Re: folklore/folktale question

On 7/30/2015 12:25 AM, Wayne Morrison wrote:
> moonlight.aileen@gmail.com said:
>> Still mulling over your folklore question? I'm intrigued now.
> Actually, I sent it to the list about a week ago. I've been wondering why
> there was such a roaring silence about it. I saved the message, fortunately,
> and I'll append it below.
>
> Wayne
>
>
>
>
> Earlier today, I mentioned that I've got a question about folklore and
> folktales. I finally wrote things down, and I hope it's coherent and
> understandable. It turns out it's a few more than just one question.
>
>
> I was talking recently with a friend. She is Native American -- part Osage,
> part Creek. She was complaining about the old "Indian Princess" stereotype.
> She said if there are Indian Princesses, then there must be Indian Princes
> and she wants to know where all the Indian Princes are.
>
> We also started wondering where the Indian Princess stereotype came from.
> I think some say that Pocahontas was the start of the stereotype, or at
> least she was the earliest well-known one.
>
> I'm not very familiar with many details of the Indian Princess stereotype.
> I think one of the common parts of the stereotype is that the Indian Princess
> is the "prize", and she was usually (always?) pursued by white Europeans.
>
> I started wondering about princesses in European folktales. I don't know
> piles of folktales, but I think that princesses in European folktales often
> seemed to be prizes. Kill the dragon, win the prize. Perform the labors
> of the king, win the prize. Were there many European folktales where the
> princess did more than act as a prize? I'm probably more familiar with the
> Disney versions of the folktales than the real versions.
>
> What about the prize pursuer? I think it was often a tailor or a peasant
> or a jack, but was it often a prince?
>
> Did the Indian Princess stereotype evolve from a generic European Princess
> stereotype? (Seeing as Native Americans were new and more exotic than the
> boring old Europeans we've always known.) Is there a European Princess
> stereotype? If so, did it get imported from somewhere else? Is there a
> generic Princess stereotype? Before Columbus and co. started visiting North
> America frequently, did different regions in Europe look at other regions
> as being the exotics? Did Spanish* folktales talk about the Swedes as
> being the exotics? Did the Finns look at Bulgarians as being ultra exotic?
> I think I read that China looked at India as being the exotic, and that's
> why Monkey went to India in "A Journey to the West."
>
> I guess the basic question I have is about the evolution of princesses in
> folklore. Has any research in this area been done? How 'bout the role of
> the exotic in folklore?
>
> Wayne
>
> * For convenience sake, modern placenames are standing in for regions
> that have changed names piles o' times over the centuries.
>


I do think it was Europeans thrusting the "princess" idea upon the Natives.

Anecdotal evidence: I've discovered an "Indian princess" (Mary Hyanno,
born 1623ish) in Tony's genealogy. She was the daughter of a Wampanoag
chieftain, so naturally she must be a princess, you see. Mind you, her
husband, this Bearse guy, was pretty known for telling tales (he said he
was kicked out of England because he was a Gypsy; that's also why he had
to marry an Indian, of course--none of the other settlers would have
him), and nobody's actually been able to verify if this story is true.
DNA testing hasn't come through with anything because of known
descendants, most have Native blood through other lines.

As to your more general folklore question, I'm guessing Maria Tartar has
looked into it. I have a few of her books but I have yet to actually
read them. It does sound right up her alley though.

Jenny

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