WEBVTT - Rumpelstiltskin 0:00:08.245 --> 0:00:15.125 School of Humans. 0:00:16.165 --> 0:00:21.325 I'm Miranda Hawkins. Welcome to the Deep dark Woods. Today's 0:00:21.405 --> 0:00:24.965 story is Atu five hundred, the name of the Helper 0:00:25.565 --> 0:00:27.085 or Rumpelstiltskin. 0:00:35.645 --> 0:00:38.165 Once upon a time there was a miller who was poor, 0:00:38.645 --> 0:00:42.165 but who had a beautiful daughter. Now it happened that 0:00:42.165 --> 0:00:44.965 he got into a conversation with the king, and to 0:00:45.005 --> 0:00:48.165 make an impression on him, he said, I have a 0:00:48.285 --> 0:00:52.605 daughter who can spin straw into gold. The king said 0:00:52.645 --> 0:00:54.445 to the miller, that is an. 0:00:54.445 --> 0:00:55.605 Art I really like. 0:00:56.525 --> 0:00:59.245 If your daughter is as skillful as you say, then 0:00:59.285 --> 0:01:01.885 bring her to my castle tomorrow and I will put 0:01:01.885 --> 0:01:05.045 her to the test. When the girl was brought to him, 0:01:05.085 --> 0:01:07.445 he led her into a room that was entirely filled 0:01:07.485 --> 0:01:10.805 with straw, giving her a spinning wheel and reel, he said, 0:01:11.605 --> 0:01:14.845 get to work now, spin all night, and if by 0:01:14.845 --> 0:01:17.845 morning you have not spun this straw into gold, then 0:01:17.885 --> 0:01:22.205 you will have to die. Then he himself locked the room, 0:01:22.485 --> 0:01:26.245 and she was there all alone. The poor miller's daughter 0:01:26.325 --> 0:01:28.485 sat there and for her life she did not know 0:01:28.565 --> 0:01:30.885 what to do. She had no idea how to spin 0:01:30.965 --> 0:01:34.845 straw into gold. She became more and more afraid and 0:01:34.965 --> 0:01:41.205 finally began to cry. Then Suddenly the door opened, a 0:01:41.245 --> 0:01:45.125 little man stepped inside and said, good evening, mistress Miller. 0:01:45.685 --> 0:01:49.765 Why are you crying so oh? Answered the girl. 0:01:50.445 --> 0:01:52.725 I am supposed to spin straw into gold, and I 0:01:52.765 --> 0:01:55.725 don't know how to do it. The little man said, 0:01:56.365 --> 0:01:58.525 what will you give me if I spin it for you? 0:02:00.045 --> 0:02:04.485 My necklace, said the girl. The little man took the necklace, 0:02:04.685 --> 0:02:08.085 sat down before the spinning wheel, and whir whre whre 0:02:08.285 --> 0:02:12.605 three times pulled, and the spool was full. Then he 0:02:12.605 --> 0:02:16.845 put another one on and whre whre whre three times pulled, 0:02:17.165 --> 0:02:20.125 and the second one was full as well. So it 0:02:20.205 --> 0:02:24.085 went until morning, and then all the straw was spun, 0:02:24.765 --> 0:02:31.005 and all the spools were filled with gold. At sunrise, 0:02:31.045 --> 0:02:32.965 the king came and when he saw the gold, he 0:02:33.045 --> 0:02:36.365 was surprised and happy, but his heart became even more 0:02:36.525 --> 0:02:39.725 greedy for gold. He had the miller's daughter taken to 0:02:39.765 --> 0:02:43.005 another room filled with straw. It was even larger, and 0:02:43.045 --> 0:02:45.125 he ordered her to spin it in one night if 0:02:45.125 --> 0:02:49.365 she valued her life. The girl did not know what 0:02:49.405 --> 0:02:53.165 to do, and she cried once again. The door opened 0:02:53.205 --> 0:02:56.125 and the little man appeared. He said, what will you 0:02:56.205 --> 0:02:58.765 give me if I spin the straw into gold for 0:02:58.965 --> 0:03:04.085 you the ring from my finger, answered the girl. The 0:03:04.125 --> 0:03:06.765 little man took the ring and began once again to 0:03:06.805 --> 0:03:10.005 whir with the spinning wheel. By morning he had spun 0:03:10.045 --> 0:03:14.805 all the straw into glistening gold. The king was happy 0:03:14.845 --> 0:03:17.125 beyond measure when he saw it, but he still did 0:03:17.165 --> 0:03:20.445 not have his fill of gold. He had the miller's 0:03:20.485 --> 0:03:23.445 daughter taken to a still larger room filled with straw, 0:03:23.525 --> 0:03:28.045 and said to night you must spin this too. If 0:03:28.045 --> 0:03:31.725 you succeed, you shall become my wife. He thought, even 0:03:31.765 --> 0:03:34.005 if she is only a miller's daughter, I will not 0:03:34.085 --> 0:03:37.925 find a richer wife in all the world. When the 0:03:37.965 --> 0:03:41.205 girl was alone, the little man returned for a third time. 0:03:41.565 --> 0:03:44.405 He said, what will you give me if I spin 0:03:44.525 --> 0:03:44.925 the straw? 