World Folklore for Storytellers: Tales of Wonder, Wisdom, Fools, and Heroes

433 Pages·2009·10.024 MB·English

by  Howard J Sherman

World
Folklore
for storytellerS
This page intentionally left blank
World
Folklore
for storytellerS
Tales of Wonder, Wisdom, Fools, and Heroes
Josepha Sherman
First published 2009 by M.E. Sharpe
Published 2015 by Routledge
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
World folklore for storytellers: tales of wonder, wisdom, fools, and heroes / Josepha Sherman,
editor.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7656-8174-4 (hardcover: alk. paper)
1. Folklore—Classification. 2. Folk literature—History and criticism. 3. Storytelling.
4. Oral tradition. I. Sherman, Josepha.
GR72.56.W67 2010
398.09—dc22 2009010525
Cover image: Rumpelstiltskin spinning, illustration from “Once Upon a Time” published by
Ernest Mister, c.1900 (color litho) by G.H. Thompson (twentieth century). Private Collection/
The Bridgeman Art Library.
Publisher: Myron E. Sharpe
Vice President and Director of New Product Development: Donna Sanzone
Vice President and Production Director: Carmen Chetti
Executive Development Editor: Jeff Hacker
Project Manager: Laura Brengelman
Program Coordinator: Cathleen Prisco
Assistant Editor: Alison Morretta
Text Design: Carmen Chetti and Jesse Sanchez
Cover Design: Jesse Sanchez
ISBN 13: 9780765681744 (hbk)
C
ontents
Introduction ......................................................................................................................xv
WONDER TALES
Beauty and the Beast ............................................................................................3
The Transformed Female ............................................................................................3
Fox Brides ........................................................................................................................................4
The Fox Wife: A Folktale from Japan .......................................................................................4
The Fox Woman: A Folktale from the Inuit of Labrador, Canada .......................................4
The Fox Wife: A Folktale from Korea ......................................................................................5
Frog Brides .......................................................................................................................................6
The Frog Maiden: A Folktale from Burma ..............................................................................6
The Frog Tzarina: A Folktale from Rus sia ...............................................................................8
The Little Singing Frog: A Folktale from the Czech Republic ...........................................10
The Frog Wife: A Folktale from the Cochiti of New Mexico .............................................12
Silkies/Selchies and Seal Brides ........................................................................................................13
Tom Moore and the Seal Woman: A Folktale from Kerry, Ireland ....................................13
MacCodrum and His Seal Wife: A Folktale from Scotland ................................................14
Mermaid Brides................................................................................................................................15
The Lady of Gollerus: A Folktale from Ireland ....................................................................15
Ne Hwas, the Mermaids: A Folktale from the Passamaquoddy of New En gland ...........16
Swan Brides and Other Bird Maidens .............................................................................................17
The Swan Maiden: A Folktale from Sweden ..........................................................................18
The Swan Princess: A Folktale from Finland ........................................................................18
The Crane Maiden: A Folktale from Japan ............................................................................21
The Geese Maidens: A Folktale from the Smith Sound Inuit of Greenland ....................22
Other Animal Brides ......................................................................................................................23
The White Cat: A Folktale from France .................................................................................23
The Snail Lady: A Folktale from Korea ..................................................................................26
White Snake: A Folktale from Zhejiang Province, China ...................................................28
v
vi C ONTENTS
Fairy Brides ....................................................................................................................................29
The Farmer’s Son and His Fairy Bride: A Folktale from Wales..........................................29
The Huldre Bride: A Folktale from Norway ..........................................................................30
The Fairy Woman of Takitimu Mountain: A Folktale from the Maori
of New Zealand ......................................................................................................................31
The Feather Robe: A Folktale from Japan ..............................................................................32
Undead And Demon Brides ............................................................................................................33
The Undead Princess: A Folktale from Germany .................................................................33
The Demon Bride: A Jewish Folktale......................................................................................35
A Nonliving Bride ..........................................................................................................................36
The Man Who Married a Branch: A Folktale from the Salish of British
Columbia, Canada ..................................................................................................................36
The Transformed Male .............................................................................................37
Beauty and the Beast: A Basque Folktale ................................................................................37
Snake and Crocodile Husbands .......................................................................................................40
The Crocodile Husband: A Folktale from Botswana, Africa ..............................................40
The Fairy Serpent: A Folktale from China .............................................................................41
Yu Duo and the Snake Husband: A Folktale from the Dai of China ................................43
The Woman and the Snake: A Folktale from Kerala Province, India ...............................44
