Just like in real life, sibling relationships in fairy tales run the gauntlet from endearing to toxic.
Stepsisters never fair well, as a rule, but when a story is about a brother and sister, (even step-siblings) they are almost always (or indeed, always?) orphans and must help each other to survive.
When two or three brothers are in a fairy tale, there is most often a contest between them to see who is the most successful or worthy of an inheritance. Surprisingly, in these type of stories, the brothers often end up as friends… unless the winner is the simpleton brother that the older two spend all their time putting down only to be usurped at the end. Brother tales also start out with “There were once two brothers, one rich and the other poor.” These invariable lead to a reversal in fortune.
This week in our four stories, we have one brother and sister tale (The Lambkin and the Little Fish) and a brother tale (Simeli Mountain.)
Brother and Sister Tales
After reading Grimm, we all know that stepmothers are the tool with which to try to separate loving brother and sisters.
We saw it earlier in the story Brother and Sister where the brother was turned into a deer and the sister protected him until he regained his human form after the death of the evil stepmother-sorceress.
In fact, sisters most often do the protecting or rescuing in these stories (Six Swans; Hansel and Gretel, The Foundling, and several more.) Aside: fairy tales have the reputation of teaching that girls are always in need of rescuing, but these stories suggest otherwise.
In this week’s story about siblings, brother and sister are separated and both are enchanted. One is turned into a lamb and the other a fish. When the lamb goes for slaughter, the creatures speak to one another, which lets the cook know they’ve been enchanted. They are brought to a wise woman to be turned back into children and sent away into hiding.
Two Brothers Tale
Simeli Mountain is an interesting twist on the rich brother/ poor brother tale. They don’t split and go their separate ways. Neither does poor brother end up taking wealth away from the other brother. In fact, the poor brother finds his own source of riches, which makes his rich brother suspicious and jealous.
The rich brother sets a strap to uncover the secret. When he discovers the magic mountain filled with gold and jewels, he tries to partake, but his greed is too much and he ends up getting stuck inside and caught by the bandits whose horde he is robing. In a case of mistaken identity, the rich brother takes the punishment that should have gone to the poor brother. So, the story is still a reversal of fortune in one respect, as it’s the rich who takes a beating meant for the poor brother.
Consider these elements in your own stories. What is it about the bond between brother and sister that they protect each other? And why do brothers tend to compete? Are the rich always greedy and the poor always noble? And really, what everyone wants to know… if there is a mountain in a fairy tale, will it be filled with gold and jewels?
