European Fairy Tale Series
This is the first installment of a monthly mon thly series on European fairy tales. Exclusive discount for Patreon subscribers:
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© Carolyn Emerick 2017 All rights reserved
European Fairy Tale Series
This is the first installment of a monthly mon thly series on European fairy tales. Exclusive discount for Patreon subscribers:
Sign up for only $1/month and receive an e-booklet in PDF every month.
More info at: www.carolynemerick.com/books
Subscribe at: www.patreon.com/carolynemerick
© Carolyn Emerick 2017 All rights reserved
Table of Contents
Britain’s Teutonic Legacy
8
The Teutonic View of Fate
15
The Norns of Teutonic Mythology
18
The Three Heads of the Well
21
Bibliography and Further Reading
42
Britain s Teutonic Legacy ’
The “Three Heads of the Well” was found in “English Fairy Tales,” by Joseph Jacobs and published in 1890. This tale is especially interesting because of its clear demonstration of a vestigial memory of old Teutonic mytho-cultural worldview.
Today, many people forget that Great Britain’s primary cultural influence falls under the Teutonic (Germanic) branch of the Indo-European family. Both English and the Scots language (also called Doric) descend from Old English, which is the language of the original Anglo-Saxons. AngloSaxon culture was the predominant cultural group in both England and the Scottish Lowlands, the Gaelic language being retained in the Highlands (though both Gaelic and French loan words did make their way into the Scots language). There are two main reasons that this has been forgotten today. In the post-World War climate, where Germany was the enemy in both wars, we begin to see the British distance themselves from their own Germanic heritage.
8
Germanic Language Tree with languages spoken in Britain in Red.
9
The second reason that applies most specifically to the Scots is that anti-English sentiment was (and still is) very strong among many in Scotland, so the Celtic culture has been inflated while Scotland’s own Anglo -Saxon heritage has been brushed under the rug. But, the funny thing about folklore is that cultural influences will be retained irrespective of shifts in social attitudes and politics. So we see Germanic myth turn up frequently the folk tradition of both Lowland Scotland and England. This is evidenced time and time again in Lowland Scots folklore. For example, the Lowland Scottish Brownie figure from folklore is a version of the English Hob, the German Kobold, and Scandinavian Tomten and Nisse. They are all Germanic house elves. This figure does not feature in the lore of the Gaelic Highlands. Teutonic lore turns up in Lowland Scots lore even more overtly. One common figure, which we will discuss further in Volume IV of this series, is the Queen of Elphame. The Scots word “Elphame” is cognate to the Norse “Alfheim.” Both words literally mean “Elf Home.” Elphame is o ften translated as “Fairy Land,” however, it is significant that its literal meaning alludes to elves specifically.
10
The Lowland Scottish Brownie is analogous to English, Norse, and German figures, but is not found in Highland Lore
11
Elves come strictly from Germanic folklore and mythology. Whereas the word “fairy” is borrowed from the French, but “fairy” is often used to denote the Celtic “Sidhe.” In time, the word came to be conflated with all manner of folklore supernatural figures. In Lowland Scottish lore, the Queen of Elphame often appears and interacts with humans. This experience is actually recorded in the Scottish witch trial records, wherein it is documented that accused witches claimed that this figure took them away from Middle Earth and transported them to Elphame. If Middle Earth reminds you of Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” then you will probably be aware that Tolkien borrowed the concept from Germanic mythology. Of course, when two cultures live side by side and interact with one another, there is diffusion and blending. And altercations with England over the centuries knee-jerked the Lowland Scots into claiming a Gaelic identity – despite speaking an Anglo-Saxon language themselves. But, it is important to recognize these cultural inheritances. The border region on either side of the ScotsEnglish border can be said to be its own distinctive culture. And in the folk tradition, we see strong Anglo-Saxon cultural inheritance appearing both north and south of the Scottish border.
12
Map of respondents in the 2011 census who stated that they can speak the Germanic Scots language. Map by Wikimedia user SkateTier
13
The reasoning for emphasizing the AngloSaxon legacy in Lowland Scottish culture is because it goes hand in hand with the English folk tradition. Sometimes we see an even greater influence of the Anglo-Saxon cultural influence lingering on in the Lowland Scots tradition than we do in the English canon of lore. While England, especially in the south, became more cosmopolitan, had greater interaction with continental Europe, and began modernizing, Scotland remained largely isolated and more rural which allowed old AngloSaxon culture to linger on longer. Unfortunately, 20th century politics have rendered us with the inaccurate notion that Scotland is unilaterally a Celtic culture. And that misunderstanding sullies the impetus to look at Scottish lore with a clear vision which allows us to see the Anglo-Saxon heritage. But, if we can understand the rich Teutonic footprint left upon Lowland Scottish lore, then we can couple it with English folklore to gain a firmer perspective on the old Anglo-Saxon worldview that lingered on in the British Isles.
