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(Redirected from Rumpelstilskin)
'''Rumpelstiltskin''' is a dwarf character in a fairy tale of the same name that originated in Germany (where he is known as ''Rumpelstilzchen''). The tale was collected by the Grimm Brothers, who first published it in the 1812 edition of ''Children's and Household Tales''. It was subsequently revised in later editions until the final version was published in 1857.
In order to make himself appear more important, a miller lied to the king that his daughter could spin straw into gold. The king called for the girl, shut her in a tower room with straw and a spinning wheel, and demanded that she spin the straw into gold by morning, for three nights, or be executed (some versions say she would be locked up in the dungeon to die). She had given up all hope, when a dwarf appeared in the room and spun straw into gold for her in return for her lamb necklace; then again the following night for her ring. On the third night, when she had nothing with which to reward him, the strange creature spun straw into gold for a promise that the girl's first-born child would become his.
The king was so impressed that he let the miller's daughter marry his son, the prince, but when their first child was born, the dwarf returned to claim his payment: "Now give me what you promised". The queen was frightened and offered him all the wealth she had if she could keep the child. The dwarf refused but finally agreed to give up his claim to the child if the queen could guess his name in three days. At first she failed, but before the second night, her messenger overheard the dwarf hopping about his fire and singing:
:''"Today I bake, tomorrow I brew,''
:''Today for one
:''Tomorrow for two
:''Little knows my royal dame
:''Rumpelstiltskin is my name"
When the dwarf came to the queen on the third day and she revealed his name, Rumpelstiltskin lost his bargain. In the 1812 edition of the Brothers Grimm tales, Rumpelstiltskin then "ran away angrily, and never came back". The ending was revised in a final 1857 edition to a more gruesome version where Rumpelstiltskin "in his rage drove his right foot so far into the ground that it sank in up to his waist; then in a passion he seized the left foot with both hands and tore himself in two." In the oral version originally collected by the brothers Grimm, Rumpelstiltskin flies out of the window on a cooking ladle (Heidi Anne Heiner).
The literal translation of his rhyme is:
:''"I Am Good, ''
:''And You Are Not,
:''For I Am Rumpelstiltskin!"
The name ''Rumpelstilzchen'' in German means literally "little rattle stilt". (A ''stilt'' is a post or pole providing support for a structure.) A ''rumpelstilt'' or ''rumpelstilz'' ("rattle stilt") was the name of a type of goblin, also called a ''pophart'' or ''poppart'' ("rapper" or "thumper") that makes noises by rattling posts and rapping on planks, similar to a ''rumpelgeist'' ("rattle ghost") or ''poltergeist'' ("noisy ghost"), a mischievous spirit that clatters and moves household objects. (Other related concepts are ''mummarts'' or ''boggarts'' that are mischievous household spirits that disguise themselves.)
The earliest known mention of Rumplestiltskin occurs in Johann Fischart's ''Geschichtklitterung, or Gargantua'' of 1577 (a loose adaptation of Rabelais' ''Gargantua and Pantagruel'') which refers to an "amusement" for children named "''Rumpele stilt'' or the ''Poppart''".
"I'll rest tomorrow and bake today
Then I'll take the queen's son away.
For no one will ever guess who I am
And that Rumpelstiltskin is my name!"
''Rumpelstiltskin'' is a widespread tale, known almost universally in cultures that depend on spinning for clothing. [1]
The being is known by a variety of names in a number of other languages:
★ Czech: ''Rumplcimprcampr''
★ Danish: ''Rumleskaft''
★ Dutch: ''Repelsteeltje''
★ English: ''Rumpelstiltskin'' and ''Tom Tit Tot'' (from ''English Fairy Tales'', collected & edited by Joseph Jacobs, 1884)
★ Finnish: ''Tittelintuure''
★ French: ''Grigrigredinmenufretin''
★ German: ''Rumpelstilzchen''
★ Hebrew: ''עוץ לי גוץ לי'' (ootz li gootz li)
★ Hungarian: ''Pancimanci''
★ Iceland: ''Rumputuski''
★ Italian: ''Tremotino'' or ''Praseidimio''
★ Japanese: ''ルンペルシュティルツヒェン''(Runperushuterutsuhyun), ''がたがたの竹馬こぞう''(Gatagata-no-takeuma-kozo)
★ Korean: ''럼펠스틸트스킨'' (reompelseutilteuseukin)
★ Polish: ''Titelitury''
★ Portuguese: ''Rumpelstiltskin'' and ''O Anão Dançarino'' (the dancing dwarf)
★ Slovak: ''Martin Klingáčik''
★ Spanish: ''Rumpelstiltskin'' and ''El Enano Saltarín'' (the jumping dwarf).
