Household Tales · Chapter
Allerleirauh explained
A widowed king, bound by a promise to marry only a woman as beautiful as his late queen with golden hair, develops an unnatural desire for his own daughter.
What happens
A widowed king, bound by a promise to marry only a woman as beautiful as his late queen with golden hair, develops an unnatural desire for his own daughter. To escape his advances, the princess demands three impossible dresses and a mantle of a thousand furs, then flees into the forest disguised as a hairy creature. She is taken to a neighboring king's palace as a kitchen maid, where she secretly attends three festivals wearing the magnificent dresses. The king falls in love with her, and after discovering her identity through a ring and a golden reel, he marries her.
Themes in this chapter
Family Dynamics and Betrayal
The king's incestuous desire for his daughter represents a profound betrayal of the father-daughter bond, forcing her to flee her home.
Transformation and Redemption
The princess transforms from a royal daughter into a lowly kitchen maid and back into a queen, achieving redemption through her own resourcefulness and the king's love.
Social Class and Marriage
The story explores how marriage can transcend social boundaries, as the princess, disguised as a poor servant, ultimately marries the king.
Characters to notice
- the girl
The princess who flees her father's incestuous proposal, disguises herself as Allerleirauh, and eventually marries the neighboring king.
- the young King
The king who discovers Allerleirauh in the forest, employs her as a kitchen maid, and later marries her after recognizing her at the festivals.
- the servant
The cook who assigns Allerleirauh kitchen duties and allows her to watch the festivals.
- the servants
The huntsmen who capture Allerleirauh in the forest and bring her to the palace.
Key passages
“If thou wishest to marry again after my death, take no one who is not quite as beautiful as I am, and who has not just such golden hair as I have: this thou must promise me.”
The dying queen makes the king promise to remarry only a woman as beautiful as herself with the same golden hair.
This promise sets the tragic plot in motion, as the king later fixates on his daughter who resembles her mother.
“Before I fulfil your wish, I must have three dresses, one as golden as the sun, one as silvery as the moon, and one as bright as the stars; besides this, I wish for a mantle of a thousand different kinds of fur and hair joined together, and one of every kind of animal in your kingdom must give a piece of his skin for it.”
The princess demands three magical dresses and a fur mantle made from every animal in the kingdom, hoping these impossible tasks will dissuade her father.
This clever ruse buys her time and provides the means for her eventual escape and disguise.
“I am a poor girl who no longer has any father or mother.”
Allerleirauh claims to be an orphan when questioned by the king.
She conceals her royal identity to avoid recognition and the danger of being returned to her father.
“Thou art my dear bride, and we will never more part from each other.”
The king declares Allerleirauh his bride and vows they will stay together forever.
This marks the happy resolution, as the king chooses her for herself, not for her royal status.