La bella ventura (Catalan folktale)

La bella ventura o Es ca negre sense nas (lit. 'The Good Fortune or The Black Dog Without a Nose') is a Catalan fairy tale or rondalla, first collected by Majorcan priest and author Antoni Maria Alcover from Mallorca. In it, a girl marries a mysterious husband, breaks a prohibition set by him and is banished from home; later, she goes to her mother-in-law's castle where she gives birth to her child and the husband comes to rock the child with a lullaby.

It is related to the international cycle of Animal as Bridegroom or The Search for the Lost Husband, in that a human girl marries a supernatural or enchanted husband, loses him and must search for him. Similar stories have been collected from oral tradition across the Mediterranean, and Spain.

Source

According to Catalan scholars and Alcover, the tale was provided by two sources: En Juan Morey, from St. Llorens des Cardessar, and D.ª Elisabet Rossinyol de Dameto, from Ciutat de Mallorca.[1][2]

Summary

An old widow has three beautiful daughters, Na Maria, N'Antonia, and Na Catalina. One day, a female wanderer knocks on their door and Maria gives her some bread, despite their meager situation. In gratitude, the beggar woman tells the girl about "la bella ventura": open the window at midnight and cry for "La bella ventura", and a voice will tell her her destiny. That same night, Maria opens the window and cries to the night which shall be her "la bella ventura", and a voice shouts that it shall be the King of Naples. Maria becomes afraid and closes the window. Seven days later, the King of Naples himself rides into town with his carriage to fetch his future bride Na Maria from her widowed mother's house, thus fulfilling the voice's prophecy. Maria agrees to the marriage proposal and they depart to Naples at once.

Next, N'Antonina welcomes the same beggar woman and offers her some bread. In gratitude, the beggar woman advises Antonina to do the same thing as her elder sister: open the window at night and cry out for "la bella ventura". At midnight, Antonina cries out for the night, and the voice answers "the King of France". Seven days later, the King of France himself rides in a carriage to the old woman's house to ask for N'Antonina as his bride. It happens thus. Lastly, Na Catalina meets the same beggar woman, gives her some bread and is advised to cry at midnight for her "la bella ventura". At the third midnight, Catalina does as the old woman instructed and a voice mentions a dog without a nose. Catalina is aghast at the revelation and refuses to believe her future lies with an animal.

Seven days later, a noseless black dog comes to the old woman's house and demands to have Na Catalina, since he is her destined bridegroom, and her his bride. Catalina's mother tries to expel the dog and scoffs at the idea of her daughter marrying an animal, since she is no she-dog to marry a dog. The hound promises to return in seven days to take his bride, and leaves, while the girl and her mother ponder at what to do to avoid such a fate. Since she is the mother of two queens, her elder daughters, the woman has enough resources to block the dog: she builds walls around her house, and large doors with seven locks. Still, the dog appears again with the same demand; he plays a fabiolet and passes by the obstacles with ease. Catalina ceases her resistance and agrees to marry the dog, and her mother faints on the spot.

The dog takes Na Catalina to his home. Later, a dove flies in and invites Na Catalina to Naples, to visit her sister. Once there, Na Catalina asks for a servant to drink some water in silver cup with golden handle. Despite the servant's refusal, Na Catalina drinks some and drops her ring inside it. The queen of Naples, her sister, recognizes the ring, learns her cadette is there in the city and welcomes her. Na Catalina tells her elder sister about marrying the noseless dog, but the queen assuages that her good fortune may be lying under the dog shape, then gives her a flint. The next time, Na Catalina pays a visit to her middle sister, the queen of France, drops her ring into a jug and signs to her middle sister she is there in France. The sisters reunite, Catalina laments her situation, but her middle sister assures there is good fortune for her yet, then gives her a candle.

Lastly, the dog takes Na Catalina to a meadow, a hole opens up and they enter his underground palace with beautiful gardens. The dog rushes ahead, and Na Catalina fears a bit the place, since it is very dark, despite its beauty. Suddenly, a large candelabra illumniates the room, and some shadowy servants bring her food when she asks for some, and some shadow servants guide her to bed. She is waited on by other phantom servants and hears some breathing next to her at night. On the third night there, she decides to light up the candle her sister gave her with the flint, to better see her nighttime companion: a handsome youth lies asleep next to her. She moves the candle to better see his face, and a drop of candlewax falls into his cheek. Suddenly, Na Catalina finds herself outside, lost in a dense forest.