★ Swedish: ''Bulleribasius'' and ''Päronskaft'' (pear stalk)
Other elements may also vary: in ''Tom Tit Tot'', the girl ate five pies, and her mother scolded her. When the king heard it and asked what had happened, the woman lied and said she had been talking of the five skeins her daughter had spun, and that speed of spinning was what interested him.
The Scottish fairy tale ''Whuppity Stoorie'', though differing from ''Rumpelstiltskin'' in every other respect, has the heroine guessing the name of a helper to save her baby, and is therefore classified with it.
The story of ''Rumpelstiltskin'' is an example of Aarne and Thompson's folklore type 500 (''The Name of the Helper''; see links below). Other fairy tale themes in the story include the ''Impossible Task'', the ''Hard Bargain'', the ''Changeling Child'', and, above all, the ''Secret Name''.
''Rumpelstiltskin'' is most commonly interpreted as a cautionary tale against bragging (compare with the concept of ''hubris'' in Greek mythology), but in this case not the miller himself but rather his daughter is punished for his lies. An alternative explanation is that the tale could have been meant to teach women the importance of performing a supporting role in their later marriage. The gift of spinning straw into gold is seen here as a metaphor for the value of household skills. Indeed, the king in this tale does not seem to be interested in the girl besides her alleged magical capabilities — even though her beauty is mentioned in passing — and she exists only to bring him riches and bear his children.
The dwarf's demand for the girl's first-born child probably has remnants of older legends which held that malignant sprites and goblins would steal unattended babies and replace them with a child (or "changeling") of their own.[2] (Similar tales exist about trolls as well, though their motives were generally seen as selfish rather than unpleasant, in that they supposedly found some of their own children too humanoid to exist among them.) However, tales like these in themselves were intended to stop children from playing outside without care, or mothers from leaving their children in danger, and the miller, famously, puts his own child in the power of a greedy king, while she in turn agrees to hand over her child to a virtual stranger.
Another tale revolves about a girl trapped by false claims about her spinning abilities: ''The Three Spinners''. However, the three women who assist that girl do not demand her first born, but that she invite them to her wedding and say that they are relatives of hers. With this more reasonable request, she complies, and is freed from her hated spinning when they tell the king that their hideous looks spring from their endless spinning. In one Italian variant, she must discover their names, as with Rumpelstiltskin, but not for the same reason: she must use their names to invite them, and she has forgotten them.
Rumpelstiltskin Syndrome is an analogical reference to the role of the king in the story of Rumpelstiltskin. Common practice in middle-management is to impose unreasonable work demands on subordinates. Upon completion of the task or tasks in question, equal or higher work demands are then imposed; moreover, no credit, acknowledgement, or overt appreciation is demonstrated by way of recognition.
The story of Rumpelstiltskin is discussed in Walter Tevis's science-fiction novel ''The Man Who Fell to Earth''. The main character in the novel, an extraterrestrial, is analogized to the Rumpelstiltskin character. Also, Rumpelstiltskin appeared to be an evil character in The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley.
★ The book ''Spinners'' by Donna Jo Napoli and Richard Tchen
★ A song called Rumpelstiltskin John Otway on the album ''The Pen-Ultimate'' features the chorus "Give us the baby, Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin"
★ In the PC game Kings Quest 1 there's a character called Nikstlitslepmur - Rumpelstiltskin spelled backwards.
★ I.M. Rumpelstilzchen, a song on the Megaherz album, Herzwerk II (song title translates roughly to ''Unofficial Collaborator Rumpelstiltskin).
★ Rumpelstiltskin was a holo-deck character brought to life in the episode ''If Wishes Were Horses''.
★ Rumpelstiltzkin The fairy tale, lushly illustrated in The Colorful Story Book of 1941.
★ SurLaLune Fairy Tale Pages: Heidi Anne Heiner, "The Annotated Rumpelstiltskin"
★ SurLaLune: Related stories
★ Tom Tit Tot: An Essay on Savage Philosophy in Folk-Tale by Edward Clodd
★ "Rumpelstiltskin" translated by Margaret Hunt, 1884 e-text
★ A translation of the Rumpelstiltskin story from the 1812 Brothers Grimm edition
★ D.L. Ashliman's Brothers Grimm website. The classification is based on Antti Aarne and Stith Thompson, ''The Types of the Folktale: A Classification and Bibliography,'' (Helsinki, 1961).
★ D.L. Ashliman's Brothers Grimm website.
★ Rumeplstiltzkin with modern illustrations.
★ Rumpelstiltskin horror movie.