0:03:45.005 --> 0:03:47.845 This time? I have nothing more. 0:03:47.725 --> 0:03:51.165 That I could give you, answered the girl. Then promise 0:03:51.205 --> 0:03:55.925 me after you are a queen your first child. Who 0:03:55.965 --> 0:03:58.685 knows what will happen, thought the miller's daughter, and, not 0:03:58.765 --> 0:04:01.085 knowing what else to do, she promised the little man 0:04:01.165 --> 0:04:04.925 what he demanded. In return, the little man once again 0:04:05.525 --> 0:04:10.485 spun the straw into gold. When in the morning the 0:04:10.565 --> 0:04:13.125 king came and found everything just as he desired. He 0:04:13.165 --> 0:04:19.005 married her, and the beautiful Miller's daughter became queen. A 0:04:19.085 --> 0:04:22.045 year later, she brought a beautiful child into the world. 0:04:22.685 --> 0:04:25.045 She thought no more about the little Man, but suddenly 0:04:25.125 --> 0:04:27.845 he appeared in her room and said, now give me 0:04:27.925 --> 0:04:31.165 that which you have promised. The queen took fright and 0:04:31.245 --> 0:04:34.205 offered the little man all the wealth of the kingdom 0:04:34.245 --> 0:04:35.965 if he would let her keep the child. But the 0:04:36.005 --> 0:04:40.165 little man said no, something living is dearer to me 0:04:40.245 --> 0:04:43.725 than all the treasures of the world. Then the queen 0:04:43.805 --> 0:04:46.685 began lamenting and crying so much that the little man 0:04:46.725 --> 0:04:48.205 took pity on her and said. 0:04:49.005 --> 0:04:52.365 I will give you three days time. If by then 0:04:52.485 --> 0:04:55.565 you know my name, then you shall keep your child. 0:04:57.165 --> 0:04:59.565 The queen spent an entire night thinking of all the 0:04:59.645 --> 0:05:03.125 names she had ever heard. Then she sent a messenger 0:05:03.165 --> 0:05:05.845 into the country to inquire far and wide what other 0:05:05.925 --> 0:05:06.565 names there were. 0:05:07.605 --> 0:05:08.485 When the little man. 0:05:08.365 --> 0:05:14.205 Returned the next day, she began with Casper Melcher Bowser 0:05:14.245 --> 0:05:17.405 and said, in order all the names she knew. After 0:05:17.485 --> 0:05:21.405 each one, the little man said, that's not my name. 0:05:22.685 --> 0:05:25.285 The second day she sent inquiries into the neighborhood as 0:05:25.285 --> 0:05:28.845 to what names people had. She recited the most unusual 0:05:28.925 --> 0:05:32.085 and most curious names to the little man, is your 0:05:32.165 --> 0:05:35.725 name perhaps beast rib or mutton, calf or leg string, 0:05:36.485 --> 0:05:41.325 But he always answered, that's not my name. On the 0:05:41.405 --> 0:05:44.485 third day, the messenger returned and said, I have not 0:05:44.605 --> 0:05:47.765 been able to find a single new name. But when 0:05:47.765 --> 0:05:50.085 I was approaching a high mountain in the corner of 0:05:50.125 --> 0:05:52.845 the woods there where the fox and the hare sa 0:05:52.885 --> 0:05:56.125 good night, I saw a little house. A fire was 0:05:56.165 --> 0:05:58.965 burning in front of the house, and an altogether comical 0:05:59.005 --> 0:06:01.685 little man was jumping around the fire, hopping on one 0:06:01.805 --> 0:06:05.085 leg and calling out, Today, I'll bake, Tomorrow, I'll brew, 0:06:05.285 --> 0:06:09.245 then I'll fetch the queen's newte child. It's good that 0:06:09.365 --> 0:06:13.845 no one knows rumpel Stiltskin is my name. You can 0:06:13.845 --> 0:06:16.285 imagine how happy the queen was when she heard that name. 0:06:16.725 --> 0:06:20.165 Soon afterwards, the little man came in and asked, now, 0:06:20.205 --> 0:06:25.445 Madam Queen, what is my name? She first asked, is 0:06:25.485 --> 0:06:27.325 your name kunts No? 0:06:28.485 --> 0:06:28.885 Is your name? 0:06:28.965 --> 0:06:30.245 Heinz no? 0:06:32.005 --> 0:06:32.565 Is your name? 0:06:32.605 --> 0:06:37.325 Perhaps rumpel Stiltskin. The devil told you that. 0:06:38.125 --> 0:06:40.965 The devil told you that, shouted the little. 