She ventures through the forest and enters a city, where a kind woman that irons clothes ("planxadora") takes her in and gives her a job as another ironer. Na Catalina helps the women in ironing the clothes and is so skilled at it, her companion asks her about her story. In tears, she reveals about her family and the husband who took her away. Pitying her, they take her to work at the emperor's castle as their new maidservant to iron the clothes, and her companions join her. In time, Na Catalina gives birth to a beautiful son, and her friends ask her about the baby's father, whose location she does not know. They take turns to look after her. One night, a light appears in the room, a handsome youth comes out of the wall and goes to embrace the baby. The person cradles the baby, singing a lament that his son would be wearing gold, but is wearing rags, and that while there are still clocks to ring and roosters to crow, his enchantment will endure, then leaves via the wall.

Na Catalina's friends are frightened at the apparation, but decide to tell the emperor and the empress about it, who lost a son when he was thirteen years old and have been searching for him since then. The monarchs tell the woman they will keep the situation a secret and wish to see the event the following night. The following night, the women leave Na Catalina with her son in the unlit room, while the monarchs spy from the ajar door: from the wall comes the stranger, who goes to embrace the child and cradle him singing the same song, then leaves. The Emperor suspects this stranger is their missing son, so he orders the woman to keep secret, and issues an order for the bells not to ring and for people to kill the roosters by wringing their necks.

On the third night, the monarchs witness as the stranger enters Na Catalina's room again to rock the baby and sing the same verses. Suddenly, the monarchs hug their son, mentioning that the enchantment is over, since the bells are not ringing and the roosters are not crowing. The stranger moves over to Na Catalina and admits he is the missing prince, the same person as the noseless black dog she married, and the same person next to her in their underground palace. The emperor and the empress reunite with their son, Na Catalina and the prince explain everything that happened to them, and the monarchs have the bells ring and the roosters to crow to celebrate. They invite Na Catalina's mother, sisters and their respective royal husbands for Na Catalina's wedding with the prince. Na Catalina's mother stays with her cadette, and, when the emperor and the empress die, Na Catalina and prince ascend the throne.[3][4]

Analysis

Tale type

Scholars Josep A. Grimalt and Jaume Guiscafrè classified the story, according to the international Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index, as tale type ATU 425E, "Enchanted Husband Sings Lullaby".[5] Similarly, Catalan scholars Carme Oriol and Josep Pujol register it, in their index of Catalan rondallas ('fairy tales'), as subtype 425E, El príncep encantat canta una cançó de bressol.[6][7] In this type, the heroine's husband has a padlock on his body (or a there is a chamber she is forbidden to open); after she betrays his trust, she is expelled and takes shelter in a castle where she gives birth to their child; at night her husband comes to lull the baby with a song in which there are instructions on how to save him.[8][9]

Motifs

The prince's lullaby

In his 1955 monograph, scholar Jan-Öjvind Swahn noted that the husband's lullaby to his child was "rather uniformly formed", containing instructions to extinguish "the cocks [galli] and the clocks [campane]".[10] Similarly, according to Italian literary critic Mario Lavagetto and Anna Buia, the prince's lullaby from Basile's tale (Lo Catenaccio) is "preserved" in most of the subsequent variants.[11] In the same vein, professor Michael Merakles argued that the prince's lullaby "dissolved" in Greek variants, but its existence can be gleamed by fragmentary references present in the texts.[12] Josep A. Grimalt and Jaume Guiscafrè described that the event of the husband singing the song to his son with the heroine is the "characteristic outcome" of type 425E.[13]

