Media: A classic fairy tale, as told by the Brothers Grimm.
Approx length: The version I’m linking below is 1,380 words.
Where to find it: In a wide variety of collections, in print, ebooks, online, recorded, in many languages … the version I’m using as a basis for my requests is right here.
What is it, in summary?: Apparently this tale is classified as a variant of Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 311, The Heroine Rescues Herself and Her Sisters, though it’s also very close to Bluebeard (ATU 312), with the theme of the forbidden chamber and the blood that won’t come off.
In the story, a wicked sorcerer named Fitcher wanders around the countryside kidnapping girls and carrying them away with him in a sack. He tests them by giving them an egg to carry at all times, the keys to his house, and an order not to enter a forbidden chamber - which they always do, and always drop the egg in a pool of blood in their shock at what they find there. With the bloodstain as evidence of their disobedience, Fitcher punishes them by dismembering them and leaving their bodies in the forbidden chamber.
However, when he kidnaps three sisters in sequence, the youngest outwits him. She leaves the egg behind when she explores the house, so it is returned to him unstained. She’s able to revive her dead sisters, trick Fitcher into carrying them home on his back, and escape his house disguised as a bird while he goes to prepare for their wedding, leaving a skull decked in bridal veils in a high window as a decoy. Ultimately, she sends her family to set fire to his house with him and all his “wedding guests” inside.
What do you love about it?: It combines the dark, bloody mystery of Bluebeard with a story of unequivocal female agency (no vestigial brother characters riding to a last minute rescue) and positive female/sibling relationships; all things I enjoy very much. I also enjoy its array of weird details, from the youngest sister reassembling her sisters’ bodies (and bringing them back to life) to the inconsistent avian theme (the egg, the bird disguise). It’s just begging to be expanded on, explored, and adapted.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I’m going to request a retelling/elaboration on the story, with fleshed-out characterization and perhaps exploration of various themes. I’m interested in a take that plays up the darkness and horror vibes, or one that leans into strangeness more than fear, or any number of possibilities.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: No, but it’s an extremely short (and free, public domain) canon.
Content warnings: I mean, it’s a fairy tale; it’s both extremely violent and told in a sparse, dispassionate style. But: Violence, murder, dismemberment, kidnapping, imprisonment, misogyny, and I guess necromancy?
Fitchers Vogel | Fitcher’s Bird (Fairy Tale)
Media: A classic fairy tale, as told by the Brothers Grimm.
Approx length: The version I’m linking below is 1,380 words.
Where to find it: In a wide variety of collections, in print, ebooks, online, recorded, in many languages … the version I’m using as a basis for my requests is right here.
What is it, in summary?: Apparently this tale is classified as a variant of Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 311, The Heroine Rescues Herself and Her Sisters, though it’s also very close to Bluebeard (ATU 312), with the theme of the forbidden chamber and the blood that won’t come off.
In the story, a wicked sorcerer named Fitcher wanders around the countryside kidnapping girls and carrying them away with him in a sack. He tests them by giving them an egg to carry at all times, the keys to his house, and an order not to enter a forbidden chamber - which they always do, and always drop the egg in a pool of blood in their shock at what they find there. With the bloodstain as evidence of their disobedience, Fitcher punishes them by dismembering them and leaving their bodies in the forbidden chamber.
However, when he kidnaps three sisters in sequence, the youngest outwits him. She leaves the egg behind when she explores the house, so it is returned to him unstained. She’s able to revive her dead sisters, trick Fitcher into carrying them home on his back, and escape his house disguised as a bird while he goes to prepare for their wedding, leaving a skull decked in bridal veils in a high window as a decoy. Ultimately, she sends her family to set fire to his house with him and all his “wedding guests” inside.
What do you love about it?: It combines the dark, bloody mystery of Bluebeard with a story of unequivocal female agency (no vestigial brother characters riding to a last minute rescue) and positive female/sibling relationships; all things I enjoy very much. I also enjoy its array of weird details, from the youngest sister reassembling her sisters’ bodies (and bringing them back to life) to the inconsistent avian theme (the egg, the bird disguise). It’s just begging to be expanded on, explored, and adapted.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I’m going to request a retelling/elaboration on the story, with fleshed-out characterization and perhaps exploration of various themes. I’m interested in a take that plays up the darkness and horror vibes, or one that leans into strangeness more than fear, or any number of possibilities.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: No, but it’s an extremely short (and free, public domain) canon.
Content warnings: I mean, it’s a fairy tale; it’s both extremely violent and told in a sparse, dispassionate style. But: Violence, murder, dismemberment, kidnapping, imprisonment, misogyny, and I guess necromancy?