Illustration of Rumpelstiltskin from Andrew Lang's ''The Blue Fairy Book'', ca. 1889
'''Rumpelstiltskin''' is a dwarf character in a fairy tale of the same name that originated in Germany (where he is known as ''Rumpelstilzchen''). The tale was collected by the Grimm Brothers, who first published it in the 1812 edition of ''Children's and Household Tales''. It was subsequently revised in later editions until the final version was published in 1857.
| Contents |
| Plot synopsis |
| Name origins |
| In other languages |
| Analysis |
| Influence |
| References in popular culture |
| External links |
Plot synopsis
In order to make himself appear more important, a miller lied to the king that his daughter could spin straw into gold. The king called for the girl, shut her in a tower room with straw and a spinning wheel, and demanded that she spin the straw into gold by morning, for three nights, or be executed (some versions say she would be locked up in the dungeon to die). She had given up all hope, when a dwarf appeared in the room and spun straw into gold for her in return for her lamb necklace; then again the following night for her ring. On the third night, when she had nothing with which to reward him, the strange creature spun straw into gold for a promise that the girl's first-born child would become his.
The king was so impressed that he let the miller's daughter marry his son, the prince, but when their first child was born, the dwarf returned to claim his payment: "Now give me what you promised". The queen was frightened and offered him all the wealth she had if she could keep the child. The dwarf refused but finally agreed to give up his claim to the child if the queen could guess his name in three days. At first she failed, but before the second night, her messenger overheard the dwarf hopping about his fire and singing:
:''"Today I bake, tomorrow I brew,''
:''Today for one
:''Tomorrow for two
:''Little knows my royal dame
:''Rumpelstiltskin is my name"
When the dwarf came to the queen on the third day and she revealed his name, Rumpelstiltskin lost his bargain. In the 1812 edition of the Brothers Grimm tales, Rumpelstiltskin then "ran away angrily, and never came back". The ending was revised in a final 1857 edition to a more gruesome version where Rumpelstiltskin "in his rage drove his right foot so far into the ground that it sank in up to his waist; then in a passion he seized the left foot with both hands and tore himself in two." In the oral version originally collected by the brothers Grimm, Rumpelstiltskin flies out of the window on a cooking ladle (Heidi Anne Heiner).
The literal translation of his rhyme is:
:''"I Am Good, ''
:''And You Are Not,
:''For I Am Rumpelstiltskin!"
Name origins
The name ''Rumpelstilzchen'' in German means literally "little rattle stilt". (A ''stilt'' is a post or pole providing support for a structure.) A ''rumpelstilt'' or ''rumpelstilz'' ("rattle stilt") was the name of a type of goblin, also called a ''pophart'' or ''poppart'' ("rapper" or "thumper") that makes noises by rattling posts and rapping on planks, similar to a ''rumpelgeist'' ("rattle ghost") or ''poltergeist'' ("noisy ghost"), a mischievous spirit that clatters and moves household objects. (Other related concepts are ''mummarts'' or ''boggarts'' that are mischievous household spirits that disguise themselves.)
The earliest known mention of Rumplestiltskin occurs in Johann Fischart's ''Geschichtklitterung, or Gargantua'' of 1577 (a loose adaptation of Rabelais' ''Gargantua and Pantagruel'') which refers to an "amusement" for children named "''Rumpele stilt'' or the ''Poppart''".
"I'll rest tomorrow and bake today
Then I'll take the queen's son away.
For no one will ever guess who I am
And that Rumpelstiltskin is my name!"
In other languages
''Rumpelstiltskin'' is a widespread tale, known almost universally in cultures that depend on spinning for clothing. [1]
The being is known by a variety of names in a number of other languages:
★ Czech: ''Rumplcimprcampr''
★ Danish: ''Rumleskaft''
★ Dutch: ''Repelsteeltje''
★ English: ''Rumpelstiltskin'' and ''Tom Tit Tot'' (from ''English Fairy Tales'', collected & edited by Joseph Jacobs, 1884)
★ Finnish: ''Tittelintuure''
★ French: ''Grigrigredinmenufretin''
★ German: ''Rumpelstilzchen''
★ Hebrew: ''עוץ לי גוץ לי'' (ootz li gootz li)
★ Hungarian: ''Pancimanci''
★ Iceland: ''Rumputuski''
★ Italian: ''Tremotino'' or ''Praseidimio''
★ Japanese: ''ルンペルシュティルツヒェン''(Runperushuterutsuhyun), ''がたがたの竹馬こぞう''(Gatagata-no-takeuma-kozo)
★ Korean: ''럼펠스틸트스킨'' (reompelseutilteuseukin)
★ Polish: ''Titelitury''
★ Portuguese: ''Rumpelstiltskin'' and ''O Anão Dançarino'' (the dancing dwarf)
★ Slovak: ''Martin Klingáčik''
★ Spanish: ''Rumpelstiltskin'' and ''El Enano Saltarín'' (the jumping dwarf).
