Lust

ASSIGNMENT: This week’s blog post will be your own writing about the role of lust in a fairy tale. You are to choose ONE fairy tale, and explain how sex, sexuality, lust or incest is displayed in the tale. Be sure to draw upon evidence to support your point from the fairy tale.

The Rape of a Sleeping Beauty

My favorite fairy tale was always Sleeping Beauty. Becoming familiar with the story through the Disney version, I had no idea that it was based on Sun, Moon and Talia. This version has much more sexual content than I ever would have imagined!

In Sun, Moon and Talia, astrologers predicted that a king’s daughter, Talia, would suffer great danger from a splinter of flax. The king banned flax from the kingdom, but as Talia grew up, she came across a woman spinning. She was mesmerized, and wanted to help. As she did, a splinter of flax lodged under her fingernail and she fell over dead.

Rather than burying her, her father set her in his country house, and left her there alone. Soon, another king stumbled by, and looked around inside. He found Talia, who appeared to be sleeping, and, “felt his blood course hotly through his veins. He lifted her in his arms, and carried her to a bed, where he gathered the first fruits of love” (Ashliman, 2009).

Now, if I were intensely attracted to a person who seemed to be asleep, I think I would wake them and get to know them before taking their virginity! In the times when this tale was told, Christianity was a dominant influence. The early Christian view on sexuality held that chastity was ideal, but also recognized that men had powerful sex drives. Indeed, “good” women were to keep men’s drives in check, serving as gatekeepers to sex. “Good” women were expected to not enjoy sex, but rather to have sex simply to procreate. Evidently, when the king found Talia, he was overwhelmed by his sex drive. Since Talia was deeply asleep, the king had no one to keep him in check, and he fulfilled his carnal urges.

Nine months later, Talia gave birth to twins (named Sun and Moon). Obviously, the king was virile! Fairies cared for the children, and let them eat at their mother’s breast. Once, though, they sucked on Talia’s fingers instead. This dislodged the splinter, and Talia awoke, confused at her circumstances. Regardless, she cared for her children.

In time, the king remembered Talia, and decided to pay her another visit. He went to Talia’s home, and found her awake, with his children. He was thrilled. He told Talia about what had happened, and “their friendship was knitted with tighter bonds, and he remained with her for a few days”  (Ashliman, 2009).

I admit, my mind boggles at the word “friendship” used to describe the relationship between Talia and the man who raped her in her sleep!

Unfortunately, the king was already married and his wife became suspicious. Her servant discovered the truth about Talia, Moon and Sun, and relayed this to the queen. The queen ordered him to go to Talia and tell her that the king wanted to see his children, and that she should send them. Talia happily did so, not knowing that the queen planned to cook the children and serve them to the philandering king. When the cook was ordered to prepare the children, he replaced them with lamb, and hid them. The queen wasn’t satisfied with killing the children, however. She sent her servant again to say that the king wished to see Talia. Talia came, and the queen unleashed her vengeance!

“She addressed her thus, “Welcome, Madam Busybody! You are a fine piece of goods, you ill weed, who are enjoying my husband. So you are the lump of filth, the cruel bitch, that has caused my head to spin? Change your ways, for you are welcome in purgatory, where I will compensate you for all the damage you have done to me.”

Talia, hearing these words, began to excuse herself, saying that it was not her fault, because the king her husband had taken possession of her territory when she was drowned in sleep; but the queen would not listen to her excuses, and had a large fire lit in the courtyard of the palace, and commanded that Talia should be cast into it” (Ashliman, 2009).

Before Talia was put into the fire, she was stripped naked. The queen coveted Talia’s gown, but I have to wonder whether she didn’t want to see what her competition looked like. Although psychologists suggest that men are more likely than women to experience sexual jealousy, they also explain that women do not want men’s resources diverted to other women and offspring (Buss, Larsen, Westen & Semmelroth, 1992). Thus, sexual jealousy may arise, particularly when children are involved.

The king arrived and saw what was happening. He demanded Talia’s freedom and to see his children. The queen told him then that he had eaten his own children. In despair and rage, he commanded that the queen and her servant be thrown into the fire instead of Talia. He sent for the cook, intending to throw him in as well. The cook explained that the children were fine and that he and his wife had cared for them. Instead of being thrown into the fire, the cook was rewarded, the children returned, and the king married Talia.

This tale ends with

“Those whom fortune favors
Find good luck even in their sleep.” (Ashliman, 2009)

Although from a modern perspective Talia was raped in her sleep, perhaps there was some luck involved. Since “good” women were to reproduce, but not to derive pleasure from sex, perhaps Talia really was favored by fortune. She was able to fulfill her feminine duty of having children (two of them at that), without having to suffer the “indignity” of the sexual act. Indeed, “she did not know what had happened to her” (Ashliman, 2009) when she awoke.

The story of Sun, Moon, and Talia is certainly one of lust. The king, overwhelmed by his sexual urges, deflowers Talia. Talia is raped in her sleep, allowing her to procreate without the guilt of sex. And, the scorned queen experiences intense sexual jealousy, which threatens Talia and her children.

 

Sources:

Ashliman, D.L. (2009) Sun, Moon and Talia. Accessed June 27, 2012 from http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0410.html#basile .

Buss, D.M., Larsen, R.J., Westen, D., & Semmelroth, J. (1992). Sex differences in jealousy: Evolution, physiology and psychology. Psychological Science, 3, 251-255.