Hailey Buhler

Intro to Folklore
12/8/2015

The Heroines Journey

(How Fairytales Empower Women)

No Old Rinkrank, I will not open the door for you

Painting by Emily C. Mcphie

INTRODUCTION

Fairy tales have been under attack for years for promoting
various undesirable traits. Most recently, theyve faced criticism for
promoting the image of the female as being passive, and desirable
only for her physical attractiveness. To combat this, modern media and
literature has created a new female image to replace the princess
archetype. This image is often skilled in various forms of combat, is
vocally opinionated, and is often shown shunning the assistance of a
male, (whilst attracting several). These strong female protagonists
are totted as signs of progression and the advancement of female
equality. But is this truly the case?

The blog The Dark Forest makes an excellent observation in

their post The Empowerment of Snow White, stating: "Modern
interpretations have a faux-feminism, saying that all you have to do to
empower women is have them swing a sword around...Should women
have to "become masculine" to have power. Is wielding a sword (or
fighting in general) masculine? Personally, I think if you have a weak
female character whose only empowerment is having a sword, then
yes, it is a sham. However, if the character herself is strong, no matter
what she does, sword or knitting, she will be empowered."

In other words, are these modern examples of female protagonists

truly empowered women, or rather, as folklorist Kristin Wardetzky
observes: ...Male heroes wearing a female mask... (pg. 164)?

How realistic are these strong female protagonists? How many

of our sisters and daughters, how many of us, can truly relate to the
gun-toting, arrow-shooting, leader of the revolution, who can take on
five berserkers at a time and still manage to look great for her date,
even though she doesnt really need a man, or three?

I would argue that rather than promoting female passivity and

unrealistic ideas of self-image, fairytales in their original forms promote
a more realistic, balanced, and mature form of strength then the

majority of what is offered by modern novels and media. In fact, far

from teaching lessons of compliance and female servitude, fairytales
act as tools to help girls overcome/understand their harsh realities, and
promote healthy friendship/familial relationships, not just romantic
ones.

Indeed, this emphasis on growth and relations was part of their

creation, as folklorist Kay Stone reveals in the statement that fairy
tales remind us: ... Of the balance of negative and positive forces and
of the threatening and difficult tasks to be accomplished before
attaining spiritual happiness ever after (pg. 233).

Accordingly, Ive chosen eight tales to demonstrate this

argument. While there are a few tales from other sources, the majority
of the tales Ive chosen to analyze come from the collections of the
Brothers Grimm. My reasoning is that as these are the stories most
prevalent in Western consciousness, these are the ones that gain the
most attention and criticism in our culture. Rather than focus on better
known tales such as Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella, I have elected to
choose lesser known tales, on the premise that they have faced less
revision and cultural bias over the years, and are thus presented in a
more original and undistorted light.

The tales Ive chose fall into two categories, both of which respond to
feminist objections.

Acting Heroine - In which a female is the main character, and her

actions determine the success of the quest.

Old Rinkrank--Brothers Grimm

All Fur--Brothers Grimm

The Singing Springing Lark--Brothers Grimm

Petrosinella-- Giambattista Basile

Sister Tales - In which the heroines relationship to her sister(s) or

sister equivalent is central to the storys quest.

Tatterhood--Asbjrnsen and Moe

Snow White Rose Red--Brothers Grimm

Silver-Tree Gold-Tree--Joseph Jacobs

Fitchers Bird--Brothers Grimm

In examining the heroic qualities of fairy tale females, I would

first like to look at what it means to be Heroic.

In the interest of creating a standard of measure, Ive chosen to use

the qualifications for heroism as listed on the website for Heroic
Imagination Project. Tales from both categories will be examined using
these requirements.

Heroism is:

1. Engaged in voluntarily

2. Conducted in service to one or more people or the community as a

whole

3. Involving a risk to physical comfort, social stature, or quality of life

4. Initiated without the expectation of material gain.

Acting Heroine

The Lady and the Lion

Illustration by Arthur Rackham

Engaged Voluntarily

Many of the heroines featured in the old fairytales undertake their

journey voluntarily, rather than been forced into action.