★ Swedish: ''Bulleribasius'' and ''Päronskaft'' (pear stalk)
Other elements may also vary: in ''Tom Tit Tot'', the girl ate five pies, and her mother scolded her. When the king heard it and asked what had happened, the woman lied and said she had been talking of the five skeins her daughter had spun, and that speed of spinning was what interested him.
The Scottish fairy tale ''Whuppity Stoorie'', though differing from ''Rumpelstiltskin'' in every other respect, has the heroine guessing the name of a helper to save her baby, and is therefore classified with it.
Analysis
The story of ''Rumpelstiltskin'' is an example of Aarne and Thompson's folklore type 500 (''The Name of the Helper''; see links below). Other fairy tale themes in the story include the ''Impossible Task'', the ''Hard Bargain'', the ''Changeling Child'', and, above all, the ''Secret Name''.
''Rumpelstiltskin'' is most commonly interpreted as a cautionary tale against bragging (compare with the concept of ''hubris'' in Greek mythology), but in this case not the miller himself but rather his daughter is punished for his lies. An alternative explanation is that the tale could have been meant to teach women the importance of performing a supporting role in their later marriage. The gift of spinning straw into gold is seen here as a metaphor for the value of household skills. Indeed, the king in this tale does not seem to be interested in the girl besides her alleged magical capabilities — even though her beauty is mentioned in passing — and she exists only to bring him riches and bear his children.
The dwarf's demand for the girl's first-born child probably has remnants of older legends which held that malignant sprites and goblins would steal unattended babies and replace them with a child (or "changeling") of their own.[2] (Similar tales exist about trolls as well, though their motives were generally seen as selfish rather than unpleasant, in that they supposedly found some of their own children too humanoid to exist among them.) However, tales like these in themselves were intended to stop children from playing outside without care, or mothers from leaving their children in danger, and the miller, famously, puts his own child in the power of a greedy king, while she in turn agrees to hand over her child to a virtual stranger.
Another tale revolves about a girl trapped by false claims about her spinning abilities: ''The Three Spinners''. However, the three women who assist that girl do not demand her first born, but that she invite them to her wedding and say that they are relatives of hers. With this more reasonable request, she complies, and is freed from her hated spinning when they tell the king that their hideous looks spring from their endless spinning. In one Italian variant, she must discover their names, as with Rumpelstiltskin, but not for the same reason: she must use their names to invite them, and she has forgotten them.
Influence
Rumpelstiltskin Syndrome is an analogical reference to the role of the king in the story of Rumpelstiltskin. Common practice in middle-management is to impose unreasonable work demands on subordinates. Upon completion of the task or tasks in question, equal or higher work demands are then imposed; moreover, no credit, acknowledgement, or overt appreciation is demonstrated by way of recognition.
The story of Rumpelstiltskin is discussed in Walter Tevis's science-fiction novel ''The Man Who Fell to Earth''. The main character in the novel, an extraterrestrial, is analogized to the Rumpelstiltskin character. Also, Rumpelstiltskin appeared to be an evil character in The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley.
References in popular culture
★ The book ''Spinners'' by Donna Jo Napoli and Richard Tchen
★ A song called Rumpelstiltskin John Otway on the album ''The Pen-Ultimate'' features the chorus "Give us the baby, Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin"
★ In the PC game Kings Quest 1 there's a character called Nikstlitslepmur - Rumpelstiltskin spelled backwards.
★ I.M. Rumpelstilzchen, a song on the Megaherz album, Herzwerk II (song title translates roughly to ''Unofficial Collaborator Rumpelstiltskin).
★ Rumpelstiltskin was a holo-deck character brought to life in the episode ''If Wishes Were Horses''.
External links
★ Rumpelstiltzkin The fairy tale, lushly illustrated in The Colorful Story Book of 1941.
★ SurLaLune Fairy Tale Pages: Heidi Anne Heiner, "The Annotated Rumpelstiltskin"
★ SurLaLune: Related stories
★ Tom Tit Tot: An Essay on Savage Philosophy in Folk-Tale by Edward Clodd
★ "Rumpelstiltskin" translated by Margaret Hunt, 1884 e-text
★ A translation of the Rumpelstiltskin story from the 1812 Brothers Grimm edition
★ D.L. Ashliman's Brothers Grimm website. The classification is based on Antti Aarne and Stith Thompson, ''The Types of the Folktale: A Classification and Bibliography,'' (Helsinki, 1961).
★ D.L. Ashliman's Brothers Grimm website.
★ Rumeplstiltzkin with modern illustrations.
★ Rumpelstiltskin horror movie.
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