Rumpelstiltskin

For other uses, see Rumpelstiltskin (disambiguation).

Rumpelstiltskin
Andrew Lang's The Blue Fairy Book, (1889)
Folk tale
Name	Rumpelstiltskin
Also known as	Tom Tit Tot Päronskaft Repelsteeltje
Aarne–Thompson grouping	500
Country	Germany England Sweden Netherlands
Published in	Grimm's Fairy Tales English Fairy Tales

Rumpelstiltskin is the eponymous character and antagonist of a fairy tale that originated in Germany (where he is known as Rumpelstilzchen). The tale was collected by the Brothers Grimm in the 1812 edition of Children's and Household Tales. It was subsequently revised in later editions.

Plot

In order to make himself appear more important, a miller lies to a king, telling him that his daughter can spin straw into gold. In reality, the girl is lazy and has never learned to spin at all. The king calls for the girl, shuts her in a tower room filled with straw and a spinning wheel, and demands that she spin the straw into gold by morning or he will cut off her head (other versions have the king threatening to lock her up in a dungeon forever). She has given up all hope when an imp-like creature appears in the room and spins the straw into gold for her in return for her necklace. When the king takes the girl on the next morning to a larger room filled with straw to repeat the feat, the imp spins in return for the girl's ring. On the third day, when the girl has been taken to a still-larger room filled with straw and told by the king that he will marry her if she can fill this room with gold or kill her if she cannot, the girl has nothing left with which to pay the strange creature. He extracts from her a promise that her firstborn child will be given to him, and spins the room full of gold a final time.

The king keeps his promise to marry the miller's daughter, but when their first child is born, the imp returns to claim his payment: "Now give me what you promised." The now-queen offers him all the wealth she has if she may keep the child. The imp has no interest in her riches, but finally consents to give up his claim to the child if the queen is able to guess his name within three days. Her many guesses over the first two days fail, but before the final night, her messenger (though he doesn't know the significance of his mission) comes across the imp's remote mountain cottage and watches, unseen, as the imp hops about his fire and sings. In his song's lyrics, he reveals his name.

When the imp comes to the queen on the third day and she, after first feigning ignorance, then reveals his true name, Rumpelstiltskin loses his temper and his bargain. In the 1812 edition of the Brothers Grimm tales, Rumpelstiltskin then "ran away angrily, and never came back". The ending was revised in a final 1857 edition to a more gruesome ending wherein Rumpelstiltskin "in his rage drove his right foot so far into the ground that it sank in up to his waist; then in a passion he seized the left foot with both hands and tore himself in two." Other versions have Rumpelstiltskin driving his right foot so far into the ground that he creates a chasm and falls into it, never to be seen again. In the oral version originally collected by the brothers Grimm, Rumpelstiltskin flies out of the window on a cooking ladle (Heidi Anne Heiner).

Song

Today do I bake, to-morrow I brew,

The day after that the queen's child comes in;

And oh! I am glad that nobody knew

That the name I am called is Rumpelstiltskin!he is mean

However, most American children today know it as:

Today I brew, tomorrow I bake,

And then the child away I'll take;

For little knows my royal dame

Rumpelstiltskin is my name!

(German:

Heute back ich, morgen brau ich,

Übermorgen hol ich mir der Königin ihr Kind;

Ach, wie gut, dass niemand weiß,

dass ich Rumpelstilzchen heiß)

Variants

The same story pattern appears in numerous other cultures: Tom Tit Tot in England (from English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs), Whuppity Stoorie in Scotland (from Robert Chambers's Popular Rhymes of Scotland), Gilitrutt in Iceland, Joaidane جعيدان in Arabic (he who talks too much), Khlamushka Хламушка (junker) in Russia, Rampelnik in Czech Republic, Martinko Klingáč in Slovakia, Ruidoquedito (meaning "little noise") in South America, Pancimanci in Hungary (from A Csodafurulya by Kolozsvari Grandpierre Emil), Cvilidreta (whine-screamer) in Croatia, Tremotino in Italy, Ootz-li Gootz-li עוּץ-לי גוּץ-לי in Israel (a compact and rhymy touch to the original sentence and meaning of the story, "He advised me and then turned me into a joke"), Daiku to Oniroku (daiku means "a carpenter", to means "and", and Oniroku is an ogre's name), or "大工と鬼六" in Japan.

These tales are Aarne-Thompson type 500, The Name of the Helper.

Another of the Grimm's tales revolves about a girl trapped by false claims about her spinning abilities: The Three Spinners. However, the three women who assist that girl do not demand her firstborn, but instead ask that she invite them to her wedding and say that they are relatives of hers. She complies, and when the three appear at the wedding, amazing the king with their ugliness, they tell the king that their various deformities (an overgrown thumb in one, a pendulous lip in the second, an enormous foot in the third) are the result of their years of spinning. The horrified king decrees that his wife will spin no more. In contrast to Rumpelstiltskin's self-seeking, therefore, these helpers ask only the "payment" of extending their benevolence to the heroine, and ensure that she won't need their help again. In one Italian variant, the girl must discover their names, as with Rumpelstiltskin, but not for the same reason: she must use their names to invite them, and she has forgotten them.