0:06:40.725 --> 0:06:43.285 Man, and with anger he stomped his right foot so 0:06:43.485 --> 0:06:45.725 hard into the ground that he fell in up to 0:06:45.845 --> 0:06:51.005 his waist. Then with both hands he took hold of 0:06:51.005 --> 0:06:53.965 his left foot and ripped himself up the middle. 0:06:53.965 --> 0:07:06.685 Into rumpel Stiltskin was never one of my favorite stories. 0:07:07.285 --> 0:07:09.285 It never stood out to me in the way other 0:07:09.325 --> 0:07:12.765 tales did. But although it is popular, and the brother's 0:07:12.845 --> 0:07:16.525 grim version perhaps the most popular, it's a tale that 0:07:16.605 --> 0:07:21.325 has far reaching roots. Similar to Cinderella, the origins of 0:07:21.405 --> 0:07:25.765 Rumpelstiltskin dates back thousands of years. The tale we know 0:07:25.925 --> 0:07:30.165 itself doesn't, but making a deal with a supernatural creature 0:07:30.325 --> 0:07:34.325 for a return does. This pattern for a story has 0:07:34.365 --> 0:07:38.645 been dated back between twenty five hundred to six thousand years. 0:07:39.685 --> 0:07:43.165 It wasn't until later that the Rumpelstiltskin We're familiar with 0:07:43.405 --> 0:07:51.365 was written. Joann Fischhart was a German satirist and publicist 0:07:51.565 --> 0:07:56.485 whose book Gargantua was published sometime in the fifteen seventies. 0:07:57.805 --> 0:08:02.085 The book is an adaptation of frenchmen Francois Rabelais The 0:08:02.165 --> 0:08:05.925 Life of Gargantua and of pantic Roll. This was a 0:08:05.965 --> 0:08:09.485 series of five books published between fifteen thirty two and 0:08:09.565 --> 0:08:10.685 fifteen sixty four. 0:08:11.765 --> 0:08:13.205 The book is a satirical and. 0:08:13.245 --> 0:08:16.925 Humorous take on religion through the Adventures of two Giants, 0:08:16.965 --> 0:08:18.205 a father and a son. 0:08:18.965 --> 0:08:20.405 Although the books were banned. 0:08:20.205 --> 0:08:24.125 During Rabelais's time, they were still read all across Europe. 0:08:24.525 --> 0:08:27.685 In fact, these two giants are some of the most 0:08:27.685 --> 0:08:32.565 famous giants in European literature. But that crudeness and violence 0:08:32.725 --> 0:08:36.205 found in the original tales were in a way the 0:08:36.245 --> 0:08:40.365 foundation for rumpel Stilskin, because they were the elements that fish. 0:08:40.165 --> 0:08:41.565 Art really liked. 0:08:42.205 --> 0:08:45.845 In Fishart's adaptation, rumpel Stilskin shows up as a three 0:08:45.925 --> 0:08:50.245 hundred and sixty third amusement. Basically that means he had 0:08:50.285 --> 0:08:52.605 a list of games in his book, and this was 0:08:52.645 --> 0:08:57.685 a three hundred and sixty third one listed. There's this 0:08:57.805 --> 0:09:02.565 old children's game rempel Stilt oder dare Popart, which Fischhart 0:09:02.725 --> 0:09:07.405 Rumpelstilskin is thought to be derived from. In German, rumpel 0:09:07.405 --> 0:09:12.805 Stiltskin is translated as little rattle stilt. The stilt refers 0:09:12.845 --> 0:09:15.765 to a pole or post which is used for support, 0:09:16.245 --> 0:09:19.805 like the support to use for building a fence, stilt 0:09:19.925 --> 0:09:23.445 or stults, if you're taking their archaic German word also 0:09:23.565 --> 0:09:27.325 means lame or with a limp, and the first half 0:09:27.565 --> 0:09:31.725 rumpel stilt refers to a type of goblin. That