man with whom Aurora has fallen in love, but he is captured by Maleficent. Eventually, Aurora is awakened by Phillip's kiss, and they are reunited.
The tale of a princess pricking her finger and falling asleep has been adapted and retold numerous times throughout history, with various interpretations and additions to the narrative. The concept of a princess falling into a deep sleep after pricking her finger has endured as a classic element of fairy tales and continues to capture the imagination of audiences worldwide.
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Awoken by true love's kiss
The tale of a princess who takes a beauty sleep and is awoken by true love's kiss is a classic fairy tale that has been adapted and retold numerous times. The most well-known version is Disney's 1959 animated feature film "Sleeping Beauty," which is based on the 1697 fairy tale "La Belle au bois dormant" by Charles Perrault. In this version, Princess Aurora, also known as Briar Rose, is cursed by the evil fairy Maleficent to die by pricking her finger on a spinning wheel before sunset on her 16th birthday. However, one of the three good fairies, Merryweather, alters the curse so that Aurora will only fall into a deep sleep and can be awakened by true love's kiss.
In the original fairy tale, the princess sleeps for 100 years before she is awakened by the prince's kiss. This detail was changed in the Disney film, where Prince Phillip is introduced earlier, and Aurora is awakened much sooner. Additionally, some versions of the story, such as the Brothers Grimm's "Briar Rose," include a thorn hedge surrounding the castle, which prevents princes from reaching the sleeping princess and results in their deaths. In this story, the successful prince arrives on the same day that the hundred-year period is ending, leading to speculation that the princess would have woken up on her own anyway.
The concept of true love's kiss breaking a spell is a common theme in fairy tales, but it has also been questioned and challenged in modern times. In Disney's "Frozen," Anna is struck by ice to the heart, and only true love's kiss can save her. However, instead of being saved by a man, she is saved by the true love of her sister, demonstrating that love comes in various forms. Similarly, in a writing prompt on Reddit, a cursed princess is unable to be awakened by kisses from princes but is awoken when a peasant boy splashes her with cold water.
The tale of Sleeping Beauty has been adapted and reimagined numerous times, with different interpretations and twists on the original story. The Aarne-Thompson classification system for fairy tales lists "Sleeping Beauty" as a Type 410, which includes a princess who is magically forced into sleep and later awoken, reversing the magic. Early contributions to the tale include the medieval courtly romance "Perceforest" (c. 1337-1344), where a princess named Zellandine falls in love with a man named Troylus, and the tale takes a different turn. The sleeping beauty narrative has also inspired modern adaptations such as "Maleficent" (2014) and its sequel, "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" (2019), which offer new perspectives on the classic story.
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The original Sleeping Beauty tale
In Giambattista Basile's version, titled "Sun, Moon, and Talia", the sleeping beauty is named Talia. She sees an old woman spinning outside her window and, intrigued, invites the woman over. She takes the spindle from the woman's hand and pricks her finger, falling into a deep sleep. A prince discovers her and carries her to a bed, where he gathers "the first fruits of love". He abandons her, and she later gives birth to twins while still unconscious. In this version, the princess is referred to as being dead, adding a layer of necrophilia to the tale.
In the Brothers Grimm version, titled "Little Briar Rose", several princes try to rescue the princess but are impaled on the thorns of the castle. Eventually, after 100 years, a prince arrives and awakens the princess with a kiss. In this version, the fairies are instead wise women.
In the original tale, the princess is not awakened by the prince's kiss, and the second part of the story introduces the prince's mother, who is an ogress and wishes to eat the princess and her children. This part of the story may have been influenced by Genevieve of Brabant, in which a similar plot plays out.
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Frequently asked questions
The princess who takes beauty sleep is called Aurora, also known as Briar Rose or Sleeping Beauty.
Princess Aurora pricks her finger on a spinning wheel's spindle and falls into a deep sleep.
Princess Aurora is awakened from her deep sleep by a kiss from her true love, Prince Phillip.
