Our Sleeping Beloveds have shown us how a heart awakens to love; our villainesses have shown us what happens when we disregard love.
Like our heroines, each villainess has a different story, but each is dealing with the same broken-hearted realization: they are not noticed, desired, or loved…
We are finally within the last hundred years! The Walt Disney 1959 animated version of Sleeping Beauty is a timeless classic, giving a fresh voice to the Sleeping Beloved characters. Disney masterfully crafted the fairy tale into something unique; and yet, the story remained true to its nature…
Before the hedge, our Sleeping Beloved is simply called “the Princess.” She has no name – no separate identity. She has a mask of deeds to hide her heart behind, and takes drastic actions in trying to awaken her sleeping heart.
But then a briar hedge begins to grow. It protects “the Princess” from harm – in this case, from men who would come upon her in her sleeping state (like in the first two versions). She is given a new name based on that which protects her: Briar Rose…
So ends the “original” tale of Sleeping Beauty: the enemy is vanquished and all are allowed to live in peace and contentment.
I love how in both the Sleeping Beauty story and Revelation, the victory comes suddenly, almost unexpectedly, and in the nick of time. The fear of the young queen and her children is palpable – “minions” are about to throw them into a vat of vile creatures. The “beloved city” is under siege from the forces of darkness. There is no escaping their fate…
The Beloved recognizes her Savior.
Now, there are some key differences. Most importantly, the prince seemingly happens upon the Sleeping Beloved, whereas Jesus actively seeks us out. He actively seeks to awaken our hearts…
Just as a king’s son must awake our Sleeping Beauty from her sleeping-death, so too the King’s Son was sent to awaken us, His Sleeping Beloved, from our living deaths…
This is the first major rendition to promise a Hope in countering the curse, and this profoundly impacts how we read the story.[2] There is expectation and anticipation now: a king’s son will come! He will awaken the Sleeping Beloved…
Our next Sleeping Beloved shows up in France only 50 years after Basile’s story. Although some scholars point to Basile’s “Sun, Moon, and Talia” as the inspiration (which is certainly possible),[1] it’s also possible that it came from a variant called “Sun, Pearl, and Anna,” which cleans up the story a great deal (i.e. the prince takes the spindle out of Anna’s hand, she awakes, then they have children who are almost killed by Anna’s mother-in-law, the evil queen).[2]
Anyway, part of a compilation of eight short stories, The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood was written by Charles Perrault in 1697 for King Louis XIV’s niece.[3] It is one of my favorite versions. Hands down, I will read it to my children. It has beautiful imagery (the good fairy has a chariot pulled by dragons!), and has all the delightful qualities of a “fairy tale”…
The queen is in a loveless marriage. She is childless. In the eyes of the world, her position is shaky and her worth is of little value.
The queen is a Sleeping Beloved, too. Her heart has been asleep for far longer than Talia ever was. Her soul is in pain, her wounds are deep.
And then, she sees these beautiful children – the other woman’s children. The queen is faced with her “failure” and her emptiness…and something in her snaps…
As I discussed last time, Talia speaks for the high-born women of the past. Historically, a noblewoman’s worth was based on her ability to produce children, especially sons. When a woman bore a healthy son, she secured her position and power. (This is the world’s view, not God’s!)
It is no accident, then, that the king comes back to Talia and develops a “strong bond” after she has the children (named Sun and Moon). Talia and the king are not in love, but the birth of their children gives them both what they desire: the king has a son, and Talia’s position is secure…