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Fairer-than-a-Fairy (Mailly)

December 14, 2023

For other uses, see Fairer-than-a-Fairy (disambiguation).

Fairer-than-a-Fairy (French: Le Prince Arc-en-ciel, English: "The Rainbow Prince") is a literary fairy tale published anonymously in the 1718 fairy tale collection Nouveaux contes de fées. It is attributed to the Chevalier de Mailly.[1] Andrew Lang included it in The Yellow Fairy Book.[2]

Sources edit

The tale appeared in print in Recueil des Contes des Fées, published in Geneva, in 1718, as its fifth story.[3] The tale was also translated as The Rainbow Prince in an anonymous 1845 publication.[4]

Synopsis edit

After many childless years, a king had a daughter so beautiful that he named her "Fairer-than-a-Fairy". This enraged the fairies, who resolved to kidnap her. They entrusted this to the oldest fairy, Lagrée, who had only one eye and one tooth left and could preserve those only by soaking them in a magical liquid at night. She kidnapped the seven-year-old princess, whose cat and dog followed her, and brought her to a castle, where she had a pretty room but was charged to never let a fire go out and to take care of two glass bottles.

 
Princess Fairer-than-a-Fairy summons the rainbow. Illustration from The Yellow Fairy Book (1894).

One day, while she wandered in the garden, sunlight struck a fountain, and she heard a voice telling her that he was a prince held prisoner here, and he had fallen in love with her; he could speak only in the form of a rainbow, when sunlight shone on that fountain. They talked when they could, which one day led to her allowing the fire to go out. Lagrée, delighted, ordered Fairer-than-a-Fairy to get a new fire from Locrinos, a cruel monster that ate whoever it found, especially young girls. On the way, a bird told her to pick up a shining pebble, and she did. She reached Locrinos's house; only his wife was home, and she was impressed by her manners and beauty, and still more by the stone, and so she gave her the fire and another stone.

The princess was able to meet her lover again, and they devised a way, by putting a crystal bowl on her windowsill, that they could meet more readily. One day, the prince appeared, woeful; he had just learned that his prison was to be changed. The next day, it was cloudy all day until the very end. In her haste to reach him, Fairer-than-a-Fairy upset the bowl. Rather than lose the chance to speak with him, she filled it with the water from the two bottles. Then she set out with her dog and cat, a sprig of myrtle, and the stone Locrinos's wife had given her. Lagrée followed her. When Fairer-than-a-Fairy slept in the shelter that the stone made, Lagrée caught up, but the dog bit her, making her fall and break her last tooth. While she raged, Fairer-than-a-Fairy escaped and went on. She slept under a myrtle that sprang up from the sprig, and when Lagrée reached her, the cat scratched her eye out, making the fairy helpless against her.

Fairer-than-a-Fairy went on. Each night, for three nights, she found a green and white house, where a woman in green and white gave her a nut, a golden pomegranate, and a crystal smelling-bottle, to open at her greatest need. After that, she came to a silver castle, without doors or windows, suspended by silver chains from trees. She wanted to get into it and cracked the nut. She found in it a tiny hall porter, with a key. She climbed one of the chains and the porter let her in a secret door. She found the Rainbow Prince there, asleep. She told her story, twenty times, loudly, without waking him. She opened the pomegranate, where violins flew out of the seeds and began to play, waking him, but not entirely. Fairer-than-a-Fairy opened the bottle, where a siren flew out and told him his lady's story, rousing him. The castle walls opened up, and a court assembled about them, with the prince's mother, who informed him that his father was dead and he was now king. The three green and white ladies appeared and revealed Fairer-than-a-Fairy's royal birth. The prince and she married.

