sleeping beloved

The Sleeping Beloved Saga

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his complement.”  So the LORD God formed out of the ground every wild animal and every bird of the sky, and brought each to the man to see what he would call it. And whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal; but for the man no helper was found as his complement.  So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place.  Then the LORD God made the rib He had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man.  And the man said: “This one, at last, is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called ’woman,’ for she was taken from man.” ~ Genesis 2:18-23

I wanted to end my Sleeping Beloved saga where we began.  It was a cyclical journey, after all…

sleeping beloved

Maleficent Restored

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” ~ Genesis 50:20

And here we are, ending at the beginning.  Once more, this post contains spoilers from Disney’s Maleficent – so proceed with care!

Maleficent is no longer the villain we love to fear from the animated classic.  Her heart has shed its masks and been drawn to the call of its savior.  She has remembered who she used to be, before tragedy struck: a warrior-lover, a battle-maiden intent upon protecting that which she loves…

sleeping beloved

Maleficent’s Awakening

Again, this post contains spoilers of Disney’s 2014 Maleficent.

Like in the animated film, the three good fairies raise Aurora as a peasant girl.  Although well-meaning, they’re a rather incompetent bunch.  They have no idea how to care for a baby, and the poor thing is constantly crying because of their neglect.

Even Maleficent cannot withstand the heart-wrenching cries of a babe in true distress…

sleeping beloved

Maleficent’s Hardened Heart

“And she reveled in the sorrow her curse had brought…”[1]

 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” ~ Genesis 50:20

“But God will redeem my life from the power of Sheol…” ~ Psalm 49:15

“For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ~ Romans 5:7-8

(Again, this post contains spoilers of Disney’s 2014 Maleficent.)

In my last post, Maleficent’s wings are brutally taken, but her heart is not yet hardened.  That is about to change.

sleeping beloved

The Last Battle

The triumphal entry has occurred…and so Sleeping Beauty lives happily ever after, right?  Nope.  There’s still the ogress mother-in-law to deal with.  There’s still one more enemy left to fight. 

This portion of Perrault’s tale mirrors Talia’s story…

sleeping beloved

Without Love there is Only Death

The end is as satisfying as one of our own fairy tales.  The “rebellious” queen and her minion are certainly living in a “scorched land.”  Talia – a “prisoner” of the queen and once “deserted” to her sleeping death – is now “provided” for and is given “prosperity.”

And all because our Sleeping Beloved heeded the call of love…

sleeping beloved

The Unloved “Other” Woman

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…

sleeping beloved

Changing Hearts

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…

sleeping beloved

Talia’s Tale

Another king has taken control of Talia’s territory (a residual memory of the shifting political situation in Naples from the 1400s-1500s[2]).  We could certainly discuss the survivor motif once more (see my previous posts here and here); but I don’t think that’s quite the lesson we’re meant to learn from our Talia.

Throughout much of history, high-born women were given in marriage to secure political alliances.  These women were marrying strangers, a frightening concept in any era.  They had no guarantee of respect from their future husbands, let alone love.  Now, people are people, and I’m sure love blossomed in some of these situations…but there was no guarantee of it…

sleeping beloved

The Love of the Father

Father is probably the first attribute we learn to associate with God, as it’s an easy concept for children to understand.  Granted, even the best of fathers can’t give as much love as God; but it’s such a tender picture of His love for us.

Talia’s father adores her.  A man doesn’t call fortune-tellers to his daughters crib otherwise.  He longs to protect her and ensure her safety.  When he discovers the danger, he immediately takes action.  There isn’t even a question in his mind!  Of course he will ban flax from his home.  Of course he will protect his daughter…