Printsess hernel: traditsioon ja tõlgendus
The Princess and the Pea: Tradition and Interpretation

Summary/Abstract: The Princess and the Pea is one of the best-known tales in the world and was among the earliest tales by Hans Christian Andersen. In German terms, it is a Märchen, but actually it can be called neither a folktale nor a fairy tale. It was published in 1835 together with three other tales. H. C. Andersen claims to have remembered it from childhood, but no variants or similar tales have been found in Danish folk tradition. It has also been suggested that Andersen's tale is of Eastern origin but this cannot be entirely true, because no such Eastern tale is known to exist. The Princess and the Pea is based on three separate motifs intertwined together: the motif of hypersensitivity; the motif of extraordinary discernment; and the bride test motif. The first two are believed to be of Eastern origin and quite ancient.

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