goblin 0:09:31.885 --> 0:09:36.605 was also called Poupard or pope art, hint the origins 0:09:36.725 --> 0:09:40.045 of Rumpel's name. The game was played with one child 0:09:40.245 --> 0:09:43.485 being the goblin and banging on pots or pans or 0:09:43.525 --> 0:09:47.605 planks to make noise and chase the other children. Think 0:09:47.605 --> 0:09:50.045 of it like a game of tag, just a lot 0:09:50.125 --> 0:09:53.845 louder in with no tagging, and to this day the 0:09:53.885 --> 0:09:59.085 game is still played in some parts of Germany. By 0:09:59.125 --> 0:10:02.165 the time the Grams got around to Rumpelstiltskin, it was 0:10:02.205 --> 0:10:05.765 a well known story throughout Europe. Although the brother are 0:10:05.805 --> 0:10:08.765 said to have collected stories from the everyday folk, we 0:10:08.925 --> 0:10:11.365 know that most of the stories they collected were from 0:10:11.485 --> 0:10:13.765 other scholars and people from upper classes. 0:10:14.765 --> 0:10:15.845 We also know that. 0:10:15.805 --> 0:10:19.565 The brothers did a lot of editing the tales published, 0:10:19.565 --> 0:10:22.605 and their collections were not the original stories that were 0:10:22.605 --> 0:10:26.165 told on the street or had been passed down with Rumpell. 0:10:26.405 --> 0:10:29.685 The brothers actually took four different versions of the story 0:10:30.165 --> 0:10:34.565 and stitched them into the well known tale we now know. However, 0:10:34.805 --> 0:10:37.885 the first version they published was more tame than the 0:10:37.925 --> 0:10:42.405 final version. The eighteen twelve version ends with Rumpel running 0:10:42.445 --> 0:10:46.205 away angrily and never coming back, but this tale actually 0:10:46.205 --> 0:10:49.565 became more dark and evolved into the ending you just heard, 0:10:49.725 --> 0:10:53.685 which is where he tears himself into Although Rumpel dies 0:10:53.725 --> 0:10:57.685 gruesomely in the Grim's final telling, that's not always how 0:10:57.725 --> 0:11:11.045 the story ends. When I first set out on digging 0:11:11.045 --> 0:11:13.605 into Rumple, I felt like this was one of those 0:11:13.645 --> 0:11:17.325 tales that was falling by the wayside. I didn't feel 0:11:17.365 --> 0:11:20.445 like it held as much importance or wasn't as relevant 0:11:20.525 --> 0:11:24.685 as stories like Cinderella and The Frog Prince. To my knowledge, 0:11:24.805 --> 0:11:28.325 Disney hasn't done its own spin on the fairy tale. 0:11:28.525 --> 0:11:31.685 But as with almost everything, the more I researched, the 0:11:31.685 --> 0:11:35.405 more I proved myself wrong. I also realized I was 0:11:35.445 --> 0:11:40.085 surrounded with adaptations of Rumpel, but they weren't necessarily as obvious. 0:11:41.165 --> 0:11:45.005 First off, so many countries have a Rumpel tail. While 0:11:45.045 --> 0:11:48.285 stories like Cinderella have what I call the main three, 0:11:48.405 --> 0:11:51.965 the Zilee, Pirot, and the brothers Grim, Rumpel has roots 0:11:51.965 --> 0:11:55.845 all over the world, Arabic, Russian, and even South American 0:11:56.325 --> 0:12:00.165 that falls under the tail Type five hundred A mischievous 0:12:00.325 --> 0:12:03.205 or evil helper that is defeated by a hero or 0:12:03.325 --> 0:12:09.205 heroine in the end. There's a Scottish version that was 0:12:09.205 --> 0:12:12.565 collected by Robert Chambers and published in eighteen fifty eight. 