You won't find Donkeyskin in many modern fairy-tale anthologies, perhaps because it concerns a girl so beautiful that her own father wanted to marry her. But don't worry, she dresses up as a donkey and escapes! Made famous by Charles Perrault, the story has many variants--Catskin, Allerleirauh, Thousandfurs, The She-Bear, All Kinds of Fur--and has been subject to many interpretations. The tale was illustrated by several of the great gift-book illustrators, including Arthur Rackham, Kay Nielsen, Gustave Doré, and the less well-known R. de la Neziere. (More R. de la Neziere here and here.) Oh, and here's a sexy one. [more inside]
posted by Powerful Religious Baby on Jun 15, 2008 - 38 comments

Folklore and Mythology E-Texts A multicultural collection classified according to types and variants. See also the SurLaLune Fairy Tales Pages (portal with annotated tales, tons of illustrations), Folk and Fairytales From Around the World (not updated since 1997, unfortunately), Hans Christian Andersen (tales and illustrations, plus additional links), Fairy Tales by the Grimm Brothers (German and English, with some illustrations), the Grimm Index Page (a complete set), Red Riding Hood: A Multimedia Edition (exactly what it sounds like; those with sensitive eyes should be warned that the page is, well, red), and Tracey Callison's extensive Sources for the Analysis and Interpretation of Folk and Fairy Tales (scholarly bibliographies).
posted by thomas j wise on Sep 21, 2003 - 7 comments