Analysis edit

Rachel Harriette Busk noted that the tale contained the episode of the disappearance of the prince and the princess's quest for him. On her way, she is aided by three white and green old women who give her three objects that will serve to awaken the prince, whenever she finds him again.[5]

Stanislao Prato listed Prince Arc-en-Ciel, by MMe. d'Aulnoy as one variant on the theme of the Animal as Bridegroom and, by extension, the myth of Cupid and Psyche.[6] He also commented on the motif of the gifts of the three old ladies, and compared it to other tales wherein the human maiden is given three nuts that produce magical objects she trades for three nights with her husband.[7]

According to Hans-Jörg Uther, the main feature of tale type ATU 425A, "The Animal (Monster) as Bridegroom" is "bribing the false bride for three nights with the husband".[8] In fact, when he developed his revision of Aarne-Thompson's system, Uther remarked that an "essential" trait of the tale type ATU 425A was the "wife's quest and gifts" and "nights bought".[9]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Mayer, Charles-Joseph de (ed.), Nouveau Cabinet des fées. 14. http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k76071/f8.image
  2. ^ Andrew Lang, The Yellow Fairy Book, "Fairer-than-a-Fairy"
  3. ^ Busk, Rachel Harriette. Roman Legends: A collection of the fables and folk-lore of Rome. Boston: Estes and Lauriat. 1877. pp. 425-426.
  4. ^ Anonymous. The fairy cabinet: containing fairy tales. Boston: T. H. Carter and Company, 1845. pp. 99-110.
  5. ^ Busk, Rachel Harriette. Roman Legends: A collection of the fables and folk-lore of Rome. Boston: Estes and Lauriat. 1877. pp. 426-427
  6. ^ Prato, Stanislao. Quattro Novelline Popolari Livornesi: Accompagnate Da Varianti Umbre. Spoleto: Bassoni, 1880. pp. 144, 146.
  7. ^ Prato, Stanislao. Quattro Novelline Popolari Livornesi: Accompagnate Da Varianti Umbre. Spoleto: Bassoni, 1880. pp. 162-164.
  8. ^ Hurbánková, Šárka (2018). "G.B. Basile and Apuleius: first literary tales : morphological analysis of three fairytales". Graeco-Latina Brunensia (2): 75–93. doi:10.5817/GLB2018-2-6.
  9. ^ Fellows, Folklore (2004). FF Communications. Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia. p. 249. ISBN 978-951-41-0963-8.