0:12:13.485 --> 0:12:16.445 In this story, a woman's husband heads to the market 0:12:16.525 --> 0:12:20.085 with all their money and never comes back. She's left 0:12:20.085 --> 0:12:23.525 with their baby and prize pig. The pig was pregnant, 0:12:23.725 --> 0:12:26.965 so the woman felt that everything would be okay because 0:12:26.965 --> 0:12:30.325 she believed a strong litter of piglets would see her 0:12:30.365 --> 0:12:34.405 and her son throw. But soon after she realized the 0:12:34.405 --> 0:12:37.965 mother pig wasn't doing so hot. The pig laid on 0:12:38.005 --> 0:12:41.085 her side in the pig pen, wheezing, and it seemed 0:12:41.165 --> 0:12:44.565 she would die soon. At that point, the woman lost 0:12:44.565 --> 0:12:49.685 all hope and sat down crying. All of a sudden, 0:12:49.925 --> 0:12:52.645 a small woman came down the road and told the 0:12:52.725 --> 0:12:55.685 mother she knew all about our troubles and could save 0:12:55.725 --> 0:12:58.525 the pig. But the small woman asked what would be 0:12:58.525 --> 0:13:01.405 given in payment. The mother did not have time to 0:13:01.445 --> 0:13:04.525 respond before the small woman pulled out a small vial 0:13:04.565 --> 0:13:07.725 of liquid, rubbed some on the pig, who was then 0:13:07.765 --> 0:13:12.645 immediately healed. The woman then said she wanted the mother's 0:13:12.765 --> 0:13:16.805 child as payment. The mother cried out in despair. The 0:13:16.885 --> 0:13:20.085 small woman revealed she was a fairy and said she'd 0:13:20.125 --> 0:13:22.405 be back in three days to take the child. 0:13:22.885 --> 0:13:25.045 Having to wait due to fairy. 0:13:24.845 --> 0:13:28.245 Law, she told the mother the only way she could 0:13:28.245 --> 0:13:30.965 save her son was if she could guess the fairy's name, 0:13:31.085 --> 0:13:36.765 and three tries, the fairy then left. The woman wandered 0:13:36.765 --> 0:13:39.765 the woods to help herself think. On the second day, 0:13:39.845 --> 0:13:42.565 she heard a song and followed it and found the 0:13:42.645 --> 0:13:46.125 fairy spinning and singing to herself, And in that song, 0:13:46.285 --> 0:13:49.405 the fay said her name. The next day, when the 0:13:49.405 --> 0:13:52.245 fairy showed up to take the baby, the mother guessed 0:13:52.245 --> 0:13:56.005 her name was Whoopedie's story. The fairy was so mad 0:13:56.085 --> 0:13:59.325 she turned red and stumped off, never to be seen again. 0:14:03.365 --> 0:14:06.325 Then there's an Icelandic tail about a farmer who married 0:14:06.365 --> 0:14:09.685 a young and beautiful woman, but his new wife was 0:14:09.845 --> 0:14:13.325 lazy and never wanted to work for the winter. He 0:14:13.405 --> 0:14:15.765 gave her wool and asked her to spin it so 0:14:15.805 --> 0:14:19.085 they could make cloth, but she did not, no matter 0:14:19.125 --> 0:14:22.925 how much she complained at her. One day, a large 0:14:22.925 --> 0:14:26.605 woman came by asking for a favor. The farmer's wife 0:14:26.725 --> 0:14:29.205 asked if the woman could do some work in return. 0:14:30.005 --> 0:14:32.565 She asked the large woman to spin the wool to 0:14:32.605 --> 0:14:35.685 be used to make cloth. The large woman agreed and 0:14:35.765 --> 0:14:39.405 spun all of the wool and payment. She told the 0:14:39.445 --> 0:14:42.165 farmer's bride that she would have to guess her name. 0:14:42.965 --> 0:14:45.285 A deal was made, and the large woman said she'd 0:14:45.325 --> 0:14:49.045 return the first day of summer. The farmer's wife became 0:14:49.125 --> 0:14:51.845 more irate during the winter and spring months as she 0:14:51.885 --> 0:14:55.325 couldn't figure out the large woman's name. When she told 0:14:55.325 --> 0:14:57.805 her husband, he responded she had done a bad thing 0:14:58.245 --> 0:15:00.765 because that woman was a troll and was going to 0:15:00.805 --> 0:15:04.645 take her away. A while later, the farmer was taking 0:15:04.685 --> 0:15:08.085 a walk and came upon a large mound of rock. 0:15:08.725 --> 0:15:10.925 He heard a sound and followed it to a hole 0:15:10.965 --> 0:15:14.205 in the rock, where he saw the troll spinning and singing, 0:15:14.765 --> 0:15:18.205 and in that song she said her name. The man 0:15:18.245 --> 0:15:20.885 went back home, wrote the name down and gave. 0:15:20.725 --> 0:15:24.285 It to his wife, telling her this was the troll's name. 0:15:26.645 --> 0:15:29.245 When the troll came the first day of summer, the 0:15:29.325 --> 0:15:32.525 farmer's wife said the