Beschrijving
The Speaking Horsehead. A princess is sent to her fiancé, a prince of a foreign country. Her mother orders a maidservant to accompany her, and gives her a small rag with some drops of her mother’s blood to protect her and sends a speaking horse to take care of her.
When during the journey the princess loses her mother’s charm, the waiting-maid gains control of the princess [K2252, K1911.1.1], forces her to change clothes and roles [K1934], and to swear an oath of secrecy [K1933].
The prince unwittingly marries the maidservant, and the real princess is employed as a goose-girl [K1816.5]. When the false wife orders the horse to be killed [B335], the princess persuades a farmhand to hang the horsehead on the wall by a gate where she passes daily. Every day she greets the horsehead with a formula, and it answers regretting the injury that is being done to her [D1011, B133.3].
When she speaks a magic formula to make the hat of a goose-boy fly away (to keep an obstrusive goose-boy away from her), he complains to the king. Thereupon the old king starts observing her and finally makes her tell her life story to a stove [H13.2.7] (her dog [H13.1.2]) (cf. Types 870, 894). The truth comes to light, the real bride marries the prince, and the maidservant is punished (she unwittingly declares her own judgment). Cf. Types 403, 425A.
When during the journey the princess loses her mother’s charm, the waiting-maid gains control of the princess [K2252, K1911.1.1], forces her to change clothes and roles [K1934], and to swear an oath of secrecy [K1933].
The prince unwittingly marries the maidservant, and the real princess is employed as a goose-girl [K1816.5]. When the false wife orders the horse to be killed [B335], the princess persuades a farmhand to hang the horsehead on the wall by a gate where she passes daily. Every day she greets the horsehead with a formula, and it answers regretting the injury that is being done to her [D1011, B133.3].
When she speaks a magic formula to make the hat of a goose-boy fly away (to keep an obstrusive goose-boy away from her), he complains to the king. Thereupon the old king starts observing her and finally makes her tell her life story to a stove [H13.2.7] (her dog [H13.1.2]) (cf. Types 870, 894). The truth comes to light, the real bride marries the prince, and the maidservant is punished (she unwittingly declares her own judgment). Cf. Types 403, 425A.
Motief
K2252
K1911.1.1
K1934
K1933
K1816.5
B335
D1011
B133.3
H13.2.7
H13.1.2
Commentaar
For tales in which the bride is blinded (which Liungman 1961, 149ff. treated under Type 533) cf. Type 404. For literary precursors see the French Legend of Berte and Basile, Pentamerone (IV,7).
Combinaties
403.
Oorspronkelijk Verhaaltype
533
Subgenre
sprookje