Myths and Water

The version of Rapunzel entitled "Petrosinella" written by Giambattista Basile has many similarities to the story line of Kalyani and madam Didi in the film Water. 

Identifying elements of myth: “Petrosinella" and “Water”

1.  Isolation

Petrosinella is taken from her home and forced to live alone with the ogress against her will. I am sure she didn’t want to but she went with the ogress anyway. She was forced to go because of something that was out of her control. It wasn’t her fault that her mother made a promise to the ogress.

Kalyani was in a very similar position. Her husband died making her a widow. In India culture at the time widows were cast out of society and looked upon with malice and distaste. They were sent to live in places such as temples in order to keep their “filth” away from the rest of the population of India. It was not Kalyani fault her husband died and it wasn’t her choice to live as an outcast.

They both also lived in a tower of sorts. Petrosinella lived in an actual stone tower in the woods and Kalyani lived in a high apartment in the temple.

2. Manipulation of Innocence

Petrosinella was wanted and used by the ogress for a reason we do not know. I do not understand why she wanted to raise a child if all she did was keep her locked away.

Kalyani was also used and abused by her leader, madam Didi. Much like the ogress madam Didi did not care at all about the way she treated Kalyani. The only thing she cared about was being able to pimp her out so that the widows would be provided for. However she was a cruel and unfair leader who took more for herself as others in her care suffered.

3. Sweet Souls Unaffected by Evil

Petrosinella even though she was taken from her mother and family she still managed to have a kind loving heart. She had faith in people that not everyone was bad. She quickly opened her heart and her body to the prince.

Kalyani also had a sweet spirit even when living a life where others looked at her with contempt. She was quick to smile and put others before herself. One thing that I admired about Kalyani was her affection to her puppy she adopted as her own. She also took Chuyia (a child widow living in the temple) under her wing and acted as a mother figure for the young girl.

4. Secret Lovers

Petrosinella found love in her royal prince. It was a forbidden romance and one that they kept quiet from the ogress. The prince was able to see Petrosinella by climbing up her long hair that she threw out the one small window. 

Kalyani had a secret love as well with a man named Narayan. He was a rich man and of the highest caste in India. At first Kalyani did not hope to find love and often tried to avoid him. However their attraction grew and it was inevitable that they should be together. Kalyani and Narayan could not let anyone know about their relationship so they too met in the secret of night.

5. Villains Stood in the Way of Happiness

 In the story of Petrosinella the ogress did not want her to be happy and run away with the prince. In fact she was determined to keep them apart by using her magic acorns. However, Petrosinella gets to the ogress’ magic acorns before she does and uses them against her.

In the movie Water madam Didi also stands in the way of love between Kalyani and Narayan. Didi tries so hard to keep them apart that she shaves Kalyani’s head in hopes that without her beautiful long hair Narayan will no longer love and desire her. But Didi doesn’t stop there, she also throws Kalyani in her room, shuts and door and locks her in there. She though that by putting a lock on her door there would be no way that she could escape and run away and get married to Narayan.

I think the director of the film Water, Deepa Mehta used many of these themes because they are so prevalent in today’s society. Myths are often times truths that are too hard to handle or they point out things that people often want to forget. An interesting part of the film Water is the connection to the story of Radha and Krishna. These two were a symbol of love and devotion for the people of India. And though some myths have unhappy endings I have noticed that many still have some type of interpretation of what love is.

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let Down Your Hair

 

 

 When I say Rapunzel some  right away think of Disney’s latest film adaptation, Tangled. However, there is more to the story that meets the ear. I chose to focus on the earliest version of this tale from the country of Italy written in 1634. I will later write about how this version of Rapunzel has many similarities to the story line of Kalyani and madam Didi in the film Water. Below is the tale rewritten in my own words.

"Petrosinella" by Giambattista Basile

There was once a woman who lived next to an ogress. The ogress had a wonderful garden and her neighbor very much wanted some of the ogress’ parsley she had grown. The woman was pregnant and thought something terrible would happen to her or her baby if she did not satisfy her cravings for parsley. So the woman began to sneak into the ogress’ garden and steal her parsley night after night. One night the ogress set a trap for the woman and caught her. “Why have you been stealing from me she demanded.” The ogress became very angry but decided not to kill the woman as long as the woman gave her the child she was pregnant with.

In time the woman gave birth to a daughter and named her Petrosinella, which came from the word parsley in the Neapolitan dialect. The woman forgot about her promise and continued to raise the child as her own. Petrosinella was now seven years old and started to go to school. Little did the girl know about the promise her mother made to the ogress and each day she passed her house the ogress told Petrosinella to remind her mother about the promise she made to her. This frightened the mother so that one day she told the ogress to just take her.

The ogress took her by her hair and locked her into a tall stone tower deep in the woods. Petrosinella only had one small window to look out of. The ogress was the only person she had contact with and would climb in and out of the tower by lowering Petrosinella’s long hair out of the single tower window. 

One day a prince comes through the forest and discovers Petrosinella and falls madly in love with her at first sight. They pledged their love to one another and consummated their love. They spent days wrapped in each other’s arms.

Soon a chatty old woman told the Ogress what was going on and the love making going on between Petrosinella and the prince. But the Ogress was not worried. “Petrosinella will never be able to escape with the prince because they don’t have my magic acorns.” Petrosinella, as sharp as she was, heard the Ogress and learned of the secret spot in which the Ogress hid these magic acorns.

She made a plan with her prince. He brought some rope so she could climb down from the tower. The time came and Petrosinella drugged the Ogress and her and the prince made their getaway with the magic acorns.Soon the ogress became aware of Petrosinella’s deceit and was after them in a fury. Using her magic she was soon to catch up to them however. But what the Ogress didn’t know is that the lovers had taken her magic acorns. At first sight of the Ogress Petrosinella threw down the first acorn and it turned into a vicious dog. The Ogress quickly drew some bread from her pocket and the dog let her pass.  The second acorn was thrown and that acorn became a lion. The Ogress stole skin from a nearby donkey and processed to chase the lion with it. The lion trembled and ran away in fear. Feeling desperate Petrosinella threw the last magical acorn. This acorn became a hungry wolf who ate the ogress before she had any chance of performing magic to save herself. 

Petrosinella and her beloved prince finally made it to the safety of his kingdom. With the blessing of his father and prince and Petrosinella officially wed and they lived happily ever after. 

                    

 Sources:

 http://www.mythicjourneys.org/newsletter_jul07_windling.html