Grimm's fairy tales contain many famous stories such as "Snow White" and "Cinderella", but there are also some stories that were deleted because they were too cruel and scary. One of them is the story of "Bluebeard".
What is the story of "Bluebeard"?
"Bluebeard" is a fairy tale written by the French poet Charles Perrault, which was also included in the first publication of Grimm's fairy tales, but was deleted from the second edition onwards because of its extremely violent content.
In this story, the main character is a man with a terrible blue beard, who killed many women with his own hands and collected them in a room in his house. He could open that room with a golden key, but he told his wife that she must never enter it.
However, out of curiosity, the wife entered the room and saw a bloody and horrible sight of the corpses of Bluebeard's previous wives. The key got stained with blood and she could not wipe it off or wash it off. When Bluebeard came back and found out that his wife had entered the forbidden room, he tried to kill her, but her brothers came to the rescue at the last moment and defeated Bluebeard. The wife inherited all of Bluebeard's fortune and became rich.
Why is "Bluebeard" scary?
The reasons why this story is scary are as follows:
- The mystery of the man named Bluebeard
- The name Bluebeard comes from his face with a bright blue beard. It is not clear why his beard is blue or what it means, but it is certain that it gives a sense of fear to those who see it.
- Bluebeard attracts women and their fathers with his wealth and marries them, but all those women disappear. It is not clear why he kills women or what his purpose is.
- Bluebeard has a secret room in his house and hides the bodies of the women he killed there. It is not clear why he made that room or why he only forbids his wife to enter it.
- The horror of the forbidden room
- The setting of the forbidden room itself stirs up fear. Humans tend to want to try something when they are forbidden, but behind that there is a hint that something terrible is hidden.
- The wife who entered the forbidden room sees a scene of blood on the floor and wall and women's bodies hanging. This is a symbol of Bluebeard's cruelty and also implies her own fate.
- The key to the forbidden room is enchanted and the blood on it cannot be wiped off or washed off. This has the effect of amplifying the wife's guilt and fear.
- The wife's predicament and rescue
- When Bluebeard comes back and finds out that his wife has entered the forbidden room, he tries to kill her. The wife asks for a last prayer to buy time, but Bluebeard does not show mercy.
- The wife screams from the window and asks her brothers for help, but they do not appear soon. Bluebeard approaches her with a knife. This scene shows the wife's despair and Bluebeard's brutality.
- Finally, her brothers arrive and defeat Bluebeard. This is a happy ending for the wife's rescue, but the tension and crisis until then do not disappear. Also, by defeating Bluebeard, his mystery and motive are never revealed.
The model and influence of "Bluebeard"
There are some theories about the model and influence of the story of "Bluebeard".
- Model
- The most likely theory is that Gilles de Rais, a companion of Joan of Arc, was the model. Gilles de Rais was a nobleman who killed many children as a serial killer. He had a secret room in his castle where he tortured and chopped up children. He was executed in 1440.
- Another theory is that Henry VIII was the model. Henry VIII had six wives, two of whom he executed. He had a secret room in his castle where he lived with his mistresses and children. He died in 1547.
- Influence
- Composers such as Paul Dukas and Béla Bartók made operas based on "Bluebeard". In these operas, the psychological depiction and dialogue of Bluebeard and his wife are emphasized.
- Film directors such as Claude Chabrol and Andrzej Zulawski made films based on "Bluebeard". In these films, the relationship and social background of Bluebeard and his wife are portrayed.
Summary
"Bluebeard" is a terrifying story that was included in Grimm's fairy tales. It is about a man with a blue beard who killed many women and hid them in a room in his house. This story has themes such as women's curiosity and disobedience, men's desire for control and violence, and so on, and can be interpreted in various ways. This story also influenced works such as opera and film.
