Synopsis
A wealthy but childless farmer wishes he had a child, even a hedgehog. He comes home to find that his wife has given birth to a baby boy that is a hedgehog from the waist up. They then name him "Hans My Hedgehog".
After eight years, Hans leaves his family riding a shod cockerel (Hahn, 'cock, rooster'; Göckelhahn, 'a (mature) cock')[4] to seek his fortune. He goes off into the woods and sits in a tree and plays his bagpipe and watches the pigs and donkeys hook up for a year. A few years later, a lost king stumbles upon Hans after hearing him play beautifully on the bagpipes. Hans makes a deal with the king: he will show him the way home if the king promises to sign over whatever first comes to meet him upon his return. However, the king thinks Hans is illiterate, and decides to trick him by writing an order that Hans should receive nothing. When they arrive at the kingdom, the king's daughter runs to greet him. The king tells her about the deal Hans has tried to make and how he has tricked him. Unconcerned by the betrayal, Hans continues to tend to his animals in the forest.
A second lost king stumbles upon Hans and agrees to his deal. Upon his return, the second king's only daughter rushes out to greet him, and in doing so becomes the property of Hans. For the sake of her father, the princess happily agrees to Hans' deal.
In time, Hans My Hedgehog goes to claim his promises. The first king attempts to withhold his daughter, but Hans forces him to give her up. Hans then makes her take off her clothes, pierces her with his prickles until she is bloody all over, and sends her back to the kingdom in disgrace. The second king agrees to the marriage; the princess holds herself bound by her promise and Hans My Hedgehog marries her.
On their wedding night, he tells the king to build a fire and to post guards at his door. Hans removes his hedgehog skin and instructs the guards to throw the skin in the fire and watch it until it is completely consumed. Hans appears black, as if he has been burned. After physicians clean him, he is shown to be a handsome young gentleman. After several years, Hans returns home to collect his father and they live together in the kingdom.
Analysis
Tale type
The tale is similar to other ATU 441 tales such as Straparola's literary fairy tale Il re Porco ("King Pig") and Madame d'Aulnoy's Prince Marcassin.[a][3][6]
Motifs
The animal husband
Polish philologist Mark Lidzbarski noted that the pig prince usually appears in Romance language tales, while the hedgehog as the animal husband occurs in Germanic and Slavic tales.[7] Also, according to Swedish folklorist Waldemar Liungman [sv], in type ATU 441 the animal husband may be a hedgehog, a wild boar or a porcupine.[8] The Grimms' notes state that in these fairy tales, "Hedgehog, porcupine, and pig are here synonymous, like Porc and Porcaril".
The animal skin
"Grimm's tale, "Hans, My Hedgehog," exhibits motif D721.3 "Disenchantment by destroying skin (covering)".[11]
This motif is found in other Grimm's fairy tales and myths as a symbol of psychological metamorphosis. Hans was born half-hedgehog and he cannot break the spell until he is able to burn his prickly hedgehog skin.[12]
This same motif of the burning of false or alternative skins in the attempt to create a single whole can also be found in the Grimm's tale of "The Donkey" (Das Eselein). In these cases, the groom upon marriage "literally undress from the donkey skin or quills.. casting their skins aside like old garments", according to researcher Carole Scott, who thus counts the animal skin as a sort of "magical dress". By shedding the skin/dress, Hans has assumed a new identity.[13]
Interpretations
Deformed dwarf
The Hans the Hedgehog character is a half-hedgehog, of clearly tiny stature. In the tale he rides a cock like a horse, and the two together are mistaken for some "little animal". Hans is treated as a "monster" in his folktale world, and thus distinguished from Thumbling or Tom Thumb who are merely diminutive humans. Unlike the other Grimms' tale characters who are portrayed as a fully animal form, Hans is the only half-animal half-human hybrid, thus increasing his overall outlandishness.
Researcher Ann Schmiesing engages in a disability studies analysis of the tale and its protagonist. According to her, the Grimms implicitly suggest Hans's outward appearance as symbolic of "a disease or impairment that stunted physical or cognitive growth", and thus Hans's condition is to be associated with disability as well as deformity. Hans therefore qualifies as being classed as the "cripple", or rather the "super cripple (supercrip)" hero figure.[17] The fairy tale "cripple" is stereotypically ostracized and shunned by society, but even after he turns "supercripple", i.e., demonstrates "extraordinary abilities" and "overachievement", this does not vindicate him in the eyes of other folk in the story, but rather only exacerbates his "enfreakment", according to Schmiesing. To the readership, however, the able underdog is a figure that "defies pity".
