Following the Spindle’s Thread

It’s time to meet our Sleeping Beauties!  The following is a brief history of the tales we’ll cover, where there is a clear turn in the thread of the story.  There are, of course, hundreds of stories tracing their lineage back to the ones listed here; but we’ll content ourselves with these.

Ancient Sleeping Beauties

The tale we know today as “Sleeping Beauty” has its roots in the Norse and Germanic myth of Brunhild.  Myths must be examined within the scope of that culture and religion, and my knowledge of Germanic and Norse lore is shaky at best.  Therefore, I will only mention it to say this: it is the direct ancestor of our modern tale.

It takes some time for a recognizable “Sleeping Beauty” to surface.  When she does, her tale is interpolated into Perceforest: The Prehistory of King Arthur’s Britain, composed in French between 1330-1340.^[1]  It is clear from the account that the author had Brunhild in mind when he wrote this section, as the events are quite similar.  However, our Sleeping Beauty – Zellandine of Zeeland (a province of the Netherlands) – is the first to fall asleep due to the task of spinning.  Zellandine’s story is complicated, but poignant.  I have conflicting feelings about the tale, but I love Zellandine’s resolve to overcome her heartache.

By the 1630s, our Sleeping Beloved has taken the name Talia.  Placed in Italian-born Giambattista Basile’s Pentamerone, the story has the flavor of an ancient Greek comedy.  Don’t be deceived by that categorization.  Our ancestors had a peculiar sense of what a “comedy” should be.  Her story is not funny in the least, but she doesn’t die…thus, a comedy.  In my mind her story is by far the most tragic.  And yet, because of this, it has the most potential for redemption.

Modern Sleeping Beauties

By the Age of Enlightenment, the previous versions were considered barbaric.  So, Charles Perrault cleaned up the story beautifully for the court of King Louis XIV.  Published in 1697, Perrault’s version is usually seen as the “original” Sleeping Beauty tale; however it’s clear he used Basile’s version as a starting point (otherwise we wouldn’t have the second half of his story!).  It’s whimsical and delightful, and it’s no wonder it became a children’s story after this.    

The rest of the major renditions follow quickly on the heels of the Enlightenment.  The first half of Perrault’s story makes it into the Grimm Brothers’ 1812 edition of Children’s and Household Tales.  In 1890, Tchaikovsky’s exquisite Sleeping Beauty ballet premiers, specifically based on the Perrault and Grimm versions.  This is not necessarily a “major” version, except for the fact that it is Tchaikovsky who gives our princess the name “Aurora,” which was used by Disney in their 1959 film.^[2]  Finally, we have the 2014 film Maleficent.  This last is probably nearest and dearest to my heart, for within it we have not one, but two sleeping beauties whose hearts must be awoken. 

Each story was told in a specific time and place and has different lessons, even though the themes are the same. I can’t wait to start discovering how God wove His truths through them!

Sources 

[1] There are disputes over the dates, but translator Nigel Bryant holds this belief, and I have taken his lead.

[2] This name appears in earlier versions, however it is always given to Sleeping Beauty’s daughter