Sign on the English-Scottish border, photo by Callum Black
14
The Teutonic View of Fate
The Anglo-Saxons held a mythocosmological worldview very similar to the Norse and continental Germans, their ethno-cultural close cousins. In some cases the beliefs were essentially identical, in other cases there were slight variations or mythical figures unique to each group. Because the ancient Anglo-Saxon mythology largely did not survive intact, we tend to look to the Norse tradition to understand the worldview of Anglo-Saxon Britain. That said, the influence of old Anglo-Saxon mytho-culture can be found quite strongly in the folklore of England and Lowland Scotland. Therefore, if we look toward Norse mythology to gain a background on wider Teutonic mythos, and then look again at English and Scottish folklore, we suddenly can see the Teutonic elements have been there right under our noses all along, we simply lacked the eyes to see them. So, by studying the Norse canon of lore and then returning to British folklore we now have a framework of understanding that allows us to better understand the worldview of the Anglo-Saxons as it continued to influence British culture for centuries. “The Three Heads of the Well” is an English fairy tale that presents an obvious reference to the
15
Teutonic mythical figures called “the Norns.” The Norns are analogous to the Greek Fates, however,
The Norns weaving Wyrd over an infant s cradle, by Johannes Gehrts ’
16
the Teutonic worldview of fate and destiny differed from the Greek version. While the Greeks believed that fate was fixed in stone and unchangeable, the Germanic view asserted that fate was malleable. The Anglo-Saxon word for fate is called “Wyrd” (pronounced the same as “word”), which is cognate to “Urðr” (Anglicized as Urd) in the Norse. Envision Wyrd like a cosmic web and each thread is made up by elements of your life. Some threads are things that you have no control over, such as where you were born, the socio-economic status you were born into, and your family. Other threads are formed by your own choices in life. So, with determination, you have the ability to work at re-weaving your web and thereby change your Wyrd. The Norns are the mythical beings who govern the realm of Wyrd and can assist your journey.
The Three Witches in Orson Welles' 1948 film.
17
The Norns of Teutonic Mythology
The Norns are known from the Norse tradition as three mythical women who lived at the “Well of Urd” and spun the threads that weave the fate of mortals. In Norse mythology, they are named Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld, which roughly translate as “Became, Becoming, and Will be. ” In other words, the three figures stand for past, present, and future. However, the name Urd appears not only as the name of one of the Norns, but it is also given to the Well of Urd, where the Norns reside. It is cognate for the Anglo-Saxon word, Wyrd. And, there were cognates in the Old Germanic languages in continental Europe as well. Snorri Sturluson, the 12th century Icelandic historian who preserved the Old Norse beliefs in writing for us, mentioned that the Norns were said to visit each newborn child to weave their fate. Memories of these figures turn up frequently in folklore and Early Modern literature, though people without this background information are not aware of it. Shakespeare mentions the “weird sisters” in his play “MacBeth,” who affect fate in the plot of that story. They are three witchy women who predict the destiny of the characters. We see 18
the Norns appear in Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty,” as three the magical fairy women who arrive to give gifts of fate and destiny to the baby Aurora.
The Norns by Herman Heinrich
19
Circling back to the “weird sisters,” it is important to understand that “weird” is an etymological evolution of “wyrd.” The word only recently came to mean “strange” or “unusual” more recently in English language development. When Shakespeare used “weird,” it still held a meaning that pertained to the mystical, supernatural, and to fate. In “The Three Heads,” the word “weird” is used as a verb in the old fashioned meaning. The “heads of the well” use it to mean “wish” or, in other words, a verb that indicates direct control over fate. In addition, the figures who are “weirding” gifts of fate to our protagonist are three female supernatural figures who are found living in a well. It is amazing that such an overt memory of ancient Teutonic pagan worldview was still alive in the folk stories being told in late 19th century England. This speaks volumes about concepts such as Jung’s “cultural unconscious.” Our heritage lives on through us in ways that we are not even consciously aware of. However, by studying our ancient cultural roots, we can gain greater understanding of our cultural inheritance, which in turn gives us better understanding of ourselves.
