Bluebeard Tales From Around the World

by Heidi Anne Heiner

The tale of Bluebeard with its many variants has a rich folkloric and literary history. It has often been retold and reinterpreted in modern times in novels, poetry, plays, movies and more. Once upon a time the character was better known and offered a larger cultural touchstone for the general population. Today he is best known only in literary circles. Consequently, the history of the tale as seen through its tales and other interpretations is fascinating. Offering over ninety tales and ballads, this collection compiles several variants of Bluebeard tales from around the world. Many of the tales are new translations, some appearing for the first time in English. Usually the stories are obviously related to each other and at other times the relationship is more tenuous. While tales from Europe dominate the collection, other parts of the world--including Africa, India, and North America--are well represented. Additionally, several plays and operas, as well as short fictions and poetry, all primarily from the nineteenth century, are offered here. The commercial value and diverse interpretations of this complex tale provide insight into our cultural past, present, and perhaps our future. Whether you are a student of folklore or an armchair enthusiast, this anthology offers a diverse array of tales with a unifying theme that both entertains and educates, all gathered for the first time in one helpful collection.

Genres: Fairy Tales, Folklore, Reference, Short Stories, Research, Fantasy

822 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2011

About the author

Heidi Anne Heiner is the creator and keeper of one of the world's top folklore websites, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale Pages at http://www.surlalunefairytales.com. On the internet since 1998, the site shares fairy tale illustrations from the Golden Age of illustration and over a thousand full-text fairy tales from around the world. Forty-nine popular fairy tales are annotated with links to similar tales from numerous cultures as well as information on modern interpretations in books, films, music, and theatre. The site also features a regular blog about fairy tales and folklore. An accredited librarian and researcher, Heidi is also a columnist with Faerie Magazine.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I did some annotations for the Surlalune website.


This massive book contains various Bluebeard tale types from around the world as well as poems and plays dealing with the most famous serial murderer. After reading some of these plays, I can see why the plays are largely forgotten. However, the important aspect of this collection is the ability to trace the development of the story and to see how it reactions to it change over time.
The version I found the most interesting was the Red Beard version where no reason is given for the desire to murder his wife. Interesting how that version isn’t told that often, isn’t it?

[Mary Catelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A massive collection.

First off we have the variants on Bluebeard -- some very close, some nearly related, such as "Fitcher's Bird", some diverging farther whether in "The Robber Bridegroom" where the heroine goes to the house, sees the evil, and escapes without the villain(s) noticing her or including such elements as there being a living prince in the forbidden chamber or a subplot like "The Three Aunts" where the sisters are put to spinning and weaving and killed for that. Goes as far as those that just have the forbidden chamber -- "Marya Morvena" and "The Enchanted Pig" -- and some that just have the murderous husband.

Also includes some early literary criticism of the tale type, some fictional versions (some playing with the tale even to making Bluebeard innocent) in prose, plays, and poems. I skimmed there because it's not my interest, but it does show a great deal of literary variety.

[minnemoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is HUGE. And, of course, packed with lots of goodies. There is a fair representation of fairy and folk stories from around the world, mostly centered around "Bluebeard," "The Robber Bridegroom" and related tales, as well as some slightly related, slightly unrelated variants. Also included are adaptations via poetry, plays, ballads, short stories, and two early academic essays which summarized the transformation of the Bluebeard tale. Plus the appendices listing out primary and secondary resources, a list of additional tale variants not featured in the book, and a tale type index.

In short, for scholarly purposes, this book is a treasure trove.

For more casual reading? Ehhhh. I think it's a mixed bag.

Given the similar storylines across the selections, expect a lot of repetition. And I mean, A LOT. Which is not bad, again, if you're doing, say, an academic research paper tracing the characteristics and symbolism in the different versions of "Fitcher's Bird," for instance.

I was reading for fun, and honestly, at times it felt pretty monotonous. Like the Child Ballads, whoo! Once you've read one, you've read them all. (And there were 10, lol.)

But even so, I did enjoy.

Some standout selections (imo)
"Bluebeard's Keys" by Anne Thackeray Ritchie (short story)
"The History of Bluebeard's Six Wives" by Sabilla Novello (short story)
"The Seven Wives of Bluebeard" by Anatole France (short story; very interesting twist)
"The Blue-Beard Chambers of the Heart" by E. Spencer Miller (poem)
"The Story of Blue Beard: A Student's Ballad" by Anonymous (poem; so cute that it's written by a kid from back then!)

Lastly, I want to point out, given that most of the material here is dated, I did find a few racial slurs in a couple of the selections. Just a heads up.