Variants

Scholar Nancy Canepa locates similar stories in Turkey and Greece.[14] Likewise, according to the Greek Folktale Catalogue, type 425E is "popular" in Turkey and Greece, while type 425L (a close subtype) is known across the Greek Aegean Islands and in Asia Minor.[15] On the other hand, Swahn restricted the former subtype to Italy and Catalonia.[16] In the same vein, Renato Aprile described subtype 425E as "almost exclusively" of Central and Southern Italian provenance, barring some Catalan texts.[17]

The Spanish Folktale Index, by Spanish scholars Julio Camarena and Maxime Chevalier, reports type 425E in Spain with the title El esposo encantado canta una nana ("The Enchanted Husband Sings a Lullaby"), attested in Castilian-speaking areas and in Catalan.[18] According to Catalan philologist Caterina Valriu, the tale type is present only in Mallorca.[19]

Murcia

Spanish academic Ángel Hernandez Fernandez developed the classification system of tales collected in the Region of Murcia, and abstracted a similar type, titled 425E, El esposo encantado canta una canción ("The Enchanted Husband Sings a Song"). The sole attestation of the type is based on a tale from Jumilla.[20] In this tale, collected by Pascuala Morote Magán with the title Los tres madroños del amor, a man has three daughters and is ready to go on a journey, when he asks the girl which gifts he can bring them. The elder two ask for dresses, while the youngest asks for the titular "madroños (or madroñitos) del amor". In his travels abroad, the man finds dresses for his elder two daughters and cannot find the madroños, a quest that leads him to a mysterious garden. When he goes to pluck the madroños, a lion appears to him and questions his presence there. The man explains the reason for his quest, and the lion deduces that to quest for the madroños means that whoever asked for it is beautiful and unmarried, to the animal demands the man's daughter be brought to him in three days, lest he devours them both. The man returns home and explains the situation to his daughter, who agrees to be delivered to the lion. She lives with the lion, but breaks his trust and he sends her to his parents' castle, where she gives birth. At night, the prince comes rock their child with a song, saying that, if his parents know the baby is his son and their grandson, he will be wearing golden bibs. Escolástica asks the girl if she should reply to him, which she agrees to do the following night. The following night, the lion prince comes in, sings the same verses, and asks if they are asleep. The girl replies that Escolástica is asleep, but not her. By replying to her husband, she breaks his curse, and they marry in an official wedding.[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ Alcover, Antoni Maria. Aplec de rondalles mallorquines d'en Jordi des Racó. Tom IV. Ciutat de Mallorca: Tipografia Católica de Sanjuan, 1904. p. 201fn1.
  2. ^ Alcover, Antoni Maria (2001). Josep A. Grimalt; Jaume Guiscafrè (eds.). Aplec de rondaies mallorquines d'en Jordi d'es Racó (in Catalan). Vol. 3. Moll. p. 130. ISBN 9788427370036.
  3. ^ Alcover, Antoni Maria. Aplec de rondalles mallorquines d'en Jordi des Racó. Tom IV. Ciutat de Mallorca: Tipografia Católica de Sanjuan, 1904. pp. 201-230.
  4. ^ Temporal, Josep (1998). Galàxia Propp: aspectes literaris i filosòfics de la rondalla meravellosa. Biblioteca de cultura popular Valeri Serra i Boldú (in Catalan). Vol. 9. Publicacions de l'Abadia de Montserrat. pp. 356–357. ISBN 9788478269297.
  5. ^ Alcover, Antoni Maria (2001). Josep A. Grimalt; Jaume Guiscafrè (eds.). Aplec de rondaies mallorquines d'en Jordi d'es Racó (in Catalan). Vol. 3. Moll. p. 130. ISBN 9788427370036.