20
The Three Heads of the Well
Long ago in the days of old, even before King Arthur presided over his Knights of the Round Table, in the eastern part of jolly old England reigned a king who held court at Colchester. At the height of his glorious reign, the king’s beloved queen contracted a grave illness and died suddenly, leaving the bereft king alone with their only child, a daughter of fifteen years. The young princess was renown all through the land for not only her stunning beauty, but also for her gentle and kind spirit. It came to pass that the king fell upon difficult times and his treasury was near depleted. His advisors told him of a rich noble woman who also had just one only daughter, and she was a widow. Though she was not pleasant to look upon, in fact she was humpbacked with the nose of a pelican bird, the king was blinded by the shine of her pocketbook. He took the homely woman as his wife and brought her and her daughter to live at the palace. The new queen’s daughter had the appearance of jaundice, with a yellow pallor to her skin. Despite the princess’ best effort to welcome her new step-mother and step-sister, the two were filled with envy for the beautiful young girl, and their hearts were full of malice. 21
It was not too long before the new queen’s envy overtook her. She began to spread false rumors about the princess and made sure that the lies reached the ears of the king. The king was loathe to believe slander of his daughter, but the reports kept coming in. Eventually, he began to believe that his daughter was as immoral and poorly behaved as the rumors suggested.
Miranda by Sir Francis Dicksee
‘
’
22
The princess, of course, caught wind of the things being said about her and was aware that she had fallen from the good grace of her father. This became all too overwhelming for the young woman, still mourning the loss of her dear mother. Strolling in the garden one afternoon, she crossed paths with her father. She opened her mouth to address him, but her emotion overwhelmed her and she began to cry. She begged his permission to leave the palace and seek a new life in the wide world. Believing his child to be a lost cause at this point, the king consented to her request. He bade his wife to give his daughter whatever provisions she thought would be necessary for her journey. The spiteful old queen gave the princess only an old burlap sack containing just a loaf of brown bread, a hunk of hard cheese, and one bottle of beer. Though this was a pitiful dowry for the daughter of a king, the princess took it with gratitude, and started upon her journey. The princess made the rounds through the castle to say goodbye to all the servants who had served her well and watched her grow since infancy. The cook and kitchen maids broke into sobs as they embraced the maiden they had watched grow up. Even the stable master shed a tear to see her go. But, go she did. She had to.
23
Young Peasant Girl by Ivan Ivanovich
24
And so she left the castle, through the courtyard. The peasants in the yard stopped and bowed in respect as she walked by. As she walked toward the gates, the guards lifted their arms in salute. And none could believe that their beloved princess was leaving the castle alone dressed only in a peasant’s frock and equipped with a pathetic burlap sack. She walked, and she walked. Through groves, and forests, over hills and down through valleys, until at last she came upon a cave beside a brook. Sitting on a large stone at the cave’s entrance was an old hermit go greeted her. “Good morrow to you, fair maiden! And whither dost thou journey?” “Good morning to you, sir,” the maiden replied, “I travel through the world alone to seek my fortune, whatever it may be.” “What dost thou carry in thine burlap sack and bottle?” said the old man. “In my bag I carry provisions ; bread and cheese, and my bottle holds a small bit of beer. Have you breakfasted today? Would you like to share this meal with me?” she asked him. “Why, it happens that I am famished!” the hermit exclaimed. The princess handed over her sack and bottle and bid him to eat his fill. “With all of mine heart, I thank thee!” cried the old fellow.
25
Juliette and the Friar by Sir Francis Dicksee
26
After he had eaten and returned the remainder to her, the old man said, “Dear maiden, as thou sojourn on, thou will come upon a thick and thorny hedge which is unpassable. Here, take thee this wand in thine hand. Strike the hedge thrice and speak aloud ‘pray, hedge, let me pass,’ and it will part and let thee through. A ways further, thou wilt come to a well. Within the well dwell three golden heads which will arise from the water and speak to thee. Whatever they shall ask of thee, do it.” The princess took the hermit’s advice to heart, thanked him for his gift, and set off down the path. She soon found the hedge, just as he said, and found that it was indeed unpassable. The princess lifted the wand and tapped the hedge firmly three times saying “pray, hedge, let me pass,” with ea ch strike. Just as the kindly old man had predicted, the hedge parted and let her pass through.
And so she walked, and she walked. And then she came to the well. Weary from her travels, the princess sat down beside the well to rest her tired feet. But, no sooner had she sat when a shining golden head rose up through the water! It was the beautiful face of a woman that glittered like gold. The princess was mesmerized by this sight. And then the head began to sing:
27
The Three Heads of the Well by Arthur Rackham
28
'Wash me and comb me, And lay me down softly. And lay me on a bank to dry, That I may look pretty, When somebody passes by.'
