Into the Forest discussion

Hi all --

Another question from me for you brilliant folk (studiers? tellers? both. :-))

Does anyone know where I can find a copy of "The Mute Queen"?

A Google search turned up a few results. I found it in "Tales, Then and Now: More Folktales as Literary Fictions for Young Adults," but I can't seem to find that book in my local public or academic libraries. I could order it, but before I do... have any of you run into it in your reads?

Many thanks in advance!

Not one I recall hearing of.

A Google search turned up a mention of it on Surlalune's page about "The Little Mermaid." I checked her Mermaid and Other Water Spirit Tales from Around the World, but it isn't in there.

And this one mentions it might be a varient on "The Silent Princess":
http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/li...


I had a look at Tales, Then and Now: More Folktales as Literary Fictions for Young Adults and found the index in Google Books and the table of contents on Amazon. Comparing the two, I think they're just listing "Mute Queen" as an archetype or motif rather than an actual story. I don't think it's retelling a story by itself. Judging from what I can see on the samples, it's more of a listing of motifs and retellings for the given tales. So, if you want the full text (if it exists) that's probably not the right book.

Makes me wish Ms. Heiner had cited sources on this page or given more info. She actually doesn't give any information at all, or mention it in her book about Mermaid tales which really really odd.

Melanti wrote: "Not one I recall hearing of.

A Google search turned up a mention of it on Surlalune's page about "The Little Mermaid." I checked her [book:Mermaid and Other Water Spirit Tales from Around the Wor..."

Melanti wrote: "Not one I recall hearing of.

A Google search turned up a mention of it on Surlalune's page about "The Little Mermaid." I checked her [book:Mermaid and Other Water Spirit Tales from Around the Wor..."

Thanks, Melanti!

Yes, Surlalane is where I found the original mention of it. I also found that link with reference to "The Silent Princess" but I don't think it's the same tale. I just popped off an email to Ms. Heiner--will report back if she responds. :-)

I'm probably seeing and examining the same results you are. I did turn up a couple of essays, but they both seem to be referencing Heiner, so asking Ms. Heiner is probably the best approach!

No luck here. I checked my anthologies, including a sea fairy tale collection, and could not find it. I hope Heidi responds!

Thanks, Margaret! Me too.

Heidi answered. Here's what she said:

I definitely got the reference from https://books.google.com/books?id=mJh... but didn't find more either.

That article doesn't expand on the tale title or provide a reference. (Ugh.) But I think it may be referencing ATU 898: The Daughter of the Sun which is related to the myth of Danae. That is just my best guess since the article implies it is a fairly well known tale, at least in their native country. So it is a tenuous connection to Little Mermaid and is thought to have inspired Andersen in part. Checking my ATU books, I don't see any references to what are definitely English translation of variants. The best best of a version may be found in Dawkins' Forty-five Stories from the Dodecanese (1950), tale #11 in the collection. ATU lists about 50 variants but they are mostly Macedonian, Syrian, Libyan, Egyptian, etc.

She apologized about the reference... but this was more than I would have expected in a reply so that's a bonus. :-)

Well, you have a little something to go on!