name on the third try, and 0:15:32.565 --> 0:15:35.445 the troll was so angry she ran off, never to 0:15:35.485 --> 0:15:40.765 be seen again. The farmer's wife was so relieved she 0:15:40.885 --> 0:15:47.765 became an industrious person that happily spun wool if you 0:15:47.885 --> 0:15:51.405 Notice and Rumbel Stilskin and these other Helper stories, the 0:15:51.445 --> 0:15:55.085 helper is portrayed as the villain. The character is used 0:15:55.165 --> 0:15:58.405 as a device to show the shortcomings of those around them. 0:15:58.765 --> 0:15:59.845 But let's fast. 0:15:59.605 --> 0:16:04.485 Forward to newer takes on the old Helper story. Rumbel 0:16:04.565 --> 0:16:07.765 has been tucked into some of my favorite childhood cartoons 0:16:07.845 --> 0:16:11.965 without me realizing it. I was rewatching Courage the Cowardly 0:16:12.005 --> 0:16:14.885 Dog the other day because I still do watch cartoons. 0:16:15.645 --> 0:16:18.685 One episode is a new creepy take on the story. 0:16:19.285 --> 0:16:22.165 Courage of the Cowardly Dog is a Cartoon Network show, 0:16:22.725 --> 0:16:25.685 so while it's four kids, it's for adults as well, 0:16:26.285 --> 0:16:29.165 And the whole show is about a dog who's terrified 0:16:29.205 --> 0:16:33.725 of everything but protects his owners, Muriel and Eustas against 0:16:33.925 --> 0:16:37.365 creepy events that happen in the middle of nowhere. That's 0:16:37.405 --> 0:16:40.765 the town they live in, and sure enough, the title 0:16:40.805 --> 0:16:45.205 of the episode is called Rumpled Stiltskin. Notice they add 0:16:45.325 --> 0:16:48.245 the ed in there, so it's rump Bold instead of 0:16:48.445 --> 0:16:52.765 rump bull in it, the bad tempered Scottish Storf tricks 0:16:52.845 --> 0:16:56.365 Muriel in Courage to make five thousand tartan kilts for 0:16:56.445 --> 0:17:00.005 his outlet stores. If they don't complete the task, he'll 0:17:00.005 --> 0:17:03.325 make them into shepherd's pie unless they discover his name. 0:17:04.365 --> 0:17:08.245 Courage escapes goes through a series of tasks to learn 0:17:08.325 --> 0:17:11.485 Rumpold's name before passing the knowledge to Muriel. 0:17:12.165 --> 0:17:13.605 When Muriel reveals to. 0:17:13.645 --> 0:17:17.445 Rumpold she knows his name, the Scottish dwarf bursts into tears. 0:17:18.085 --> 0:17:22.085 Turns out he hates his name. Muriel says he should 0:17:22.125 --> 0:17:26.445 change it to Rumpelstilskin without the ed, and he likes 0:17:26.485 --> 0:17:28.765 it so much that he changes it and the two 0:17:28.885 --> 0:17:33.485 become business partners. It's a happy ending for all. Rumpel 0:17:33.725 --> 0:17:37.125 or Rumpled isn't a bad guy in this story. It's 0:17:37.165 --> 0:17:40.765 that he's unhappy, and the episode teaches that a little 0:17:40.845 --> 0:17:46.485 kindness can lead to a quote happy ending. Also, there's 0:17:46.485 --> 0:17:49.685 a change in the dynamic of power. It's not Rumpel 0:17:49.925 --> 0:17:54.525 helping someone, but he's his own master. If this was 0:17:54.605 --> 0:17:57.525 an older tale, it could be argued he portrays the 0:17:57.565 --> 0:18:00.565 devil himself, who in the end is really not so bad. 0:18:01.605 --> 0:18:05.165 The idea of looking at Rumpel as more than an 0:18:05.285 --> 0:18:08.205 m or a creature or a person to make a 0:18:08.245 --> 0:18:13.845 deal with continues in modern character arcs. In my opinion. 0:18:14.205 --> 0:18:16.765 One of these strongest examples of this is in the 0:18:16.805 --> 0:18:22.765 show Once Upon a Time. It was a fantasy drama 0:18:22.845 --> 0:18:27.565 adventure that spanned seven seasons from twenty eleven to twenty eighteen. 