The princess did not hesitate. She reached down and ran her hands through the hair that shone like the sun as it waved through the water. She picked out the leaves, and the burrs, and the twigs that had gotten entangled therein. Gently, she lifted the delicate golden head from the water and cradled it lovingly in her own lap. She pulled her own silver comb from her pocket, the only treasure she was able to take with her from the castle, and carefully combed out the snarls until the hair was soft and neat. The princess handled the head with care and softly laid it down to dry upon the primrose bank beside them. No sooner had she done this when a second and then a third head appeared, each singing the same song as the first. And so, the princess did the same for each with as much tenderness as she did for the first. By now, she was famished as well as tired, so she sat down again and pulled out her provisions to have her supper. As she ate beside the well, the three heads, now sitting together on the primrose bank, said to 29
each other “What shall we weird for this damsel who has treated us with such kindness?” The first head said, “I weird her such beauty that she will charm every man who lays his eyes upon her.” The second head said, “I weird her a voice so sweet that her song exceeds even the nightingale’s.”
And, the third head said, “My gift will be even greater. I will weird her to be so fortunate that she shall become queen to the greatest prince in all the land.” When the princess had finished her meal, the heads had been dried and warmed by the sun and were ready to be placed back into their well. As sweetly and tenderly as a mother, the maiden carefully picked them up one by one and placed them gently back in their watery home. With a sincere goodbye, the princess picked up her burlap sack and continued on her way. And so, she walked and she walked until she came to a woodland wherein she saw a king hunting with his noble entourage. The princess tried to quietly pass unseen, but the king spotted her from afar and was lured by a strong curiosity. The king turned his horse in her direction and approached her. Immediately struck by her beauty, the likes of which he had never seen on any other woman, and 30
lulled into devotion by the lilting song of her voice, the king asked her to marry him on the spot. The princess hesitated. But, she had endured so much heartache in her short life, and was ever so weary from her wanderings. She looked into the eyes of this king and saw that he was sincere and that he loved her truly and would treat her well. And so, the maiden consented to marry this king whom she had only just met.
Illustration by Gustaf Tenggren
31
The king swelled with happiness at her consent and brought her home to his castle, where they were married the very next day. When the king discovered that his new bride was none other than the daughter of the king of Colchester, he ordered that carriages and retinue be prepared so that he may pay his respects to his new father-in-law. The carriage that held himself and his new queen was plated in gold and bedecked with the most precious gems. So, when they approached the castle in Colchester, the old king was astonished by the sight of their entourage. When the old king realized that this glorious young queen was his own daughter, he was astonished! She and the young king told the story of her journeys and how they came to meet to her father and his court. The entire castle was a buzz with the warm feeling of joy for their beloved princess’ good fortune. That is, all except for the ugly old queen and her hideous club-footed daughter, who were seething with jealousy. Nevertheless, the whole castle rejoiced with a great feast and dancing that continued for several days. When the festivities ended, the old king gifted his daughter with the dowry befitting of her status, and she and her husband returned to their own home. 32
Illustration by Edmund Dulac
33
The miserable hump-backed princess saw that her step-sister had come into such good luck in her travels, that she had a mind to do the same for herself. So, she told her mother, the old queen, who agreed that she should also try her luck on the road. The old woman, who had been so stingy to her stepdaughter, gave quite different provisions to her own daughter. The wicked and nasty princess was furnished with gorgeous gowns and robes, with rich food of every delicious sort, and instead of beer, she received fine wine. And so, the wicked princess started out on her journey and followed the same road her stepsister had taken. Eventually, she also came upon the very same hermit who had assisted the good princess. And the old man asked her, “Young lady, wherefore dost thou travel?” Offended that such a low peasant would address her, she retorted, “That is none of your business!” The old man tried again. “Then, what have thou in thine bag and bottle?” Again she dismissed him, “Very good things that are for me and no one else.”
But, he was very hungry and so he asked, “Please wouldst thou share with a poor old man?”
34
Annoyed now, the wicked princess replied, “I wouldn’t share a crumb with you unless you would choke on it.” The old hermit, who had by now given her several opportunities to change her tune, glared at her with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. Coldly and severely he said, “May evil fortune be thy companion on thy journey.” And then he turned his back and walked into his cave. That might make most people stop to reconsider, but not this wicked, wicked princess. Without a thought in her selfish head, she continued on her journey. Eventually, she came upon the very same hedge that the good princess had so easily passed through. It was still set open when she viewed it from afar, so she could see that the road passed through it. But, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, for the hedge seemed move closer and closer with each step she took, until there was but a small opening when she stood before it. The monstrous princess thought of the riches that her step-sister had received and was determined to find the same. So, she forced her way through the tiny gap. But, the hedge continued to close as she walked between it and its thorns tore at her flesh as she 35
passed through. Her skin was bleeding and bruised, but she thought of gold and riches and marched on. Eventually she came to the very same well that held the three golden heads. Thinking to use the well water to wash herself, as she was now coated in dried blood and thorns, she sat down beside the well. Just as before, one of the heads rose to the surface and began to sing “Wash me, comb me, and lay me down softly…” But, before she could finish her song, the rude and cruel princess struck the head with her wine bottle and shouted “How’s that for a washing?!” The second and third heads arose and attempted to sing her their song, but she struck them with the bottle as well.
