The Retelling of Fairy Tales: Snow White, The Little Mermaid and Oisín
 |
| Some of my books on fairy tales and myths |
I've always loved "Spot the Difference," "I Spy," and word searches. The thrill of the hunt and the euphoria of the discovery make it so exciting! "The game is afoot," as Holmes says. And this love of mine carries over to books. I enjoy comparing and contrasting stories to see all the different paths one story could take, whether it's canon or headcanon. It can tell you something about the times it was told in and provide insight into the author's views and opinions. Whether consciously or unconsciously, authors put pieces of themselves into their stories.
For example, John Green's novel Looking for Alaska is heavily based on Green's experience (they say "Write what you know" after all); he even based the setting on his high school and its notable hangouts. As authors go, Green's narrative style matches his way of speaking, which you'll notice when viewing his vlogbrothers videos.
But if we look to fairy tales for evidence of when they were written, Disney is, perhaps, a veritable gold mine.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Though I haven't seen their Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the summary of it has shown up in other stories, so that even by listening to Devon Cole's latest song "W.I.T.C.H.," I understand the reference she makes in the line "Rumor on the street is that her apples are delicious." The Evil Queen dressed as a witch/old hag and gave Snow White a poisoned apple.
Additionally, I've heard much talk and criticism for it because people look back at it through today's lens. For instance, consent is a major aspect of human interaction these days, but in Disney's Snow White? Not so much.
Even Neil Gaiman created a story that highlights the strangeness of Snow White and her Prince, adding his own retelling to the mix. Gaiman's "Snow, Glass, Apples" short story was inspired by lingering questions he had about the characters. Fairy tales are notorious for being short and vague, thereby leaving a lot of room for multiple interpretations and deviations. Take, for example, The Little Mermaid, (which has its on type of witch character).
 |
| The Little Mermaid statue in Denmark Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash |
SPOILERS: Hans Christian Andersen wrote the original story that is much darker than Disney's version and with more of a religious flavor. Without Flounder and Sebastien to provide moral support and act as her conscience, the little mermaid seeks out the sea witch and exchanges her voice for human legs, so she can be with a human prince she saved from a shipwreck. Unless she is able to have the Prince fall in love and marry her, she will die. The little mermaid also doesn't want to be turned into sea foam, as is the fate of all mermaids; instead, she wants an immortal soul. The sea witch doesn't return to stop the little mermaid from succeeding, like in Disney's version. However, there is another woman. It's the first woman the prince saw after he was saved from the shipwreck. Despite spending time with the little mermaid, the prince continues to love the other woman of his own volition (no magical interference) and the little mermaid accepts her fate, even refusing to kill him after her sisters made a bargain with the sea witch to return the little mermaid to her original form. By doing this, the little mermaid becomes one of the "Fairies of the Air" because she was a mermaid who showed kindness to a human being.
--End of Spoilers--
 |
| Page 18 and 31 of The Little Mermaid by Tormont Publications, 1995. |
FUN FACT: The mermaid is named "Coraline" and the Prince is named "Andre" in this illustrated and edited version of Andersen's story. This book also contains The Twelve Princesses, which you can learn more about in my review about House of Salt and Sorrow by Erin A. Craig, a retelling of The Twelve Princess.
Fairy Tales and Retellings Beyond Disney
Disney is an excellent starting point since they, and Pixar, have delved into the fairy tales, myths and legends of various cultures since Snow White. But we shall depart from this and head to Ireland to look at their tales of wonder, magic, and mythical creatures. But make no mistake! These stories often have similar themes and tropes like those Hans Christian Andersen's and Disney. They can also be vague and act as a foundation for multiple versions.
The Lady of Gollerus
For example, The Lady of Gollerus (you can read the same version I have here) by T. Crofton Croker tells of a man named Dick Fitzgerald smoking a pipe on the shore of the Smerwick harbour, lamenting about being lonely if only he had a wife. One day, he discovers a merrow (Ireland's version of a mermaid) and steals her cohuleen druith (her enchanted red diving cap that allows her to travel between sea and land). By having possession of her cohuleen druith, Dick has power over her and makes her his wife, thrilled even more to learn that she is the daughter of a king. The merrow agrees to the marriage right away. The Reverend at first has qualms about marrying the two since they are of two different species, but as soon as money is mentioned, the reverend marries them.