The wife in Lark, while being slightly forced by a supernatural

element, chooses to enter the Lions palace to save her fathers
life, rather than let him sacrifice himself. Her father does not
force her; rather she acts out a sincere desire to protect him.
Later, when her husband is cursed into the shape of a dove and
flies away, instead of deciding to cut her losses and stay with her
family, she instead chooses to embark on a long and perilous
journey to rescue him.

The princess in Old Rinkrank voluntarily accompanies her suitor

up the glass hill, seeking to hold him if he were about to fall.
The suitor does not cajole or coerce her to help him cross in
order to win her hand and thus a kingdom; rather it is implied
that this is the man of her choosing.

In Tatterhood, the title character never does anything that is

not her own decision. She stands up to the group of trolls
trashing her home when she could have hidden with everyone
else. When the trolls steal her sisters head, instead of
bemoaning her fate, Tatterhood sets off immediately and on her
own (apart from her cow headed sister) to rescue it. Might I add
she does all this at the tender age of seven.

In Petrosinella, the captive girl is not thrust unwittingly into the

wild after being discovered with her visiting prince. Rather, she
initiates her own escape. She sews a rope ladder, keeps an ear to
her ogress captors conversations, and in doing so discovers the
magical tools she needs to escape.

Service for Another

In almost every tale featuring a female heroine her actions are

done for the good of someone other than herself:

The Lark wife undertakes her journey to save her father, and
then her husband.

The sister in Fitchers Bird does not rest after saving her
sisters, she continues to place herself in danger by working
against Fitcher in order to save any future girls who might fall
into his clutches.

Everything Tatterhood does is to protect her sister, and

promote her sisters happiness. She even agrees to be married
so that her sister can as well!

The Second Wife in Silver-Tree is perhaps the best example of

this selfish action. She works to awaken and protect Gold-Tree
even when doing so runs the risk of destroying her own
happiness.

Involving Risk to Comfort, Stature, Life

The heroines of these tales frequently enter into risks to achieve their
goals.

The Lark wifes journey is fraught with dangers she could easily
have avoided by staying home. She searches alone for seven
years, braves a dragon, and puts herself in the power of a
sorcerer's daughter to break her husbands enchantment.

Tatterhood sails alone to island of trolls and witches to free her

sister, with only a wooden spoon as a weapon.

Snow White and Rose Red allow the freezing bear to enter
their home, though their naturally frightened to do so.

The sister in Fitchers Bird enters the forbidden room to

discover what has happened to her sisters, though she has been
warned to do so would be to her ill.

Petrosinella has

No Expectation of Material Gain

Very few of the heroines, especially in those stories that feature

familial relationships stand to gain materially from their actions.

Snow White and Rose Red aid both the bear and the dwarf out
of no other desire than to help them out of their predicaments.
The bear from freezing, the dwarf from being eaten.

The second wife in Silver Tree Gold Tree has nothing to gain
but a possible rival by aiding Gold Tree.

The sister in Fitchers Bird doesnt destroy Fitcher in an

attempt to inherit his wealth, but rid the world of his evil.

Tatterhood doesnt set out to save her sister to win her parents
love; she works solely based on her own love for her sister.

Sister Tales

Snow White Rose Red

Illustration by Jessie Wilcox Smith

Another topic that is frequently evoked against fairytales is its

portrayal of female relationships. The majority of villains in the stories
tend to be either Wicked Stepmothers, Ugly/Wicked Step-Sisters,
Wicked Witches, False Brides, Evil Mother-in-Laws, and less
commonly, Female Cannibal Cooks.

It would seem on the surface that fairy tales are wrought with
examples of toxic relationships between the Heroine and those who
should create her network of female support. A common argument
against fairy tales as positive examples for women is that the heroines
are never shown in a positive familial relationship with anyone other
than her husband or her brother.

In actuality there are a surprising number of tales featuring good

relationships between the heroine and other female characters. While
the majority of the tales feature this in the form of a fairy
godmother/deceased mothers spirit, here I would like to focus on a
less obvious example: Positive Sister Relationships.

One prime example of this is the Grimms story of Snow White and
Rose Red. Here is an example of two full sisters who are both kind
and beautiful, as opposed to the more common trend of a rivalry
between stepsisters, one beautiful and one ugly. They enjoy each
others company, and watch out for each other. They work together to
aid the talking bear, and later the ungrateful dwarf. They are never
shown to be jealous or undermining of each other, and when one
succeeds, the other does as well.

