Sleeping Beauty's Pregnancy: Which Version Wakes Her Up Expecting?

The story of Sleeping Beauty, also known as Briar Rose, La Belle au bois dormant, Dornröschen, or Little Briar Rose, has been told and retold for hundreds of years, with various adaptations and versions emerging over time. While the original tale does not feature any children, later versions, such as those by the Brothers Grimm, depict Sleeping Beauty as having two children—a daughter and a son—after she wakes from her slumber. However, in one particular version, the Italian Sun, Moon, and Talia by Giambattista Basile, published in 1634, Sleeping Beauty, or Talia, wakes up to find herself a mother. In this version, a king finds Talia asleep and unconscious, impregnates her, and leaves. Talia gives birth to twins while still unconscious, and it is only when one of the twins sucks the splinter of flax from her finger that she awakens, confused about what has happened to her.

The original version of Sleeping Beauty

In the Brothers Grimm's version, "Little Briar Rose", published in 1812, the story begins with a frog announcing that the king and queen will have a child. After the birth, the king holds a feast, inviting twelve of the thirteen wise women in his kingdom. Eleven of the twelve wise women bestow gifts on the child, but the uninvited thirteenth declares that the princess will be cursed to die by pricking herself with a spindle during her fifteenth year. The twelfth wise woman, who has not yet given her gift, says that instead of death, the princess will fall into a deep slumber for a hundred years. The princess, Rosamond, pricks her finger in her fifteenth year and falls into a deep sleep, along with the entire castle. When a prince arrives at the castle, he finds himself next to the princess, and she awakens.

In Giambattista Basile's version, "Sun, Moon, and Talia", published in 1634, the sleeping beauty, Talia, falls into a deep sleep after getting a splinter of flax in her finger. She is discovered by a wandering king, who impregnates her and then abandons her. Talia gives birth to twins while still unconscious. She is only awakened when one of the twins sucks the flax from her finger.

Charles Perrault's version, published in 1697, is adapted from Basile's and includes a second part to the narrative that details the couple's troubles after their union. Some folklorists believe the two parts were originally separate tales. In the second part, the princess and her children are introduced to another woman from the prince's life. This woman is not fond of the prince's new family, and calls a cook to kill the children and serve them for dinner. The Brothers Grimm considered rejecting this story as it was derived from Perrault's version, but they included it as an authentically German tale.

The Brothers Grimm version

The Grimms' version is heavily inspired by Giambattista Basile's story "Sun, Moon, and Talia", published posthumously between 1634 and 1636. In this earlier tale, Talia falls asleep after a splinter of flax gets embedded under her nail. A passing king finds her and, unable to wake her, rapes her before returning to his kingdom. Talia gives birth to twins while still unconscious, and one of the infants sucks the flax from her finger, awakening her. When she wakes, Talia discovers she is a mother but has no idea what happened to her.

The Charles Perrault version

The story of Sleeping Beauty has evolved over time, with the original tale dating back hundreds of years and rooted in multiple folklore tales. The earliest version of the story is attributed to the Italian author Giambattista Basile, who wrote "Sun, Moon, and Talia" in 1634. This version of the story follows Talia, a royal princess who is cursed to prick her finger on a spindle and fall into a deep sleep for 100 years.

In Charles Perrault's version of the tale, published in 1697, more than 70 years before the Brothers Grimm's version, the story takes a slightly different turn. In this adaptation, titled "Histoires ou contes du temps passé", Briar Rose (also known as Sleeping Beauty) experiences an enchanted sleep that lasts until she is kissed awake by a prince. Unlike in some later versions, such as those by the Brothers Grimm, Perrault's Briar Rose does not have any children, and the story does not include elements of pregnancy or motherhood.

Perrault's version maintains the core elements of the original tale, with a focus on the sleeping curse and the role of the prince in awakening the princess. It is worth noting that while the specifics of the story may vary across different retellings, the central theme of a cursed princess and her eventual awakening remain consistent.

The Brothers Grimm included their own variant of Sleeping Beauty, titled "Little Briar Rose," in the first volume of "Children's and Household Tales," published in 1812. Their version concludes when the prince arrives to wake Sleeping Beauty, named Rosamund, with a kiss, omitting the second part found in Basile's and Perrault's narratives.

The Sun, Moon, and Talia version

The story of "Sleeping Beauty" has evolved over time, with the original tale being quite different from the popular Disney version. The earliest known version of the story is the Italian narrative "Sun, Moon, and Talia," written by Giambattista Basile and published posthumously between 1634 and 1636. This version of the story is quite dark and includes elements of assault, cannibalism, death, and infidelity.

In the "Sun, Moon, and Talia" version, the sleeping beauty character is named Talia, a royal princess. At her birth, she is visited by a fairy who bestows a gift and a curse upon her. The fairy's blessing ensures that Talia will never suffer any harm, but she is also cursed to one day prick her finger on a special spindle and fall into a 100-year sleep. Despite the king's efforts to banish all flax, hemp, and spinning materials from the kingdom, Talia's curiosity gets the better of her, and she eventually pricks her finger on a spindle held by a passing peddler woman. Believing her to be dead, the distraught king places her body in a country manor and abandons the house forever.

Years later, a king from a neighboring land is hunting in the woods and discovers Talia. Struck by her beauty, he tries to wake her. When he is unable to rouse her, he takes advantage of her unconscious state and impregnates her. He then returns to his kingdom, leaving Talia alone and still unconscious. Talia gives birth to twins while still asleep, and one of the infants sucks on her finger, dislodging the splinter of flax that caused her slumber. She awakens to find herself a mother, with no memory of what happened. Eventually, the king decides to visit Talia again, and the truth of what happened is revealed.

While the "Sun, Moon, and Talia" version of the tale is certainly disturbing by modern standards, it showcases the evolution of the "Sleeping Beauty" story over time. This version, with its graphic details and mature themes, serves as a reminder that fairy tales have not always been as sanitized and child-friendly as they are often presented in modern adaptations.

The Disney version

In the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty, the princess, Aurora, does not get pregnant. The film focuses on her relationship with Prince Phillip, and there is no mention of her having any children. The 1959 sequel to the film, Sleeping Beauty's Wedding, also does not mention any children, so it is assumed that the Disney princess never had any children of her own.

The story was later modified and published by French author Charles Perrault in 1697. In his version, the princess, known as Briar Rose, does not have any children. The Brothers Grimm also included a variant of the story, Little Briar Rose, in the first volume of Children's and Household Tales, published in 1812. In some versions of the Grimm story, Briar Rose is depicted as having two children, a daughter and a son, after she wakes from her enchanted sleep. However, the Grimm version ends when the prince arrives to wake Sleeping Beauty with a kiss and does not include the second part of the story, where Talia has children.

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