The Arne-Thompson-Uther folk tale classification system lists Type 500 stories as "name of the helper tales". These tales often feature a spinner who becomes indebted to a dwarf for assistance rendered. The most famous Type 500 story is the version of Rumpelstiltskin published in the Grimm Brother's Kinder- und Hausmärchen, which saw seven different editions published from 1812 to 1857. While the Grimm's Rumpelstiltskin is the most known version of the tale, an examination of stories published before and after their own versions can shed light onto the development of the Type 500. The version of Rumpelstiltskin found in the 1812 edition of the Kinder- und Hausmärchen posesses the main traits of a Type 500 story. In the story, and many of
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A passing merchant hears the calamity and takes pity on the girl, taking her as his wife, so that she may escape her mother. The merchant leaves for a business trip, and tells his wife that if she weaves a certain quantity of flax by his return, he will heap his adoration upon her in proportion to the amount of flax woven. During the merchant's absence, the wife cooks food for herself and ignores the task, only to panic when his return is close. Fortunately, three passing fairies saw the wife amusing herself and were entertained by her hijinks, and spin the flax for her out of gratitude. The merchant returns, and, pleased with the flax, praises his wife. Seven Bits of Bacon Rind presents an unsympathetic portrayal of its protagonist, who ultimately is rewarded for her laziness, something the Grimms would alter in their own version to make the tale palatable and conducive to the German national character (Carruthers 22). While the Grimms constructed their tales from several versions of each story, the influence of Basile's compilation is apparent through both the selection and content of the …show more content…
Furthermore, the tale completely omits any language referring to deformed or otherwise monstrous bodies, presenting an overall unthreatening tale. The lack of a name-guessing game is pertinent, as folklorist Jack Zipes notes "Rumpelstiltskin is a tale about a persectued woman and female creativity symbolized by spinning. The fact that it has been primarily studies as tale type 500, the "The name of the Helper," for so long by folklorists has more to do with the male bias of scholarship than the specific problem posed by the tale." CITE. Zipes notes that the act of spinning, rather than the act of naming, is the crucial element of these stories and that the type 500 tales were generally told by women in spinning rooms to pass the time. That the earliest known example of such a story omits the naming and focuses firmly on spinning lends credence to Zipes'
A passing merchant hears the calamity and takes pity on the girl, taking her as his wife, so that she may escape her mother. The merchant leaves for a business trip, and tells his wife that if she weaves a certain quantity of flax by his return, he will heap his adoration upon her in proportion to the amount of flax woven. During the merchant's absence, the wife cooks food for herself and ignores the task, only to panic when his return is close. Fortunately, three passing fairies saw the wife amusing herself and were entertained by her hijinks, and spin the flax for her out of gratitude. The merchant returns, and, pleased with the flax, praises his wife. Seven Bits of Bacon Rind presents an unsympathetic portrayal of its protagonist, who ultimately is rewarded for her laziness, something the Grimms would alter in their own version to make the tale palatable and conducive to the German national character (Carruthers 22). While the Grimms constructed their tales from several versions of each story, the influence of Basile's compilation is apparent through both the selection and content of the …show more content…
Furthermore, the tale completely omits any language referring to deformed or otherwise monstrous bodies, presenting an overall unthreatening tale. The lack of a name-guessing game is pertinent, as folklorist Jack Zipes notes "Rumpelstiltskin is a tale about a persectued woman and female creativity symbolized by spinning. The fact that it has been primarily studies as tale type 500, the "The name of the Helper," for so long by folklorists has more to do with the male bias of scholarship than the specific problem posed by the tale." CITE. Zipes notes that the act of spinning, rather than the act of naming, is the crucial element of these stories and that the type 500 tales were generally told by women in spinning rooms to pass the time. That the earliest known example of such a story omits the naming and focuses firmly on spinning lends credence to Zipes'