Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales Part A
The Maiden with the Wooden Helmet
Unlike the other fairy tales in the reading, I really was not sure what the moral or theme of this story is. On one hand, it seems to suggest that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover except that the son who marries Hatschihime sees her before he decides he should marry her. I didn't understand why the helmet would not come off during the wedding or really why her mother insist she wear it in the first place. Also why would the mother want her daughter to marry her master's son? Hatschihime's parents seemed haunted by what they had lost and feared that anything good would be lost so it doesn't make sense that the mother would want her daughter to get married. Hatschihime is also a very passive character as it seems she doesn't make any of her own decisions or talk to anyone.
Plot:
Story source: The Violet Fairy Book by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1901).
Unlike the other fairy tales in the reading, I really was not sure what the moral or theme of this story is. On one hand, it seems to suggest that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover except that the son who marries Hatschihime sees her before he decides he should marry her. I didn't understand why the helmet would not come off during the wedding or really why her mother insist she wear it in the first place. Also why would the mother want her daughter to marry her master's son? Hatschihime's parents seemed haunted by what they had lost and feared that anything good would be lost so it doesn't make sense that the mother would want her daughter to get married. Hatschihime is also a very passive character as it seems she doesn't make any of her own decisions or talk to anyone.
Plot:
- Parents of Hatschihime lose all the have due to bad times and move to the country
- Distraught at their lose the father becomes ill and dies
- The mother notices Hatschihme's beauty but is worried that something terrible would happen because of her beauty.
- The mother grows ill and instructs Hatschihime to always wear a wooden hat so that she can pass unhindered.
- The mother dies and Hatschihime finds work in a field.
- Hatschihime is noticed by her master for her work ethic and becomes a caretaker to his wife.
- The son of Hatschihime's master saw Hatschihime and wondered why she wore the hat and followed her until he caught a glimpse of her face.
- Son convinced parents he should marry her.
- Hatschihime rejects the son until her mother comes to her in a dream and tells her to marry him.
- At the wedding, the wooden hat will not come off Hatischihime's head and the son says she should be married in the hat.
- At the ceremonies after the people drink all their wine the helmet bursts.
- Precious gems come out of the helmet but the guests are more amazed at the beauty of Hatschihime.
Son Gazing on Girl without Helmet (Flickr)
Story source: The Violet Fairy Book by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1901).
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