0:18:28.245 --> 0:18:30.845 In order to save a child from a curse, fair 0:18:30.925 --> 0:18:35.725 tale characters are sent to modern day Storybrooke, Maine. The 0:18:35.765 --> 0:18:38.605 show starts with a young boy showing up at bail 0:18:38.725 --> 0:18:42.925 bondsman Emma Swan's place, claiming he's her son and she's 0:18:43.125 --> 0:18:46.805 the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. After dropping 0:18:46.805 --> 0:18:49.885 the boy off in the town, Emma Swan starts to 0:18:50.045 --> 0:18:54.405 think there might be something to the boy's story. As 0:18:54.485 --> 0:18:58.165 the show progresses, more fairy tale characters enter and we 0:18:58.285 --> 0:19:02.325 learn about them as well. Rumpelstilskin is shown as a 0:19:02.405 --> 0:19:06.765 human covered in scales. He's portrayed as the most villainous 0:19:06.805 --> 0:19:09.285 of all the bad guys, but also one of the 0:19:09.405 --> 0:19:15.245 characters you'll feel the worse for. His story is complicated. 0:19:15.685 --> 0:19:16.405 He's evil. 0:19:16.645 --> 0:19:18.765 Yes, he makes deals. 0:19:18.365 --> 0:19:21.885 For firstborns and in exchange the person gets what they want, 0:19:22.645 --> 0:19:25.245 But then you learn it's because he lost his son, 0:19:25.325 --> 0:19:28.645 Bill Fire, and his evil stems from a dagger with 0:19:28.725 --> 0:19:31.245 dark magic that he began using to. 0:19:31.245 --> 0:19:32.405 Try and find his son. 0:19:33.325 --> 0:19:36.085 All he truly wants is the love of a family 0:19:36.205 --> 0:19:39.845 of his son, but because of the dagger, he can't stop. 0:19:40.725 --> 0:19:44.085 It's a tale of greed and cowardice and bravery and 0:19:44.205 --> 0:19:48.405 change all rolled into one. It's seven seasons, so there's 0:19:48.485 --> 0:19:51.405 not time to break down every moral and meaning a 0:19:51.565 --> 0:19:56.005 hein Rumpled's character in Once but overall it shows that 0:19:56.045 --> 0:19:59.845 there's more complexities than someone just being a bad guy. 0:20:00.765 --> 0:20:04.445 It's us wanting to know why, taking the time to understand, 0:20:04.885 --> 0:20:07.485 and it could even be argued what it means to 0:20:07.525 --> 0:20:11.485 be human. The different aspects were presented and wrestle with 0:20:11.645 --> 0:20:17.005 every day. The idea of exploring Rumpelstiltskin as a more 0:20:17.125 --> 0:20:22.525 human character is also portrayed in the Gilded duology, published 0:20:22.525 --> 0:20:26.085 in twenty twenty one. Gilded follows the story of Cirillda. 0:20:26.245 --> 0:20:29.685 She's a poor miller's daughter who spends wild tales that 0:20:29.805 --> 0:20:33.165 get her into trouble since everyone believes they are lies. 0:20:34.245 --> 0:20:37.005 She ends up being swept away to this cursed castle 0:20:37.125 --> 0:20:39.765 that is basically held under siege by the demon King. 0:20:40.605 --> 0:20:43.605 It follows the original tale of she must spin straw 0:20:43.685 --> 0:20:46.765 into gold or be killed, but instead of help coming 0:20:46.765 --> 0:20:49.485 from a goblin or imp, it comes from a young 0:20:49.565 --> 0:20:53.365 man who is part of the curse. As a story unfolds, 0:20:53.525 --> 0:20:56.485 you learn that he is actually a cursed prince named 0:20:56.485 --> 0:21:00.085 Guild who can't be released until he remembers his true name, 0:21:00.405 --> 0:21:04.405 which is of course Rumpelstiltskin, and at the end, he 0:21:04.485 --> 0:21:06.045 and Serrilda are married and. 0:21:06.005 --> 0:21:06.565 Have a kid. 0:21:07.325 --> 0:21:09.565 This child is a child that she promised for his 0:21:09.605 --> 0:21:12.645 third night of help, but since it is their kid, 0:21:12.805 --> 0:21:17.285 she gave him her firstborn by birthing the child. While 0:21:17.325 --> 0:21:20.845 Srilda is the main hero here, Guild is also a hero. 0:21:21.525 --> 0:21:24.845 Although he is under duress. He helps Srilda fight demons 0:21:24.925 --> 0:21:27.925 and uncover the mystery to who he is and to 0:21:28.005 --> 0:21:30.765 break the curse on him and the subjects in his castle. 