Name origins

The name Rumpelstilzchen in German means literally "little rattle stilt". (A stilt is a post or pole which provides support for a structure.) A rumpelstilt or rumpelstilz was the name of a type of goblin, also called a pophart or poppart that makes noises by rattling posts and rapping on planks. The meaning is similar to rumpelgeist ("rattle ghost") or poltergeist, a mischievous spirit that clatters and moves household objects. (Other related concepts are mummarts or boggarts and hobs that are mischievous household spirits that disguise themselves.) The ending -chen is a German diminutive and designates something as "little" or "dear", depending on context. It is also a cognate of the words/suffixes kin (family / relatives) or ken (known).

The earliest known mention of Rumpelstiltskin occurs in Johann Fischart's Geschichtklitterung, or Gargantua of 1577 (a loose adaptation of Rabelais' Gargantua and Pantagruel) which refers to an "amusement" for children named "Rumpele stilt or the Poppart".

Names used in translations

Translations of the original Grimm fairy tale (KHM 55) into various languages have generally substituted different names for the dwarf, whose name is Rumpelstilzchen in the original.

For some languages, a name was chosen that comes close in sound to the German name: Rumpelstiltskin in English, Repelsteeltje in Dutch, and Rumpelstichen in Portuguese. He is known as Päronskaft in Swedish (literally "Pear stalk"); the sense of stilt or stalk of the second part is retained. In Danish and Norwegian, he is known as Rumleskaft (literally "Rumble shank"). In other languages an entirely different and generally meaningless name was selected, such as Barbichu, Broumpristoche, Grigrigredinmenufretin, Outroupistache, Tracassin or Perlimpinpin in various translations to French. Polish translations use Titelitury, Greek translations use Κουτσοκαλιγέρης, Czech translations use Rumplcimprcampr or Rampelník, Slovak translations use Martinko Klingáč, and Finnish ones Tittelintuure. Italian has Tremotino, Bosnian and Croatian Cvilidreta, and Hebrew עוץ לי גוץ לי (Ootzly-Gootzly), a name chosen by the poet Avraham Shlonsky when using the fairy tale as the basis of a children's play, now a classic among Hebrew children's plays. In Spain, the character's name is Rumpelstinski and Rumpelestíjeles.

Appearance in art and literature

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Cover of Classics Illustrated Junior issue 512

In literature

• In written fiction, Vivian Vande Velde's book The Rumpelstiltskin Problem presents a handful of alternative versions of the tale in a humorous attempt to address perceived plot holes in the story.
• Rumpelstiltskin has also appeared in The Witch's Boy by Michael Gruber, wherein the character is an unnaturally ugly baby is raised by a witch, who names him Lump when she finds him abandoned in a tree. As a child, he was isolated by the witch to protect him, but when he goes out into the world he becomes consumed by the desire for money and revenge against those who have hurt him. Through a ritual, the witch helps him find his name (i.e., the name of his soul), Rumpelstiltskin, which he is not to tell anyone, for knowledge of it will give one power over him. His childhood innocence is tried by the cruelty of the world, giving a more in-depth look into his character.
• And he has also appeared in "The book of lost things" with the nickname "Crooked Man".
• In Diane Stanley's short fiction, Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter, Rumpelstiltskin falls in love with and marries the miller's daughter and helps her escape from the king. The main character turns out to be their only daughter, Hope.
• Elizabeth C. Bunce's novel A Curse Dark as Gold was inspired by the story of Rumpelstiltskin. The miller's daughter is written as a strong female character determined to save the failing mill and the town that depends on it.
• It seems likely that the DC Comics' supervillain Mr. Mxyzptlk is inspired by Rumpelstiltskin. They share many characteristics, including long, consonant-heavy names, an impish appearance, and a magical weakness related to their own names.
• Susanna Clarke's On Lickerish Hill, found in The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories, is a version of Tom Tit Tot.
• Saviour Pirotta's "Guess My Name", published in the "Once Upon a World" series, is a retelling of the Welsh version of the story.
• Rumpelstiltskin appears in the issue 4 of The Muppet Show that was a part of "The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson" arc.

In music

• The song "Split Myself in Two" by the Meat Puppets is inspired and loosely based on the tale.
• Rumplestiltskin is a song by the Columbus, Ohio underground band Earwig from their album Gibson Under Mountain
• The third movement of Robert Schumann's Märchenbilder is inspired by the story
• Rumpelstiltskin Grinder is a thrash band from Pennsylvania signed to Relapse Records.
• Stiltskin is an English rock band, notable for the fact that one of its band members, Ray Wilson, was a temporarily lead vocalist of world-famous progressive rock band Genesis.
• The industrial metal band Megaherz released a song named I.M. Rumpelstilzchen on their album Herzwerk II which quotes the original German fairy tale.
• Rumpofsteelskin is a song by funk band Parliament from the album Motor Booty Affair. The song title is reminiscent of the fairy tale's title.
• "Rumplestiltskin" is a punk retelling of the fairy tale by John Otway

On screen

On-screen depictions of Rumpelstiltskin (or Rumpelstiltskin-like characters) generally cast him in an evil, villainous role, despite the fact that he appears in the story at first as a benevolent helper.

