The Nine Peahens and the Golden Apples
Encyclopedia
The Nine Peahens and the Golden Apples is a Serbian epic poetry
. It was published for the first time as a fairy tale
by Vuk Stefanović Karadžić
in 1853. Later on it was published as a Bulgarian fairy tale
by A. H. Wratislaw in his Sixty Folk-Tales from Exclusively Slavonic Sources, number 38 in 1890.
Andrew Lang
included it in The Violet Fairy Book
Ruth Manning-Sanders
included it in The Glass Man and the Golden Bird: Hungarian Folk and Fairy Tales
.
It is Aarne-Thompson type 400*, the Swan Maiden.
tree was robbed every night, and his sons set themselves to watch it. The older two slept, but the youngest
stayed awake. Nine peahens arrived. Eight riffled the tree, while the ninth came down beside him and became a beautiful maiden. She talked with him. He begged her to leave one apple, and she left two. This went on for two nights, until his brothers spied on him and saw how it happened. They made a bargain with a witch, and the next night she leapt up and cut off a lock of the maiden's hair. The prince caught the witch and had her executed, but the peahens did not return.
Grieving, the prince set out in search. He found a castle with an aging empress, who had one daughter. On hearing that nine peahens bathed in the lake outside, he set out, despite her efforts to have him stay. The empress bribed his servant to blow a whistle when the nine peahens approached. This threw him into an enchanted
sleep. The ninth tried to wake him, but to no avail. She told the servant they would come on the next day and never again. The next day, the servant put him to sleep again, and the maiden told him that if the prince wanted to find her, he should roll the under peg on the upper. The servant repeated this to the prince. The prince cut off his head and went on alone.
A hermit directed him to a castle, he found the ninth peahen, and they were married at once. One day his wife, the empress, had to go on journey, and forbade him to go into the twelfth cellar. When he went in, a cask with iron bands about it asked him for water. He gave it three
cups. It burst, and a dragon sprang out to fly off and capture
the empress.
He set out in search of her. He saw a fish on the bank, helped it into the water, and received a scale to call it; a fox in a trap, and received a couple of hairs; and a wolf in another trap, and received a couple of hairs. He found where the empress was held captive, and they tried to escape. The dragon saw them, his horse told him there was plenty of time to eat and drink before setting in pursuit, and after he ate and drank, the dragon captured them. He let the prince go because of the drinks of water, but promised it would be the only clemency.
The prince returned to the castle and had the empress ask the dragon where he got the horse. The dragon told how a witch had a mare and foal, and whoever watched them for three
days would get his pick of her horses, and whoever failed would lose his life. The prince set out, and found she had poles about her house, every one of which except one had a skull on it. She hired him to look after the horse. He watched all day, but in the night, he fell asleep, and they escaped into the water. He asked the fish, who told him the charm to get them out. When he went back for dinner, the witch scolded the horse, heard its reason, and told it to go among the foxes; he used the fox hairs and got it back, and then, the next day, the wolf hairs.
He asked for the ugly horse in the corner and would not be dissuaded. Then he returned to the castle and carried off the empress. When the dragon saw them, he asked whether he could eat or drink first, but the horse said he would not catch whether he ate first or pursued at once. Still, the dragon rode after, and the horse complained to the prince's of the effort of catching him. The prince's horse asked it why it put up with it. The dragon's horse threw the dragon and killed him, and the empress rode it the rest of the way home.
Serbian epic poetry
Serb epic poetry is a form of epic poetry written by Serbs originating in today's Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Montenegro. The main cycles were composed by unknown Serb authors between the 14th and 19th centuries...
. It was published for the first time as a fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
by Vuk Stefanović Karadžić
Vuk Stefanovic Karadžic
Vuk Stefanović Karadžić was a Serbian philolog and linguist, the major reformer of the Serbian language, and deserves, perhaps, for his collections of songs, fairy tales, and riddles to be called the father of the study of Serbian folklore. He was the author of the first Serbian dictionary...
in 1853. Later on it was published as a Bulgarian fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
by A. H. Wratislaw in his Sixty Folk-Tales from Exclusively Slavonic Sources, number 38 in 1890.
Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang was a Scots poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.- Biography :Lang was born in Selkirk...
included it in The Violet Fairy Book
Ruth Manning-Sanders
Ruth Manning-Sanders
Ruth Manning-Sanders was a prolific British poet and author who was perhaps best known for her series of children's books in which she collected and retold fairy tales from all over the world. All told, she published more than 90 books during her lifetime. The dust jacket for A Book of Giants...
included it in The Glass Man and the Golden Bird: Hungarian Folk and Fairy Tales
The Glass Man and the Golden Bird: Hungarian Folk and Fairy Tales
The Glass Man and the Golden Bird: Hungarian Folk and Fairy Tales is a 1968 anthology of 21 tales from Hungary that have been collected and retold by Ruth Manning-Sanders...
.
It is Aarne-Thompson type 400*, the Swan Maiden.
Synopsis
An emperor's golden appleGolden apple
The golden apple is an element that appears in various national and ethnic folk legends or fairy tales. Recurring themes depict a hero retrieving the golden apples hidden or stolen by a monstrous antagonist...
tree was robbed every night, and his sons set themselves to watch it. The older two slept, but the youngest
Youngest son
The youngest son is a stock character in fairy tales, where he features as the hero. He is usually the third son, but sometimes there are more brothers, and sometimes he has only one; usually, they have no sisters....
stayed awake. Nine peahens arrived. Eight riffled the tree, while the ninth came down beside him and became a beautiful maiden. She talked with him. He begged her to leave one apple, and she left two. This went on for two nights, until his brothers spied on him and saw how it happened. They made a bargain with a witch, and the next night she leapt up and cut off a lock of the maiden's hair. The prince caught the witch and had her executed, but the peahens did not return.