For three years, Dick and the merrow live together and have three children. Dick leaves Gollerus for some unspecified reason and the merrow busies herself by cleaning the house. She finds her cohuleen druith hidden with his fishing gear and she plans on returning to the sea for a family visit. When she places the cap on her head, she instantly forgets about Dick and their children, never returning from the sea.
 |
| Irish Fairy and Folk Tales by Fall River Press |
Questions
The story itself is short and vague and here, I have summarized it, shortening it even more. It left me with questions. Firstly, there is no explanation of how the merrow can walk on land since merrow have tails. I did a quick search online and wasn't finding anything aside from how selkies can walk on land (they shed their skin). Secondly, there is no mention of the merrow needing water to survive on land. Thirdly, their children's anatomy is not mentioned either.
Christianity appears in many Irish works and this story is no different. A line that stands out is "...and she, hearing the noise, turned her head about as natural as any Christian." Not 'woman,' or 'human,' or 'creature.' I wonder why faith is brought into this since, as Shylock points out, "If you prick [a Jew], do [they] not bleed?". Animals, like dogs and cats, turn their heads about in the same manner when they hear a noise.
The merrow instantly agrees to marrying Dick and while she "looked covetously at [her cohuleen druith]" that's in Dick's hands, there is no mention of whether or not she tried to find it in their home. The story makes it seem that she was content with her life with Dick and while she gave her consent, she was his captive when she gave consent and he told her he'd make her his wife and she responded that she was ready and willing. He didn't give her a choice. I'm also surprised she didn't find her cohuleen druith sooner!
If you read the story via the link above, you'll see how vague the storytelling is. Those who aren't familiar with what a merrow looks like still won't know by reading the story. Although the story does provide context for what a cohuleen druith is, some readers won't know what it does for the merrow or why it's so important to her.
But vagueness gives rise to deviations, whether it's to fill in the gaps or to tell the story of one's headcanon. Now for the story and friend who inspired this post. Spoilers ahead!
"The Birth of Oisín" or "Oisín's Mother"
Though he is perhaps best known for his Tiktoks, the lovely and talented actor Stuart Mackey has started a reading series on his Youtube channel. Thus far, he reads Irish fairy tales, such as:
I am going to compare and contrast Stuart's version of "The Birth of Oisín" (pronounced Osh-een) with the one I have that's by Lady Augusta Gregory in Gods and Fighting Men: The Story of the Tuatha De Danaan and of the Fianna of Ireland printed by Forgotten Books (there are too many "of's" in that title for my liking). Forgotten Books republished these stories in 2007, but the stories themselves were first published in 1904.
Explaining the Breakdown of Famous Irish Tales
Looking through my table of contents, I realize that this publisher did not label the cycles or mention which cycle this book covers; each section of stories that are related to one another are broken up into Parts and each story is designated a Book, such as "Book I: Oisín's Mother." According to the website The Legend of the Claddagh Ring:
Irish mythology consists of four different cycles: the Mythological Cycle, the Ulster Cycle, the Fenian Cycle, and the Historical Cycle.
Most Irish myths will fit into one of these cycles. Each one is set in different time in Ireland and features various historical characters and legendary figures. Some of the earlier cycles reflect a pagan Ireland with heavy supernatural themes, whereas later cycles are more historically accurate.
According to the Lewis and Clark College:
- The Mythological Cycle consists of magic and includes characters such as the Tuatha De Danaan, the Milesians and The Children of Lir. These stories haven't been as well preserved as the other cycles.
- The Ulster Cycle was written around the 1st century, focusing less on magic and more on war. It includes the tales of Cú Chulainn, as well as the Cattle Raid mentioned above.
