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