The Norwegian story of Tatterhood has even more compelling sister

relationship, as in this case, one sister is ugly. From birth Tatterhood is
shunned by her parents in favor of her beautiful twin. But far from
being jealous of her, she actively works to protect her sister from a
number of evils. Her sister in turn is devoted to Tatterhood, refusing an
advantageous marriage until her sister is equally provided for.

In the terrifying Fitchers Bird, the third sister not only resurrects her
murdered sisters, but places their safe escape above her own. She
tricks their murder into carrying them to safety, enabling them to send
for reinforcements to destroy not only Fitcher, but all of his evil friends
as well.

In Silver-Tree Gold-Tree, one would think that the Second Wife

would be as much of a threat as the Jealous Queen to Gold-Tree, if not
a greater one. But rather than keep Gold-Tree in her unconscious and
thus non-threatening state, she realizes that Gold-Tree is not to blame
for her position. She awakens the woman, presents her to their
husband, and offers to go away, claiming that Gold-Tree has a stronger
marriage claim then she does. Even when this crisis is settled, the
Second Wife continues to protect Gold-Tree. When she might have let
the Jealous Queen have her way and so rid herself of a rival, she
instead places herself in danger to protect this new member of her
family. Not only that, but in asking Gold-Tree to accompany her to meet
the Queen, she gives Gold-Tree the chance to take part in freeing
herself. In this way she not only rescues her would-be rival, but
empowers her as well.

Even Lark, while focusing mainly on the relationship between

the wife and the lion husband, has an example of positive female
relationships. There is no envy shown between the wife and her sisters,
as there is in other tales following a similar pattern. She rejoices at
their marriages and even leaves her child in their care when she goes
after her husband, showing a deep level of trust between them.

The Heroines Journey

Painting by Katherine Ace Many Furs

Heros Inner Journey

Joseph Campbell

It is interesting to note that while the fairy tales featuring female

protagonist do not apply as easily to Campbell's physical Heros
Journey, the majority of them apply with ease to the inner journey,
much more so than their male counterparts do. This to me signifies
part of the intended structure of fairytales to emphasis that female
strength comes not from a physical/forceful approach, but from an
inner source. It is their ability to overcome subtler, nonphysical threats
that makes them heroic, rather than their ability to wield a sword. That
strength allows them to overcome one of the most prevalent dangers
in fairytales, that of physical, emotional, and implied sexual abuse.

There are three tales I would like to focus on in this section, as I

feel they most amply represent this theme. All Fur, Fitchers Bird,
and Old Rinkrank.

1. Limited Awareness of Problem: The princess All Furs mother

dies, leaving behind a dreadful prophecy. The first sister in
Fitchers Bird is taken and killed. The princess in Old
Rinkrank falls through the glass hill.
2. Increased Awareness of need for Change: The king in All Fur
goes mad and declares he will marry his daughter. The second
sister is taken and killed. The princess is captured by Old
Rinkrank.
3. Fear, Resistance to Change: All Fur demands three impossible to
obtain dresses and a coat made of every fur as a way of
preventing the wedding. The third sister is taken by Fitcher. The
captive princess is threatened with death if she does not serve
Old Rinkrank.
4. Overcoming Fear: When her demands are met, All Fur takes the
dresses and dons the coat, fleeing into the forest. The third sister
sets aside the egg, and prepares to enter the forbidden room.
The captive princess agrees to serve Rinkrank.
5. Committing to Change: All Fur allows herself to be captured by
the hunters of another kingdom, concealing her high birth. The
third sister enters the room, and finding the dead bodies of her
two sisters, rejoins them to life. The captive princess makes
Rinkranks bed and washes his dishes until she is grown old,
and he calls her Mother Mansrot.
6. Experimenting with New Conditions: All Fur gains a position in
the palace kitchens, and asks the cook for permission to watch
the princes ball. The third sister hides her sisters in Fitchers
basket, and asks him to take the basket, filled with silver and
gold to her parents. The captive princess washes the dishes,
makes the bed, and then locks all the doors.
7. Preparing for Major Change: All Fur washes herself, and dons
her magical dresses. The third sister covers herself in honey and
feathers to appear as a bird, and sets a disguised skull in the
window to represent her. The captive princess leaves one window
open.
8. Big Change/Life or Death: All Fur attends the ball three times,
and dances with the king, each time concealing her identity, and
leaving a clue for him in his soup. The third sister runs into some
of Fitchers wedding guests while escaping. The captive