In this analysis, his level of "freakiness" is also heightened after he requests bagpipes from his father who is going to the market, as does the rooster that he rides.
Variants
According to Swedish folklorist Waldemar Liungman [sv] and narrative researcher Ines Köhler-Zülch, tale type ATU 441 is reported in Germany, Baltic Countries, Hungary and among West Slavic and South Slavic peoples (although Liungman mentioned the existence of variants in Sweden, Greece, and Italy).[21][22]
Another version is "Der Lustige Zaunigel" ("The Merry Hedgehog"; actually "Porcupine"[b]) collected by Heinrich Pröhle and published in 1854.[c][24]
The Scottish version "The Hedgehurst" recited by Traveller storyteller Duncan Williamson has also been published in book collection.[25][26]
Hungary
The Hungarian Folktale Catalogue (MNK) registers 8 variants in Hungary indexed as type AaTh 441, A sündisznó ("The Hedgehog"), three of them combined with other types.[27]
In a Hungarian variant translated by Jeremiah Curtin (Hungarian: A sündisznó;[28] English: "The Hedgehog, the Merchant, the King and the Poor Man"), the tale begins with a merchant promising a hedgehog one of his daughters, after the animal helped him escape a dense forest. Only the eldest agrees to be the hedgehog's wife, which prompts him to reveal his true form as a golden-haired, golden-mouthed and golden-toothed prince.[29] The tale continues as tale type ATU 707, "The Three Golden Children" (The Dancing Water, the Singing Apple, and the Speaking Bird).
In a Hungarian tale published by author Val Biro with the title The Hedgehog, a poor couple wish to have a son, but as the years pass by, they have no luck. One day, they decide to find any kind of animal in the forest they can adopt as their son. The man finds a hedgehog and brings it home to raise as their child. One day, the hedgehog begins to talk - much to the couple's surprise - and suggests they buy more pigs so he can become a swineherd and herd the pigs. They agree to it and let their hedgehog son herd the swine in the forest. Some time later, the Black King's retinue lose their way in the forest, and the hedgehog promises to help them, in exchange for the hand of the Black King's daughter. They sign a contract to mark their deal. The next day, the Red King's retinue also lose their way, and the little animal makes the same deal with him. On the third day, the White King also loses his way in the forest, and the hedgehog makes a third deal. Later, the hedgehog tells his parents he will go seek his bride, a princess. He goes first to the Black King's court and demands the princess as wife, and a dowry. When they are riding the coach, the hedgehog asks the princess if she loves the little animal, to which she gives a rude answer. Offended, he makes a returns to the Black King's court and leaves the princess there, but takes the dowry for himself. The same events happen to the Red King's daughter, who says she does not live him. Finally, with the White King's daughter, she tells him she loves him, and he turns into a handsome prince. The prince explains he was under a spell, and marries the White King's daughter.[30]
Slavic
In a South Slavic tale published by Slavicist Friedrich Salomon Krauss with the title Prinz Igel ("Prince Hedgehog"), a childless empress and emperor wish for a child even if he is the size of a hedgehog, so God grants them their wish. Seven years later, the little animal marries a human girl, who is advised to sprinkle the hedgehog with holy water, prickle her fingers on three of his quills and let her blood fall on his body. Following this advice, the girl disenchants the hedgehog into a normal youth.[31] The tale was translated as Prince Hedgehog and published in The Russian grandmother's wonder tales.[32]
Czech writer Josef Košín z Radostova [cs] collected a Czech tale (sourced from Bohemia) with the title Ježek ženichem ("The Hedgehog as Bridegroom"), which Alfred Waldau [de] translated as Der Igel as Bräutigam ("The Hedgehog as Bridegroom").[33] In this tale, a peasant lives with his wife and does not have a child, until one night she expresses her wish for a hedgehog for a son. Her husband warns her about her words, to no avail: the next morning, a little hedgehog appears from behind the stove and becomes their son, despite the man's complaints. Some time later, the hedgehog asks his father for a whip and a shepherd's staff so he can graze the sheep. One day, a prince becomes lost in the woods, and the hedgehog offers to guide him out of the woods, if the prince agrees to give one of his daughters as bride for the animal. To seal the deal, they signs a written document. Later, the hedgehog saddles a rooster and goes to the prince's castle to fulfill the latter's part of the deal. The prince asks which of his daughters shall marry the hedgehog: the elder two refuse, but the youngest agrees to be his bride. They marry. On the wedding night, the prince's daughter cries, and the hedgehog asks the girl to take a knife and cut open his body. The girl obeys and cuts open the hedgehog's body, revealing a handsome youth underneath. The next morning, the human hedgehog takes his wife for breakfast with the prince and his family and introduces himself as the hedgehog, explaining his mother's hasty wish was the cause of his animal form. The prince's elder daughters kill themselves out of envy: one throws herself from a window and the other jumps into a well. As for the girl, she lives happily ever after with her human husband.[34][35]