- The Fenian Cycle was written around the 3rd century, dealing with Fianna lore and more romantic aspects. Animals are often used as symbolic representations, such as the Salmon (or Fish) of Knowledge that is eaten by Finn MacCumhail (pronounced Fionn Mac-Cool). His son, Oisín, is sometimes said to be the author of this cycle, so it can be reference to as the "Ossian Cycle"
- The Historical Cycle/King Cycle was written when Christianity was on the rise around 200-475 A.D. It is said that bards and poets wrote these stories that focus on "the histories of great houses."
Based on this, I would guess that my book contains stories only from the Mythological and Fenian Cycles. Now, onto the story of "Oisín's Mother." Listen to Stuart's video to follow along with my analysis below:
Analysis
Firstly, the titles differ. Stuart's title focuses on Oisín, whereas mine shifts the focus to his mother while still having Oisín in the limelight as if no one would actually know his mother by name. (Side note: It makes me think of Grendel in Beowulf because Grendel's mother is called just that: "Grendal's mother")
The opening paragraph of my version dives right into Finn, his men and his two dogs encountering the fawn:
There is no explanation about Bran and Sceolan, leading me to believe that these stories in my book must be read in order. The prior story in Gods and Fighting Men tells of their birth, although it's titled "The Birth of Bran" and excludes Sceolan. There is also no description of chasing the fawn. I prefer Stuart's version because it has more of the oral fairy tale quality. Finn speaks more and there is action!
Like other fairy tales, my version is vague, describing the fawn in human form as "a beautiful young woman having a rich dress." This allows readers to imagine whatever they consider to be "beautiful" and have her look any way they want.
 |
| p. 159 |
Stuart's version is definitely more modern. Finn says he'll give Sadbh his protection, falls in love with her over time and then, proposes to her. In my version, "Then Finn gave her his love, and took her as his wife." Always with the taking, like in The Lady of Gollerus.
The messenger does not appear in my version. Instead, the narrator fills us in: "The men of Lochlann came against Ireland, and their ships were in the bay below Beinn Edair." The bay on today's map would be Dublin Bay as Stuart mentions, if "Beinn Edair" or "Ben Edair" aka the Hill of Howth is here:
When Finn's men recount what happened to Sadbh, different language is employed to, once again, show the difference of the eras. The Druid has a hazel rod in my version as opposed to a "wand" and has the false Bran and Sceolan "[go] after her and [take] her by the throat and [drag] her back to him." Stuart's version is calm with the Druid merely leading her into the forest.
Stuart's version withholds the news Sadbh has for Finn (I completely missed the mention of "news" because I was taken with what would happen next once Sadbh left the castle) where my version has her plainly state, "Let me go meet [...] my husband, the father of the child that is not born."
Also, where were the real Bran and Sceolan when the Druid was kidnapping Sadbh? Neither version mentions this.
I'm not sure why my version says Finn has five trusted hounds: Bran, Sceolan, Lomaire, Bred and Lomluath. All of them protect the boy when they find him, not just Bran and Sceolan.
My version contains no dialogue in this scene and the boy is described as having "high looks" and "long hair" in addition to being naked. The boy is brought to the hunting cabin and taken care of, eventually losing his "wildness." We don't know how he acted as Stuart's version provides. At some point, the boy learns how to speak.
In Stuart's version, the deer and the boy "visit a dark man with a hazel stick." I wonder, why? She can't speak to him and all she does is shake her head at him. My version describes the deer and boy in captivity, "... a wide place they used to be, having hills and valleys and streams and woods in it, but that was shut in with high cliffs on every side, that there was no way of escape from it." The dark-looking man regularly visits them instead, speaking softly to the deer and then angrily, but the man always leaves until he is in such a rage that he "[strikes] her with a hazel rod, and with that she was forced to follow him." Sadbh cries, looking back at the boy and the boy tries to follow, but seems to be paralyzed, though no mention is made of the dark-looking man casting a spell on him.
In summary, my version by Lady Gregory is darker and vague, much like original fairy tales. Characters have personality and humanity in Stuart's version, and it caters to a wider audience by filling gaps of knowledge they probably have. My ending includes "And the name the Fianna gave him was Oisín." Why!? Tell me! Thankfully, Stuart's version explains that it means "little fawn."
Services
Comments