Frog Husbands ...............................................................................................................................45
The Frog Prince: A Folktale from Germany ..........................................................................45
The Frog and the Starry Girl: A Folktale from the Mishmi of Lohit Valley, India .........47
The Two Orphans: A Folktale from Kerala Province, India ..............................................48
The Toad Husband: A Folktale from the Hmong of Laos ..................................................49
Fish Husbands ................................................................................................................................50
The Fish Man: A Folktale from the Salish of British Columbia, Canada ..........................50
Seal and Sea Lion Husbands ...........................................................................................................52
Ahewauwen and the Woman: A Folktale from the Selknam of Tierra del Fuego ...........52
The Woman Who Married a Seal: A Folktale from the Coos of Oregon .........................53
The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry: A Folktale from Scotland .................................................54
Other Animal Husbands ................................................................................................................55
The Small- Tooth Dog: A Folktale from En gland .................................................................55
Hans My Hedgehog: A Folktale from Germany ...................................................................57
Other Odd Husbands ......................................................................................................................60
The Dragon Prince: A Folktale from Turkey .........................................................................60
Princess Kemang and Her Tree Husband: A Folktale from Bengkulu, Indonesia ..........61
Habogi: A Folktale from Iceland .............................................................................................63
The Invisible Man: A Folktale from the Micmac of Nova Scotia, Canada .......................65
The Lord of the Winds: A Folktale from the Nenets of Siberia .........................................66
C ONTENTS vii
The Heroine’s Quest .................................................................................................68
The Black Bull o’ Norroway: A Folktale from Scotland ......................................................68
East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon: A Folktale from Norway ......................................71
Cinderella and Cinderlad ...................................................................................77
Cinderella ...............................................................................................................77
Ashey Pelt: A Folktale from En gland ......................................................................................77
Aschenzuttel: A Folktale from Serbia .....................................................................................78
Burenushka, the Little Red Cow: A Folktale from Rus sia ...................................................80
The Story of Tam and Cam: A Folktale from Vietnam ........................................................83
An American Cinderella: A Folktale from New Hampshire ...............................................85
The Donkey Skin Tale Type ............................................................................................................86
Peu d’Ane (Donkey Skin): A Folktale from France.................................................................86
La Sendraoeula (Cinderella): A Folktale from Italy..................................................................88
Love Like Salt: A Folktale from the Hottentot of South Africa .........................................91
Cap o’ Rushes: A Folktale from En gland ...............................................................................92
All- Kinds- of- Fur: A Folktale from Germany ........................................................................94
Rashin- Coatie: A Folktale from Scotland ..............................................................................97
The Princess Who Would Not Marry Her Father: A Folktale from Portugal ..................99
The Woman with Two Skins: A Folktale from Nigeria ......................................................102
Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell: A Folktale from Medieval En gland ...............................104
Cinderella and Father Frost Variants ...........................................................................................107
Father Frost: A Folktale from Rus sia ....................................................................................107
The Twelve Months: A Folktale from the Czech Republic ................................................109
Cinderlad ..............................................................................................................113
Cinders: A Folktale from Finland and America ..................................................................113
The Frog Who Became an Emperor: A Folktale from China ............................................114
The Boy Who Knew No Fear ...........................................................................117
The Boy Who Searched for Fear: A Folktale from Slovenia ..............................................117
The Fearless Merchant’s Son: A Folktale from Rus sia ........................................................119
The Story of a Boy Who Wanted to Learn Fear: A Folktale from Germany ..................120
The Fearless Young Man: A Folktale from Sicily, Italy ......................................................124
Dragon- Slayers and Monster- Slayers .............................................................127
The Lucky Ruble: A Folktale from Estonia .........................................................................127
The Dragon- Slayer: A Folktale from Mexico .......................................................................128
Chin Timur and Mehtumsala: A Folktale from the Uighur of Central Asia ...................130
viii C ONTENTS
Law Da and the Dragon: A Folktale from the Akha People of Southeast Asia .............133
The Dragon of Kinabalu: A Folktale from Borneo ............................................................134
Urumba the Water Monster: A Folktale from the Mbarakwena Bushmen
of the Kalahari Desert .........................................................................................................136
The Wanderer and the Dragon: A Folktale from the Gypsies of Slovakia .....................136
The Three Dragons: A Folktale from the Gypsies of Bohemia .......................................137