Illustration by John D. Batten
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As before, the wicked girl had been given every chance to change her behavior, but she had only doubled down. And so, the three heads discussed together what kind of fortune should befall her for her cruel treatment. The first head said, “I weird her to be stricken by leprosy on her face!”
The second head said, “I weird her voice to become as harsh as a crow’s call!” And, the third head said, “My gift will be even greater! I weird that this spoiled princess will marry only a low, common, and poor country cobbler!”
Illustration by John D. Batten
37
Oblivious, the selfish girl went on her way. On and on she went until she came to a village. It was market day and so the town square was bustling with people. They all stopped to stare at her as she passed through, aghast at her leprosy riddled face and screechy squawk of a voice. Every single person shunned her, some even ran away, and children screamed in fear. The princess felt so low for the first time in her life. She thought that she might break down and die on the spot. As she stood alone in the middle of the square, a kindly cobbler approached her. He had recently repaired the shoes of a poor old fellow who had no money to pay him and had thus given him a medicinal ointment known to cure leprosy and a bottle of magical elixir to cure all physical afflictions, including a harsh voice, in return for his work. The cobbler, very poor himself but rich in the generosity of his heart, took pity on the disfigured girl standing all alone. He felt compelled to help her. And so, he approached her and asked who she might be. The miserable princess answered, “Though you may not believe it to look at me, I am the king of Colchester’s step -daughter.” And the cobbler replied, “My dear, I can cure your afflictions. If I help you, will you in return take me for a husband?”
By now, all pride and haughty attitude had been driven from the young woman, and she was 38
desperate for his help. “Yes,” she exclaimed, “with all my heart, yes I will marry you if you can help me!”
And so, the cobbler took from his sack the ointment and elixir, bade her take a swig of the liquid, and then he daubed her face with ointment. “Come with me to my home, lady, for this treatment will take several weeks.” Skeptical, but seeing no other alternative, the desperate princess said that she would. Immediately she could hear that her own voice was softer than before, and so she knew that the cobbler was genuine in his promise. In a few weeks’ time, just as promised, the poor princess was made well again. Not only had her leprosy healed and her voice become sweet, but her humped back and clubbed foot were cured. And so, she and the cobbler were wed and they set out to journey to Colchester so that she may introduce her husband to her mother and step-father and share the story of her good fortune.
Well, the detestable and wretched old queen had no good in her heart at all. She could not see that her daughter had found a great treasure in this poor cobbler. And, she cared not a jot that this lowly peasant had cured her daughter when no one else could, that he loved her, and treated her very well. All that she saw was his lowly origins and that her daughter had not married for wealth. 39
Peasant couple by Luigi Bechi
40
Filled with shame for what her daughter had become, the wicked old queen flew into a downward spiral until she lost the will to live and hanged herself in her bedchamber. When the shock of the event had passed, the king found that he felt free again, as if a millstone had been removed from his neck. For, his second wife had brought only negativity into his life. He was happy that the castle would be free of the dark shadow that her presence had cast upon it. Though, he was a good man, and he was pleased to see that his step-daughter had been made well and was happy. He gave her dowry of one hundred pounds to the cobbler and sent them on their way. The cobbler left with his wife, no longer a princess, but finally a kind woman. They returned to his home in the far away village. Together the cobbler and his wife lived together for many years; he mending shoes, with his wife happily spinning thread for him.
THE END
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Bibliography and Further Reading:
Bates, Brian. The Real Middle Earth . Oxford: Sidgwick& Jackson, 2002. Briggs, Katharine. An Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures. New York: Pantheon Books, 1976. Henderson, Lizanne and Edward J. Cowan. Scottish Fairy Belief . Eastbourne, UK: CPI Antony Rowe, 2011. Jacobs, J. English Fairy Tales. London: D. Nutt, 1980. Lindow, John. Norse Mythology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. Rose, Carol. Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Enclyclopedia . New York: W. W. Norton & Co, Inc., 1996. Simpson, Jacqueline. European Mythology. London: The Hamlyn Publishing Group, 1987. Wilby, Emma. Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits . Eastbourne, UK: Sussex Academic Press, 2005. 42