December 14, 2023
fairer, than, fairy, mailly, other, uses, fairer, than, fairy, disambiguation, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, needs, additional, citatio. For other uses see Fairer than a Fairy disambiguation This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Fairer than a Fairy Mailly news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article consists almost entirely of a plot summary Please help improve the article by adding more real world context June 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia s general notability guideline Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citing reliable secondary sources that are independent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention If notability cannot be shown the article is likely to be merged redirected or deleted Find sources Fairer than a Fairy Mailly news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message Fairer than a Fairy French Le Prince Arc en ciel English The Rainbow Prince is a literary fairy tale published anonymously in the 1718 fairy tale collection Nouveaux contes de fees It is attributed to the Chevalier de Mailly 1 Andrew Lang included it in The Yellow Fairy Book 2 Contents 1 Sources 2 Synopsis 3 Analysis 4 See also 5 ReferencesSources editThe tale appeared in print in Recueil des Contes des Fees published in Geneva in 1718 as its fifth story 3 The tale was also translated as The Rainbow Prince in an anonymous 1845 publication 4 Synopsis editAfter many childless years a king had a daughter so beautiful that he named her Fairer than a Fairy This enraged the fairies who resolved to kidnap her They entrusted this to the oldest fairy Lagree who had only one eye and one tooth left and could preserve those only by soaking them in a magical liquid at night She kidnapped the seven year old princess whose cat and dog followed her and brought her to a castle where she had a pretty room but was charged to never let a fire go out and to take care of two glass bottles nbsp Princess Fairer than a Fairy summons the rainbow Illustration from The Yellow Fairy Book 1894 One day while she wandered in the garden sunlight struck a fountain and she heard a voice telling her that he was a prince held prisoner here and he had fallen in love with her he could speak only in the form of a rainbow when sunlight shone on that fountain They talked when they could which one day led to her allowing the fire to go out Lagree delighted ordered Fairer than a Fairy to get a new fire from Locrinos a cruel monster that ate whoever it found especially young girls On the way a bird told her to pick up a shining pebble and she did She reached Locrinos s house only his wife was home and she was impressed by her manners and beauty and still more by the stone and so she gave her the fire and another stone The princess was able to meet her lover again and they devised a way by putting a crystal bowl on her windowsill that they could meet more readily One day the prince appeared woeful he had just learned that his prison was to be changed The next day it was cloudy all day until the very end In her haste to reach him Fairer than a Fairy upset the bowl Rather than lose the chance to speak with him she filled it with the water from the two bottles Then she set out with her dog and cat a sprig of myrtle and the stone Locrinos s wife had given her Lagree followed her When Fairer than a Fairy slept in the shelter that the stone made Lagree caught up but the dog bit her making her fall and break her last tooth While she raged Fairer than a Fairy escaped and went on She slept under a myrtle that sprang up from the sprig and when Lagree reached her the cat scratched her eye out making the fairy helpless against her Fairer than a Fairy went on Each night for three nights she found a green and white house where a woman in green and white gave her a nut a golden pomegranate and a crystal smelling bottle to open at her greatest need After that she came to a silver castle without doors or windows suspended by silver chains from trees She wanted to get into it and cracked the nut She found in it a tiny hall porter with a key She climbed one of the chains and the porter let her in a secret door She found the Rainbow Prince there asleep She told her story twenty times loudly without waking him She opened the pomegranate where violins flew out of the seeds and began to play waking him but not entirely Fairer than a Fairy opened the bottle where a siren flew out and told him his lady s story rousing him The castle walls opened up and a court assembled about them with the prince s mother who informed him that his father was dead and he was now king The three green and white ladies appeared and revealed Fairer than a Fairy s royal birth The prince and she married Analysis editRachel Harriette Busk noted that the tale contained the episode of the disappearance of the prince and the princess s quest for him On her way she is aided by three white and green old women who give her three objects that will serve to awaken the prince whenever she finds him again 5 Stanislao Prato listed Prince Arc en Ciel by MMe d Aulnoy as one variant on the theme of the Animal as Bridegroom and by extension the myth of Cupid and Psyche 6 He also commented on the motif of the gifts of the three old ladies and compared it to other tales wherein the human maiden is given three nuts that produce magical objects she trades for three nights with her husband 7 According to Hans Jorg Uther the main feature of tale type ATU 425A The Animal Monster as Bridegroom is bribing the false bride for three nights with the husband 8 In fact when he developed his revision of Aarne Thompson s system Uther remarked that an essential trait of the tale type ATU 425A was the wife s quest and gifts and nights bought 9 See also editFairer than a Fairy Caumont de La Force Vasilissa the Beautiful East of the Sun and West of the Moon The Feather of Finist the Falcon The Singing Springing LarkReferences edit Mayer Charles Joseph de ed Nouveau Cabinet des fees 14 http gallica bnf fr ark 12148 bpt6k76071 f8 image Andrew Lang The Yellow Fairy Book Fairer than a Fairy Busk Rachel Harriette Roman Legends A collection of the fables and folk lore of Rome Boston Estes and Lauriat 1877 pp 425 426 Anonymous The fairy cabinet containing fairy tales Boston T H Carter and Company 1845 pp 99 110 Busk Rachel Harriette Roman Legends A collection of the fables and folk lore of Rome Boston Estes and Lauriat 1877 pp 426 427 Prato Stanislao Quattro Novelline Popolari Livornesi Accompagnate Da Varianti Umbre Spoleto Bassoni 1880 pp 144 146 Prato Stanislao Quattro Novelline Popolari Livornesi Accompagnate Da Varianti Umbre Spoleto Bassoni 1880 pp 162 164 Hurbankova Sarka 2018 G B Basile and Apuleius first literary tales morphological analysis of three fairytales Graeco Latina Brunensia 2 75 93 doi 10 5817 GLB2018 2 6 Fellows Folklore 2004 FF Communications Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia p 249 ISBN 978 951 41 0963 8 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fairer than a Fairy Mailly amp oldid 1144368246, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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