Iya: A Folktale from the Lakota Sioux of the American West...........................................139
The Hunter and the Monster Bird: A Folktale from the Cherokee
of Tennessee ..........................................................................................................................140
The Fairy’s Midwife .........................................................................................143
The Fairy’s Midwife: A Folktale from En gland ..................................................................143
The Midwife of Hafoddydd: A Folktale from Wales ..........................................................144
The Clergyman’s Wife: A Folktale from Sweden ................................................................145
Cherry of Zennor: A Folktale from Cornwall, En gland ....................................................146
The Demon’s Midwife: A Folktale from the Jews of Morocco .........................................148
Rumpelstiltskin .................................................................................................151
Rumpelstiltskin: A Folktale from Germany .........................................................................151
Tom Tit Tom: A Folktale from En gland ...............................................................................152
Mistress Beautiful: A Folktale from Germany ....................................................................155
The Gold Spinner: A Folktale from Hungary ......................................................................156
The Three Aunts: A Folktale from Norway .........................................................................158
The Building of the Kalundberg Church: A Folktale from Denmark .............................160
Sleeping Beauty .................................................................................................163
Little Briar Rose: A Folktale from Germany .......................................................................163
The Ninth Captain’s Tale: A Folktale from the Arabian Nights .......................................165
Snow White ........................................................................................................167
Snow White: A Folktale from Germany ...............................................................................167
Myrsina: A Folktale from Modern Greece ...........................................................................169
The Crystal Casket: A Folktale from Italy ............................................................................171
Transformation Folktales ..................................................................................175
The Hedley Kow: A Folktale from En gland ........................................................................175
The Soul That Lived in the Bodies of All Beasts: A Folktale from the Inuit
of Greenland ..........................................................................................................................176
C ONTENTS ix
The Transformation Chase .....................................................................................177
Master and Pupil: A Folktale from Denmark ......................................................................178
Master and Pupil (or the Dev il Outwitted): A Folktale
from the Republic of Georgia ............................................................................................179
The Pupil Who Bested the Master: A Folktale from Libya ...............................................181
The Magician and His Disciple: A Folktale from India .....................................................182
The Master- Maid: A Folktale from Norway ........................................................................187
The Grateful Prince: A Folktale from Estonia ....................................................................194
The Obstacle Flight: A Folktale from the Native Peoples of Alabama ...........................204
The Girl and the Evil Spirit: A Folktale from the Tundra Yukaghir of Siberia ..............206
Fundevogel (Foundling Bird): A Folktale from Germany ................................................207
The Story of Aja: A Folktale from the Krobo of Ghana ....................................................209
The Four Sisters and the Mountain Lion: A Folktale from the Osage
of the American Midwest ....................................................................................................210
Undersea Kingdoms: Adventures in the Lands Under the Waves.............213
The Sea Nymph: A Folktale from Sweden ...........................................................................213
Sadko: A Folktale from Rus sia ...............................................................................................214
Urashima Taro: A Folktale from Japan .................................................................................215
Hasang: A Folktale from the Hui Muslims of China ..........................................................216
The Ruler of the Sea: A Folktale from the Yupit of Siberia ...............................................218
HERO TALES
Folklore Heroes .................................................................................................223
Ilya Murometz and the Robber Nightingale: A Folktale from Medieval Rus sia ............223
St. George and the Dragon: A Folktale from En gland ......................................................224
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: A Folktale from the Arthurian Cycle
of En gland .............................................................................................................................226
Hayk, Found er of Armenia: A Folktale from Armenia ......................................................227
Kandebayi the Hero: A Folktale from Kazakhstan ............................................................228
The Girl Who Avenged Her Uncles: A Folktale from the Chippewa
of Wisconsin ..........................................................................................................................232
Sam Hart and His Brave Gray Mare: A Folktale from Massachusetts.............................233
Legendary Heroes ............................................................................................235
Davy Crockett: A Folktale from the American Frontier ....................................................235
Daniel Boone: A Folktale from Kentucky ............................................................................236
George Washington: A Folktale from Virginia ...................................................................236
Abraham Lincoln: A Folktale from Washington, D.C. ......................................................237