Grieving, the prince set out in search. He found a castle with an aging empress, who had one daughter. On hearing that nine peahens bathed in the lake outside, he set out, despite her efforts to have him stay. The empress bribed his servant to blow a whistle when the nine peahens approached. This threw him into an enchanted
Incantation
An incantation or enchantment is a charm or spell created using words. An incantation may take place during a ritual, either a hymn or prayer, and may invoke or praise a deity. In magic, occultism, witchcraft it may be used with the intention of casting a spell on an object or a person...
sleep. The ninth tried to wake him, but to no avail. She told the servant they would come on the next day and never again. The next day, the servant put him to sleep again, and the maiden told him that if the prince wanted to find her, he should roll the under peg on the upper. The servant repeated this to the prince. The prince cut off his head and went on alone.
A hermit directed him to a castle, he found the ninth peahen, and they were married at once. One day his wife, the empress, had to go on journey, and forbade him to go into the twelfth cellar. When he went in, a cask with iron bands about it asked him for water. He gave it three
Rule of three (writing)
The "rule of three" is a principle in writing that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. The reader/audience of this form of text is also more likely to consume information if it is written in groups of...
cups. It burst, and a dragon sprang out to fly off and capture
Princess and dragon
Princess and dragon is a generic premise common to many legends and fairy tales. It is not a fairy tale itself, but along with Prince Charming, is a repeated cliché...
the empress.
He set out in search of her. He saw a fish on the bank, helped it into the water, and received a scale to call it; a fox in a trap, and received a couple of hairs; and a wolf in another trap, and received a couple of hairs. He found where the empress was held captive, and they tried to escape. The dragon saw them, his horse told him there was plenty of time to eat and drink before setting in pursuit, and after he ate and drank, the dragon captured them. He let the prince go because of the drinks of water, but promised it would be the only clemency.
The prince returned to the castle and had the empress ask the dragon where he got the horse. The dragon told how a witch had a mare and foal, and whoever watched them for three
Rule of three (writing)
The "rule of three" is a principle in writing that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. The reader/audience of this form of text is also more likely to consume information if it is written in groups of...
days would get his pick of her horses, and whoever failed would lose his life. The prince set out, and found she had poles about her house, every one of which except one had a skull on it. She hired him to look after the horse. He watched all day, but in the night, he fell asleep, and they escaped into the water. He asked the fish, who told him the charm to get them out. When he went back for dinner, the witch scolded the horse, heard its reason, and told it to go among the foxes; he used the fox hairs and got it back, and then, the next day, the wolf hairs.
He asked for the ugly horse in the corner and would not be dissuaded. Then he returned to the castle and carried off the empress. When the dragon saw them, he asked whether he could eat or drink first, but the horse said he would not catch whether he ate first or pursued at once. Still, the dragon rode after, and the horse complained to the prince's of the effort of catching him. The prince's horse asked it why it put up with it. The dragon's horse threw the dragon and killed him, and the empress rode it the rest of the way home.
Wratislaw's Version
In the Bulgarian version, the prince was with the peahen for several days before the witch disturbs them. When he leaves to search for her he takes one of his servants who prevents him from seeing the maiden, whereas in the Serbian version the old empress sends her servant to go with him. The wolf has also been replaced by a crow in a trap, and instead of an ugly horse, the prince asked for a skinny horse.See also
- The Golden BirdThe Golden Bird"The Golden Bird" is a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, number 57, about the pursuit of a golden bird by a king's three sons.A French version, collected by Paul Sébillot, is called The Golden Blackbird. Andrew Lang included that variant in The Green Fairy Book.It is Aarne-Thompson folktale type 550,...
- Prâslea the Brave and the Golden ApplesPrâslea the Brave and the Golden ApplesPrâslea the Brave and the Golden Apples is a Romanian fairy tale collected by Petre Ispirescu in Legende sau basmele românilor.-Synopsis:...
- Tsarevitch Ivan, the Fire Bird and the Gray WolfTsarevitch Ivan, the Fire Bird and the Gray WolfTsarevitch Ivan, the Fire Bird and the Gray Wolf is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in Narodnye russkie skazki.It is Aarne-Thompson type 550, the quest for the golden bird/firebird...
- The Nunda, Eater of PeopleThe Nunda, Eater of PeopleThe Nunda, Eater of People is a Swahili fairy tale collected by Edward Steere in Swahili Tales. Andrew Lang included it in The Violet Fairy Book.It is Aarne-Thompson type 550, the quest for the golden bird/firebird.-Synopsis:...
- Swan Maiden
- The RavenThe Raven (Brothers Grimm)"The Raven" is a fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, number 93 in their collections.It is Aarne-Thompson type 401, the girl transformed into an animal.-Synopsis:...
- The Death of Koschei the DeathlessThe Death of Koschei the DeathlessThe Death of the Immortal Koschei or Marya Morevna is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in Narodnye russkie skazki and included by Andrew Lang in The Red Fairy Book...
- The Flower Queen's DaughterThe Flower Queen's DaughterThe Flower Queen's Daughter is a Bukovinan fairy tale collected by Dr Heinrich von Wlislocki in Märchen Und Sagen Der Bukowinaer Und Siebenbûrger Armenier. Andrew Lang included it in The Yellow Fairy Book.-Synopsis:...