• In an episode of the TV show Courage the Cowardly Dog, Muriel is forced by a short Scotsman to stay in a tower and knit sheep wool into kilts. Courage tries to learn the man's name after learning that the man won’t let anyone who knows his name (which turns out to be Rumpoldkiltskin) work for him. Muriel later suggests that he legally change his name, suggesting "Rumpelstiltskin", which he thinks is a good idea.

• In the Shrek films:
  • The character has also appeared as the antagonist and archenemy in the film Shrek Forever After, voiced by Walt Dohrn, manipulating Shrek into making a wish that would erase Shrek from existence after the ogre indirectly thwarted Rumpelstiltskin's chance to become the ruler of Far, Far Away.
  • Rumpelstiltskin already made an earlier appearance in Shrek the Third as a member of the gang of fairy tale villains Prince Charming rounds up in an attempt to take over Far, Far Away. However he had a very different look and was voiced by a different actor.

• Rumpelstiltskin appeared in Happily N'Ever After voiced by Michael McShane. He is one of the fairy tale villains that side with Cinderella's wicked stepmother Frieda.
• Rumpelstiltskin was mentioned in passing in Hoodwinked!. Nicky Flippers (David Ogden Stiers) remembers the Wolf (Patrick Warburton) because during the investigation, the Wolf was snooping around for a lead on his real name.

• Other film and television adaptions of Rumpelstiltskin include:
  • A 1987 live-action musical film, a fairly direct retelling of the fairy tale, starring Amy Irving as the miller's daughter and Billy Barty as the title character.
  • A 1996 supernatural horror B-movie wherein Rumpelstiltskin is trapped in a jade rock for five hundred years until a woman is compelled to purchase the rock from an unusual antique shop. The woman makes a wish that her dead husband come back to life to see their child. Rumpelstiltskin grants her wish, bringing her husband back for one night, then tries to steal the baby from the mother with an attempt to eat the baby's soul. This movie stars Max Grodénchik (as Rumpelstiltskin), and Kim Johnston Ulrich (as the mother of the child).

• Rumplestiltskin is a main character in the TV series Once Upon a Time from ABC, in which he is the pawn-shop owner Mr. Gold in the town of Storybrooke, Maine, where fairy tale characters are trapped with no memory of their true selves. He is played by Robert Carlyle. Flashbacks to the fairy-tale realm of the characters' origin regularly reveal that Rumplestiltskin plays a role in the backstories of nearly every major fairy-tale character, serving as a Faustian figure who enacts costly deals with the characters that they think are to their advantage. Examples of his actions include playing the role of Cinderella's fairy godmother after killing the real one, arranging for the secret adoption of Prince Charming's twin brother by the king, and giving the evil queen the curse that sends everyone to the real world. The series' pilot episode reveals that Rumpelstiltskin is considered to be one of the most dangerous beings in the realm. A later episode shows that he was once a coward who ran from battle, but gained his powers by capturing the dagger of an entity called the Dark One and then killing him. In the twelfth episode, it is revealed Mr. Gold knows he was once Rumplestilskin, and that he was in love with Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Rumplestiltskin has a feud with the Queen herself, who seeks to have more power than Rumplestiltskin.

• In the series The 10th Kingdom, protagonists Tony Lewis and Wolf encounter a blind woodsman who will only give them his magic axe, capable of cutting through anything, if they can guess his name, but will cut Wolf's head off if Tony doesn't guess it in time. Although Tony assumes that the man's name is Rumpelstiltskin due to the similarities between the situations, he is eventually revealed to actually be named Juliet.

• In an episode of the TV show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine titled "If Wishes Were Horses", Miles O'Brien reads his daughter the story of Rumpelstiltskin at bedtime and then leaves her room. She comes out shortly afterward to inform her father that Rumpelstiltskin is in the room with her. O'Brien assumes that it is just her imagination and goes into the room with her only to discover that Rumpelstiltskin is in her room. At the end of the episode it is revealed that Rumpelstiltskin (along with various other manifestations) are in fact aliens that were studying imagination.

• In the TV show Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre, the second episode, aired originally in 1982, titled "Rumpelstiltskin", stars Hervé Villechaize as Rumpelstiltskin, Ned Beatty as the king, and Shelley Duvall as the miller's daughter.

• In the German TV series "Spuk unterm Riesenrad", Rumpelstiltskin is the only one of the three evil, living dummies (witch, giant, and Rumpelstiltskin) who doesn't turn good at the end and is frozen by a policeman with a fire extinguisher. He also tries to take over Burg Falkenstein by blackmailing the owner with a fire.

External links

• Free version of translation of "Household Tales" by Brothers Grimm from Project Gutenberg
• The Brothers Grimm's 'Rumpelstiltzkin'
• 'Tom Tit Tot: an essay on savage philosophy in folk-tale' by Edward Clodd (1898)
• Web Essay on the Origin of Rumpelstiltskin