Sleeping Beauty - A 5 Minute History

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In this special "5 Minute History" episode of Tales of Bedlam, host Micah takes you on a whirlwind journey through six centuries of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. 

This episode uncovers how the story transformed over time, from its unsettling origins in the 1300s oral tale Troy and Zeladine to the shocking events in Sun, Moon, and Talia and finally to the more sanitized and romanticized versions by Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and Quiller-Couch.

You'll hear about themes that were once central—non-consensual sex, betrayal, and cannibalism—and how later versions reshaped the narrative to focus on love, respect, and redemption. Whether you're a fairy tale aficionado or a history buff, this episode offers an eye-opening look at one of the world's most beloved stories.

Tune in, learn something new, and prepare for the next full episode featuring Sun, Moon, and Talia—the tale that started it all.

A5 is a five-minute fun history lesson with host Micah on a fairy tale subject, usually preceding a fairy tale story with hosts Micah and Andrea.

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Episode Transcript

Micah (00:12):
Welcome to Tales of Bedlam.
I'm your host, Micah, andwelcome to my deep dive into the
fascinating history of one ofthe most beloved fairy tales,
Sleeping Beauty.
Today, I alone will discuss sixversions of this story, and,
don't worry, it's really notthat long, each adding a new
layer to the tale as it evolvedover the centuries.

Trigger warning (00:25):
some of these stories involve non-consensual
sex and cannibalism.
Our journey starts in the 1300swith an oral tale called Troy
and Zeladine.
In this early version, a deitycurses Princess Zeladine,

(00:45):
putting her into a deep, deepsleep.
Years later, a prince namedTroilus finds her and, instead
of waking her with a kiss, takesadvantage of her while she
sleeps.
While it was not calledSleeping Beauty, it's considered
the earliest written version ofthe story; forward to 1636 in
Italy, where we findGiambattista Basil's version
titled Sun, Moon, and Talia.
is not good.
She becomes pregnant and givesbirth to a child while still
unconscious.

(01:05):
This oral tale was firstpublished in 1528 in a French
collection of fairy tales calledPersephorus.

(01:31):
In this story, the king learnsfrom wise men that his daughter
Talia will one day face graveperil from a splinter of flax.
Despite his precautions, shepricks her finger on a splinter
and falls asleep.
A married king finds her and,similar to our earlier tale, he
takes advantage of her while shesleeps.

(01:53):
This is in no way okay.
Again, after nine months, Taliagives birth to two beautiful
children, a boy and a girl.
Talia eventually wakes up whenone of her newborn twins sucks
the splinter from her finger.
The story continues with theking's jealous wife plotting to
cook and eat the children, but akind cook saves them.

(02:16):
The tale ends with the kingmarrying Talia and punishing his
wife.
The story's end is morallywrong and unjust towards the
king's wife and Talia.
In an equal world, the king isthe one who should have been
punished for being unfaithful tohis wife and assaulting Talia.

(02:38):
Charles Peralt's Sleeping Beautyin the Wood tells a gentler
story in France.
In this version, the princesshas both parents.
The king and queen and theentire court fall asleep with
her, only to awaken together.
The prince does not assault her, but instead kneels before her.
She awakens, they talk, andthey fall in love.

(03:01):
However, the story still has adark side.
This time, the princess motheris an ogress who wants to eat
the couple's children, to enactrevenge on the princess, but
again a cook saves the day.
Then, in Germany, during the1800s, the Brothers Grimm
further sanitized this tale.
They removed the themes of rapeand cannibalism, making the

(03:25):
story more suitable for children.
This version introduces theiconic kiss that awakens the
princess, symbolizing truelove's power.
Finally, in 1910, the Englishversion of Sir Arthur Quiller,
Couch Couch I wish my last namewas Couch, that's pretty, pretty
neat which most resembles thestory we tell today.

(03:46):
This version is the mostromanticized, emphasizing love
and respect.
The prince kneels and kissesthe princess's hand, not her
lips, showing a newfoundsensitivity and gentleness.
With that, her enchantmentended.
The princessa gazed at him witha tenderness that seemed far

(04:06):
beyond what their first meetingwould justify.
Throughout these versions, wesee a clear evolution from a
dark adult tale filled withviolence and tragedy, to a more
child-friendly story,emphasizing love and respect.
Emphasizing love and respect.
Each alliteration adds a newpiece to the puzzle, creating a

(04:27):
rich tapestry that tells thecomplete story of Sleeping
Beauty.
There you have it A journeythrough six centuries of
Sleeping Beauty, a tale that hascaptivated audiences for
generations.
Join us for our next episode,where we will tell the story of
Sun, moon and Talia, the firstof three Sleeping Beauty
versions we will record.

(04:48):
Thank you for listening.
Please share Tales of Bedlamwith a fellow podcast enthusiast
today and visit our website attalesofbedlamcom for more fairy
tale fun and have a good night.