Beschrijving
The Grateful Dead. (Including the previous Types 506–506B, 506**, and 508.) One introductory episode is combined with various main parts in which a man wins a princess and a castle. The ending is also very similar.
Introductory episode:
While traveling, a man sees a corpse which is not allowed to be buried or is ill-treated by its creditors [Q271.1]. He uses all his money to pay the debts of the dead man and for his funeral. Later he meets the grateful dead man in the form of a traveling companion (old man, servant) who wants to help him [E341] on the condition that they will divide all their winnings [M241]. Cf. Type 507.
Main parts:
(1) The man ransoms a princess, who had been kidnapped, from slavery and marries her [R111.1.6, L161]. While the man is away in another country, the father of the princess recognizes the sail of the ship which is emboidered with the princess’ coat of arms and learns that his daughter is alive. When the man goes back to fetch his wife, he finds that she has been abducted by one of her father’s courtiers. The man searches for his wife, and the traveling companion helps him to return to his father-in-law’s court [R163]. There the man discloses his identity as the husband of the princess and gets his bride back. (Previously Type 506A.)
(2) The man rescues a young woman from robbers. On their way home by ship the man is thrown overboard by a rival [S142] but is rescued by the traveling companion [R163] and brought to the princess. He is recognized by means of a ring or otherwise [H94.4, H11.1]. The rival is unmasked and punished. (Previously Type 506B.)
(3) The traveling companion equips the man with a magnificent horse. A tournament takes place in which the winner is to marry a princess [H972, H331.2]. The man wins her. (Previously Type 508.)
Ending:
The traveling companion asks for his part of the winnings and wants to divide the princess (their baby) [M241.1]. When the man, trying to save the princess, offers the whole kingdom, the traveling companion reveals himself as the grateful dead man, says his demand was only a test of faith, and vanishes.
In some variants the grateful dead man is a saint, who helps the hero because he has redeemed a saint’s picture that was mistreated [N848.1]. (Previously Type 506**.)
Introductory episode:
While traveling, a man sees a corpse which is not allowed to be buried or is ill-treated by its creditors [Q271.1]. He uses all his money to pay the debts of the dead man and for his funeral. Later he meets the grateful dead man in the form of a traveling companion (old man, servant) who wants to help him [E341] on the condition that they will divide all their winnings [M241]. Cf. Type 507.
Main parts:
(1) The man ransoms a princess, who had been kidnapped, from slavery and marries her [R111.1.6, L161]. While the man is away in another country, the father of the princess recognizes the sail of the ship which is emboidered with the princess’ coat of arms and learns that his daughter is alive. When the man goes back to fetch his wife, he finds that she has been abducted by one of her father’s courtiers. The man searches for his wife, and the traveling companion helps him to return to his father-in-law’s court [R163]. There the man discloses his identity as the husband of the princess and gets his bride back. (Previously Type 506A.)
(2) The man rescues a young woman from robbers. On their way home by ship the man is thrown overboard by a rival [S142] but is rescued by the traveling companion [R163] and brought to the princess. He is recognized by means of a ring or otherwise [H94.4, H11.1]. The rival is unmasked and punished. (Previously Type 506B.)
(3) The traveling companion equips the man with a magnificent horse. A tournament takes place in which the winner is to marry a princess [H972, H331.2]. The man wins her. (Previously Type 508.)
Ending:
The traveling companion asks for his part of the winnings and wants to divide the princess (their baby) [M241.1]. When the man, trying to save the princess, offers the whole kingdom, the traveling companion reveals himself as the grateful dead man, says his demand was only a test of faith, and vanishes.
In some variants the grateful dead man is a saint, who helps the hero because he has redeemed a saint’s picture that was mistreated [N848.1]. (Previously Type 506**.)
Motief
Q271.1
E341
M241
R111.1.6
L161
R163
S142
R163
H94.4
H11.1
H972
H331.2
M241.1
N848.1
Commentaar
Documented with the introductory part in the 2nd century B.C.E. in the apocryphal Book of Tobit (II,3–7), with main part (1) in L’Histoire de Jean de Calais of Madeleine Angélique de Gomez (1723), and with main part (3) in the 13th century in the medieval novel Rittertreue of the 13th century.
Combinaties
300, 301, 306, 307, 326, 400, 531, 550, 551, 580, and 857.
Oorspronkelijk Verhaaltype
505
Subgenre
sprookje