  6. ^ Oriol i Carazo, Carme; Pujol, Josep M. (2003). Índex tipològic de la rondalla catalana. Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament de Cultura. p. 128. ISBN 978-84-393-6214-2.
  7. ^ Oriol, Carme; Josep M. Pujol (2008). Index of Catalan Folktales. Folklore Fellows’ Communications 294. Helsinki: Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia. p. 97.
  8. ^ Aarne, Antti; Thompson, Stith. The types of the folktale: a classification and bibliography. Folklore Fellows Communications FFC no. 184. Helsinki: Academia Scientiarum Fennica, 1961. p. 143.
  9. ^ Uther, Hans-Jörg (2011) [2004]. The International Index. Vol. 1: Tales of Magic. Folklore Fellows’ Communications. Kalevala Society Foundation. p. 254. ISBN 978-951-41-1054-2. ISSN 0014-5815.
  10. ^ Swahn, Jan-Öjvind (1955). The tale of Cupid and Psyche (Aarne-Thompson 425 & 428). C.W.K. Gleerup. p. 319. OCLC 1032974719.
  11. ^ Lavagetto, Mario; Buia, Anna, eds. (2009). Racconti di orchi, di fate e di streghe: la fiaba letteraria in Italia. A. Mondadori. p. 1665. ISBN 978-88-04-57388-3.
  12. ^ Merakles, Michales G. Studien zum griechischen Märchen. Eingeleitet, übers, und bearb. von Walter Puchner. Raabser Märchen-Reihe, Bd. 9. Wien: Österr. Museum für Volkskunde, 1992. p. 106 and footnote nr. 292. ISBN 3-900359-52-0.
  13. ^ Alcover, Antoni Maria (2001). Josep A. Grimalt; Jaume Guiscafrè (eds.). Aplec de rondaies mallorquines d'en Jordi d'es Racó (in Catalan). Vol. 3. Moll. p. 130. ISBN 9788427370036. Com ja he dit a la presentació ... l'espòs canta una cançó al fill que li ha nascut de l'heroïna, mitjançant la qual obri el camí per a quedar desencantat. És el desenllaç característic del tipus 425E. [As already told in the introduction ... the husband sings a song to his son with the heroine, through which he paves the way to become disenchanted. This is the characteristic outcome of type 425E.]
  14. ^ Canepa, Nancy (2007). Giambattista Basile's The Tale of Tales, or Entertainment for Little Ones. Wayne State University Press. p. 199 (footnote). ISBN 978-0-8143-3738-7. Project MUSE book 14344.
  15. ^ Angelopoulou, Anna; Brouskou, Aígle. "ΚΑΤΑΛΟΓΟΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΩΝ ΠΑΡΑΜΥΘΙΩΝ". Vol. 3: ΕΠΕΞΕΡΓΑΣΙΑ ΤΥΠΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΠΑΡΑΛΛΑΓΩΝ AT 300-499. Athens: ΚΕΝΤΡΟ ΝΕΟΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΩΝ ΕΡΕΥΝΩΝ Ε.Ι.Ε, 1999. pp. 775, 779. ISBN 960-7138-22-8.
  16. ^ Swahn, Jan Öjvind. The Tale of Cupid and Psyche. Lund, C.W.K. Gleerup. 1955. p. 318.
  17. ^ Renato Aprile, ed. (1991). La fiaba di magia in Sicilia (in Italian). Sellerio. p. 192 (notes for tale nr. 3). ISBN 9788838907616.
  18. ^ CAMARENA, JULIO; Maxime CHEVALIER (1995). Catálogo tipográfico del cuento folklórico español. Vol. I: Cuentos maravillosos. Madrid, Castalia. p. 258.
  19. ^ Valriu, Caterina. "La rondalla". In: Soler i Amigó, Joan (edd.). Tradicionari. Enciclopèdia de la Cultura Popular Catalana. Barcelona: Enciclopédia Cataluna, 2007. p. 186.
  20. ^ Hernández Fernández, Ángel. Catálogo tipológico del cuento folclórico en Murcia. Colección El Jardín de la Voz: Biblioteca de Literatura Oral y Cultura Popular, Vol. 13. Alcalá de Henares: Área de Teoría de la Literatura y Literatura Comparada de la Universidad de Alcalá: Centro de Estudios Cervantinos; Ciudad de México: Instituto de Investigaciones Filológicas de la UNAM, 2013. pp. 102-103. ISBN 84-616-3267-2.
  21. ^ Morote Magán, Pascuala (1990). Cultura tradicional de Jumilla: los cuentos populares. Biblioteca murciana de bolsillo (in Spanish). Vol. 104. Academia Alfonso X el Sabio. pp. 217–223. ISBN 9788487408113.
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