0:21:31.765 --> 0:21:35.725 These newer adaptations tend to explore more of who Rumpelstiltskin 0:21:35.925 --> 0:21:39.205 is and what he is searching for. They humanize a 0:21:39.285 --> 0:21:42.805 character that was originally a fairy creature bent on causing 0:21:42.845 --> 0:21:56.645 mischief at the expense of another. As we know from 0:21:56.685 --> 0:22:00.525 this series, fairy tales come with lessons and morals, So 0:22:00.605 --> 0:22:04.845 what is rumpel Stiltskin trying to teach us. Some people 0:22:04.885 --> 0:22:08.645 think that Stillskin could have been about teaching women how 0:22:08.685 --> 0:22:12.445 they should be supportive in their marriages. At first, this 0:22:12.565 --> 0:22:15.725 idea seems more aligned to the Icelandic tale we heard earlier, 0:22:16.205 --> 0:22:19.125 but spinning can be interpreted as a metaphor for all 0:22:19.205 --> 0:22:23.685 household skills, and at the time, society's expectations of women 0:22:23.925 --> 0:22:27.725 revolved around household skills and having kids. And then others 0:22:27.765 --> 0:22:31.085 think it's a cautionary tale for children to behave or 0:22:31.285 --> 0:22:33.965 for mothers to keep an eye on their kids. Although 0:22:34.005 --> 0:22:36.605 I feel like this one lends itself to other helper 0:22:36.685 --> 0:22:41.365 stories more so than the Grimm's version. One moral in 0:22:41.405 --> 0:22:44.445 the Grimm's tale is greed and also a warning. 0:22:44.165 --> 0:22:44.845 To be honest. 0:22:45.605 --> 0:22:47.925 There's this idea that if the miller had been honest 0:22:47.965 --> 0:22:50.925 with the king from the beginning, then the miller's daughter 0:22:51.125 --> 0:22:53.725 would never have found herself in the position she was. 0:22:54.805 --> 0:22:57.885 Notice the patriarchal view of putting the onus on the woman, 0:22:58.325 --> 0:23:02.245 even though it's the miller who offered her up. I 0:23:02.325 --> 0:23:06.085 talked to cultural studies professor Meredith jack Sipes about grims 0:23:06.165 --> 0:23:08.885 Rumplestol Skin, and he brought the moral of the story 0:23:08.925 --> 0:23:13.405 back to spinning, specifically, what spinning represented in the lives 0:23:13.405 --> 0:23:15.685 of women and the Grimm's time. 0:23:16.005 --> 0:23:18.045 Women, specifically in the lower. 0:23:17.805 --> 0:23:20.965 Class, spent a lot of time and effort making clothes 0:23:21.005 --> 0:23:21.925 for their families. 0:23:23.285 --> 0:23:28.885 There were no great, huge machines in manufacturing companies that 0:23:29.445 --> 0:23:35.005 made clothes. The closes people wore were made at home 0:23:35.725 --> 0:23:40.965 by spinning, and so spinning was extremely important. But it 0:23:41.045 --> 0:23:45.005 was also hard labor for young women. It's well known 0:23:45.005 --> 0:23:47.925 that there were a lot of accidents with regard to spinning, 0:23:48.485 --> 0:23:51.805 and it was hard work on their fingers, and so 0:23:52.005 --> 0:23:55.445 this is a tale about the way women were forced 0:23:55.485 --> 0:23:58.325 to make their own clothes or clothes for the family. 0:24:01.685 --> 0:24:06.485 Spinning was arduous, back breaking labor. It could be painful, 0:24:06.965 --> 0:24:10.765 and Zeips suggests that rumpel Stilskin could be a tale 0:24:10.765 --> 0:24:13.565 about how women dreamed of a better life for themselves, 0:24:14.125 --> 0:24:18.805 a life without this intense labor. After all, even though 0:24:18.845 --> 0:24:21.765 it comes with the price and the story, it's rumpel 0:24:21.845 --> 0:24:24.405 Stilskin who takes over the task of spinning. 0:24:25.525 --> 0:24:29.805 In the old days, in the sixteen, seventeenth, eighteenth centuries, 0:24:30.165 --> 0:24:33.285 there used to be aughts where women would gather in 0:24:33.325 --> 0:24:37.925 a community and jabber away and tell stories about how 0:24:38.405 --> 0:24:43.285 women would like to free themselves of the treatment. So 0:24:43.325 --> 0:24:47.685 it's all about the rise of a young woman, fortunately 0:24:47.845 --> 0:24:54.045 through the service of this little man, and she succeeds 0:24:54.125 --> 0:24:55.285