In a Croatian tale collected by Croatian linguist Rudolf Strohal [hr] with the title O ježu mladoženji ("About the Hedgehog Bridegroom"), a couple does not have a son, until one day the wife prays to God to be given a son, even if he is a hedgehog. Thus God grants her prayer and a little hedgehog is born to them. Scared, the woman releases a piglet after the hedgehog to shoo it away, but the hedgehog takes the piglet in the forest and raises a herd of them for nine years. Time passes, and a man loses his way amongst the pig herd, and the hedgehog helps him through it, gaining a hundred forints as a reward. The hedgehog returns home to his parents, gives them the reward and lets the herd stay with them, then asks his mother to find him a bride. Despite his mother's reservations, she finds him a maiden who is willing to marry him. They marry; at night, he takes off the hedgehog skin, revealing a handsome youth, and hides it under the bed. The next day, the maiden tells her mother about the hedgehog husband's skin, and she suggests the girl takes it and burns it in a oven. The maiden follows her advice. The next morning, the now human hedgehog wakes up and cannot find the skin, then asks his wife what she has done with it. The girl answers she burnt it, and the youth tells her that, if she had waited a little more, happiness would have been his. The tale ends.[36] Linguist August Leskien translated the tale as Der Igelbräutigam ("The Hedgehog Bridegroom"),[37] and, in his notes to the tale, supposed that the story could have led into another sequence, but the second part was apparently missing.[38]
Poland
Philologist and folklorist Julian Krzyżanowski, establisher of the Polish Folktale Catalogue according to the international index, classified tales about the hedgehog husband as Polish type T 441, Królewicz-jeż ("Prince-Hedgehog").[39]
In a Polish tale translated as The Enchanted Hedgehog, a poor peasant woman sees a hedgehog in the forest and wishes to have a son, just like a hedgehog, so one is born to her and her husband. The little hedgehog son helps the couple in the house chores, and one day decides to herd the pigs. He brings the pigs to the forest and herds them for six years. One day, he meets a king who lost his way in the woods, and promises to help him, in exchange for one of the princesses as his wife. The king agrees and signs a deal with the hedgehog, then goes home. Later, the hedgehog rides a rooster to the king's castle and demands the king delivers him one of his daughters. The king decides to renege on his part of the deal, and sends for his army to shoot the little animal. The hedgehog, however, summons his own army of hedgehogs with a whistle to circle the castle. Afraid, the king orders his youngest daughter to marry the hedgehog. They wed in a grand ceremony, and they retire to their bedchambers. Reluctantly, the princess allows for the hedgehog to sleep beside her, and, in the morning, she finds a handsome prince in its place. The human prince explains he was enchanted to that form.[40]
Slovenia
In a Slovenian tale, The Little Hedgehog (Ježek), or in the Slovenian original, Ježek Janček [sl] ("Little Hedgehog Janček"), little Jancek is accidentally cursed by his mother, turns into a hedgehog and flees to the woods. Years later, when a count becomes lost in the forest, the little hedgehog helps the nobleman in return for the hand of one of his daughters in marriage.[41]
In a Slovenian-language tale from Varaždin with the title Sin jež ("Hedgehog Son"), a childless couple pray to God to have a son, even if he is the size of a hedgehog, so God grants them one. Despite some fright at first, their hedgehog son grows up and asks his father to her his pigs in the forest. His father agrees to let him work with the pigs so he can stay away from them. The hedgehog son grazes the pigs in the woods when he sees that the king got lost and offers to help him. They make a deal and the hedgehog guides him out of the woods. Some time later, when his pig herd is large enough, the hedgehog goes to the king's castle and demands one of his daughters as part of their deal. the king asks his three daughters which will go with the hedgehog: the eldest would rather be stabbed, the middle one would rather jump in a well, but the youngest agrees to marry him, so they marry. One day, the princess stabs the hedgehog husband, and out of the skin comes out a handsome youth, to her delight and her sisters' resignation. The now human hedgehog son goes back to his parents to introduce his wife, and shows them the loose animal skin as proof of his claims.[42]
