Jorinde and Joringel

Jorinde and Joringel is a German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, number 69. [Jacob and Wilheim Grimm, "Household Tales", * [http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/grimms/69jorinde.html "Jorinde and Joringel"] ]

It is Aarne-Thompson type 405.D.L. Ashliman, " [http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimmtales.html The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales (Grimms' Fairy Tales)"] ] The tale is found virtually exclusively in Germany, [Stith Thompson, "The Folktale", p 96, University of California Press, Berkeley Los Angeles London, 1977] , although Marie Campbell found a variant in Kentucky, The Flower of Dew. [Marie Campbell, "Tales from the Cloud-Walking Country", p 254 Indiana University Press, Bloomington 1958]

The story is known in many English translations as "Jorinda and Jorindel."

ynopsis

A shape-shifting witch (or "fairy," depending on the translation.) lived alone in the woods. She could lure wild animals and birds to her, transfix anyone who would came near to where she stood, and turn innocent maidens into birds and cage them. Jorinde and Joringel, who had promised to marry each other, went for a walk in the forest. They came too near the witch's house; she turned Jorinde into a nightingale and fixed Joringel to the ground. Once she had carried away the bird, she freed Joringel.

One night Joringel dreamed of a flower, and that it would break all the witch's spells. He sought it for nine days, found it, and carried it back to the castle. He was not fixed to the ground when he approached the castle, and it opened all the doors. He found the witch feeding the birds. She was unable to curse him, and when she tried to take one cage away, he realized it was Jorinde. He touched her with the flower, and she was unable to cast any more spells. He touched Jorinde with the flower and she became a woman again; then he transformed all the other women back.

ee also

*The Old Woman in the Wood

References