princess refuses Rinkrank entrance to the house three times, and

traps his beard in the window.
9. Accepting Consequences of New Life: All Fur is forced back into
the kitchens each night after the ball to face the Cooks abuse.
The third sister must convince Fitchers entire guest party the
skull is her. The captive princess must demand the ladder from
Old Rinkrank to escape the cave.
10.
New Challenge and Rededication: The prince slips a ring
onto All Furs finger at the last ball. The third sister runs into
Fitcher himself. The captive princess must ascend the steep
mountain.
11.
Final Attempt: All Fur is unable to complete her disguise
after the final ball, and so simply throws her coat over her golden
dress. The third sister deceives Fitcher with the skull in the
window. The captive princess opens the window to the outside
world.
12.
Mastery: All Fur is revealed to the prince, and wins his
hand. The third sister successfully escapes Fitcher and her
brothers burn down his house. The captive princess returns to
her kingdom, finds her father, avengers herself on Rinkrank,
and is reunited and married to her old love.

Some might say that the heroines tales end in marriage only
send them from one confinement into another. I would argue that this a
very narrow minded viewpoint, and to think so misses out on the
deeper message of these tales. Their marriages are not a symbol of
continued repression, but of the ultimate ability of the soul to triumph
over any oppressive circumstance. Against all odds, these women find
the strength to move past their abuse and rediscover the possibility of
a loving relationship where they are respected and where they can
trust their partner. Rather than let their past define them, they work to
overcome it, and discover that they are still able to find peace and
happiness despite the tragedies.

CONCLUSION

For me the most moving of these tales, the most empowering,

both for its ending and for its realism, is Old Rinkrank. Here, the
princess, once captive, is not cast into a preserving sleep that shields
her from age and turmoil. She is forced to labor for her captor for years
and years, until she had grown quite old. She is locked away in
darkness, working under the threat of constant danger, her abuser her
only companion. Rink Rank has stripped her down to total
dependence upon himself; he has taken her family, her love, her
freedom, even her name from her.

In the end, there is no prince or father or dead mother/fairy

godmother coming to rescue her. Only she has the power to free
herself, something she does not discover until it is almost too late. We
are not told what is that finally motivate the princess to stand up to Old
Rinkrank, but perhaps that is how it should be. Everyone has their own
crisis, their own turning point. The image of her slowly cleaning for the
last time the house that has been her home and prison for so many
years is arresting. She knows that this is the end. She will either finally
be free, or finally lose her life. Either way, this is the last time she will
ever wash these dishes, or make this bed. I feel that there is something
very meaningful in the passage

When she is finally returns to her home, she is not magically

restored to youth and beauty as one might expect in a fairytale. Her
years of torment are not swept away, as if they meant nothing. She is
left as she is found. Old, worn, abused and most likely blinded by the
presence of so much light after living so long in the dark. But she is no
longer in the dark, and the dark has no power to keep her that she
does not give it. She does not weep, she does not find a dark room in
her castle to curl up in, and she does not die. She sees the goodness
that is still there and she takes it. She may only have a few years left,
but she will take whatever happy ever after is left to her. She has her
family, and she has a partner who will love and respect her no matter
what. This is evidenced by the fact that the suitor not only waited all
these years for her but still loves her. Not the memory of the young,
beautiful girl she was but her. Old, wrinkled, covered in dust and grime
and squinting in the sunlight.

This to me is the epitome of what fairytales can do to empower

the women and girls of the world. Here we are taught that trials like

abuse and separation and loss may change us, they may change
irrevocably, but they do not destroy us. We are taught that no matter
what depths we are thrown to, we can reach the sunlight again; we can
find happiness, love, and fulfilment.

How many girls are there in the world trapped in abusive

relationships or growing up in abusive homes? How many feel that they
will never be rescued, and that even if they are, it is too late for them
to experience happiness? I hope that they read this story, I hope they
read all the stories, I hope they realize that they dont need to know
karate, or swing a sword, or lead the rebellion to be a hero. All they
need is the strength that is inherently in them. The strength that
comes not from a sword, but from the soul.
This is the strength we discover in fairytales.

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