In a Slovenian tale collected from Martinj Vrh with the title Sin jež [sl] ("Hedgehog Son"), a woman has a hedgehog son. He finds work with a local farmer and takes the pigs to graze in the forest and meets a man who lost his way. The hedgehog guides him out of the forest. The man loses his way again in the next year and in the year after. On the third time, however, the hedgehog makes a deal with the man: he will guide him out of the woods, but asks for one of the man's daughters as his bride. The hedgehog comes to the man's house on a rooster and demands his bride. The man asks his daughters which will go with the little animal: the eldest says she would rather cut her own throat, the middle one that she rather throw herself in a well, but the youngest agrees to marry him. The hedgehog and his bride walk to church, but the little animal asks her to go ahead of him, while he passes by the graveyard. When he comes out on the other side, the hedgehog has turned into a handsome youth, to the girl's sisters' despair: one cuts her throat and the other jumps into a well. The now human hedgehog and the girl marry.[43]
Baltic Region
Estonia
In the Estonian Catalogue, the type is known as ATU 441, Siil pojaks ("The Hedgehog as Son"): a childless couple longs for a son and wishes for one that may even look like a hedgehog, so their wish is granted. The hedgehog grows up, works as a herd and tries to woo a princess. The king is then forced to give one of his daughters in marriage: only the youngest princess agrees, and she disenchants the hedgehog with three sticks.[44]
In an Estonian tale translated into German as Wer will den Igel heiraten? ("Who shall marry the Hedgehog?"), a rich, but childless couple longs to have a son, even if he is a hedgehog, so one is born to them. After he grows up, he overhears his father saying that he can herd the cows, so he climbs on an ox's horns and herds the cows. The next time, he overhears his mother saying that, if he wasn't an animal, he could find a bride, so the hedgehog rides a rooster and goes to a man's house to court his daughters. The man asks his three daughters which shall marry the little animal: the elder two refuse, but the youngest agrees. On the wedding day, before the hedgehog and the girl arrive at church, the hedgehog asks her to find three sticks in a bush and hit him with them. The girl follows his orders and turns him to human shape, while the quills on the hedgehog's skin turn to gold coins.[45]
Lithuania
Lithuanian folklorist Jonas Balys [lt], in his analysis of Lithuanian folktales (published in 1936), listed 19 variants of type 441, Ežys - karaliaus žentas ("Hedgehog as King's Son-in-Law").[46] In a later revision of the catalogue, professor Bronislava Kerbelyte [lt] renames it as type AT 441, Ežiukas, with 67 variants registered.[47]
In a Lithuanian variant collected by linguist August Leskien and Karl Brugman, Vom Igel, der die Königstochter zur Frau bekam ("About the Hedgehog who took the King's Daughter for Wife"), a poor man adopts a hedgehog from the forest. The animal decides to fatten its father's pig in order to give birth to more piglets. The usual story occurs, but the narrative does not mention that the hedgehog becomes human.[48] They also noted that this Lithuanian tale lacked the usual beginning of the mother's hasty wish and the ending with the prince's disenchantment.[49]
Latvia
According to the Latvian Folktale Catalogue, tale type ATU 441 is quite well known in Latvia, indexed as type 441, Ezītis-dēls ("The Hedgehog as Son"): a couple adopts a hedgehog as their son, and he works as a shepherd; later, he marries a princess, who takes his hedgehog skin and burns it.[50]
In a Latvian tale translated into German as Das Igelpelzchen and into English as The Porcupine's Little Quill Coat, a poor couple prays to have a son, even if he is a little hedgehog. Suddenly, a hedgehog appears to them and declares to be their son. Years later, the little hedgehog offers to take care of their pigs. Three years pass, and the little hedgehog becomes a fine swineherd. One day, the ruler of the country loses his way in the forest and the little animal offers his help, in exchange for the ruler's youngest daughter in marriage. The ruler refuses and keeps losing his way in the woods, until he relents and accepts the hedgehog's proposal. The ruler's youngest daughter marries the hedgehog and takes him to the bridal chambers. The animal takes off the animal skin. The girl takes the animal skin and burns it. However, her husband (now a man) has a fever and a pained state, but endures it and becomes a man for good.[51][52]
