Udea and her Seven Brothers
Encyclopedia
Udea and her Seven Brothers is a Northern African fairy tale
collected by Hans von Stumme in Märchen und Gedichte aus der Stadt Tripolis. Andrew Lang
included it in The Grey Fairy Book.
It is Aarne-Thompson type 451.
, some food, a cowrie shell about the camel's neck as a charm, a negro, Barka, and his wife to take care of her. On the second day, Barka told Udea to get off the camel so that his wife could ride in her place. The mother was close by and told Barka to leave Udea alone. On the third day, Barka again told Udea to let his wife ride the camel in her place, but the mother was now too far away to hear and command Barka. Udea called out for her mother to no avail and Barka threw the girl to the ground. The wife climbed onto the camel and Udea walked on the ground, her bare feet cut up because of the stones on her path.
One day, they passed a caravan, where they were told of the castle
where the brothers lived. Barka let Udea ride the camel to the castle, but smeared her with pitch
, so that her brothers would not recognize her. However, they accepted her without question. Her tears of joy left white marks on her face. One alarmed brother took a cloth and rubbed the mark until the pitch was gone. The brother asked her who had painted her skin black, to which she would not answer, in fear of Barka's anger. She finally relented, describing the treatment she received during her travels. The seven brothers were outraged and beheaded both Barka and his wife.
The brothers went hunting for seven days, instructing Udea to lock herself in the castle with only the cat
who grew up in the house. She would follow the cat's advice in all matters and eat nothing that the cat did not eat. They returned, and found her well. The brothers then told her of the castle elves and pigeons, who could be called to fetch the brothers in case Udea was in any danger. The pigeons had seven days worth of food and water left by the brothers during each hunting trip; Udea asked why they did not have her feed the pigeons daily, because the food they had laid out was old after seven days. They agreed and told her any kindness towards the pigeons would be considered a kindness towards themselves.
On the brothers' third hunting trip, Udea was cleaning the castle and, forgetting her instructions for a moment, found a bean
and ate it. The cat demanded half. Udea said she could not, because she had already eaten it, and offered one hundred other beans. The cat only wanted the bean that Udea had eaten. To punish the girl, the cat put out the fire
in the kitchen. With no way of cooking, Udea climbed up the castle, saw a fire in the distance and left to find its source. She asked for a lump of burning coal
from the elderly man tending the fire, but he was in fact a "man-eater" (cannibal) and demanded a strip of blood
from her ear to her thumb in return. She bled all the way home, and did not notice the raven
that had followed her back until she came upon the castle door. Startled, she cursed the raven, hoping to startle it as well. It asked why she would wish harm to one that had done her a favor. It flew off, along with the dirt it had used to cover her trail of blood. The man-eater followed this path to the castle and broke six doors in six nights, intending to attack and eat Udea. On the last day, with only one door in place, she sent a letter to her brothers with the help of the castle pigeons. The brothers immediately came home and trapped the man-eater in a burning pit.
As the man-eater burned, only one of his fingernails was left behind. It was blown towards and stabbed Udea under her own fingernail. She collapsed, lifeless. Her brothers put her on a bier
and the bier on a camel, and set it off to their mother. They ordered the camel to avoid capture and stop only when someone said, "string." During the journey, three men chased after the camel, but only when one said that his sandal
string was broken did it stop. The man took Udea's hand and attempted to pull off her ring. This motion freed the man-eater's fingernail from her hand, and she woke up full of life. The camel returned her to her joyful brothers, and all the siblings set out to see their parents once again.
On the fourth day of their reunion, the eldest brother told their parents of their aunt's treachery and the adventures they encountered.
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
collected by Hans von Stumme in Märchen und Gedichte aus der Stadt Tripolis. Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang was a Scots poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.- Biography :Lang was born in Selkirk...
included it in The Grey Fairy Book.
It is Aarne-Thompson type 451.
Synopsis
A man and wife had seven sons. One day, the sons set out hunting and told their aunt that if their mother had a daughter, to wave a white handkerchief, and they would return at once; but if a son, a sickle, and they would keep on. It was a daughter, but the aunt wished to be rid of the boys, so she waved a sickle. The daughter, Udea, grew up not knowing about her brothers. One day, an older child taunted her for driving her brothers away, who were forever roaming the world; she questioned her mother and set out to find them. Her mother gave her a camelCamel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
, some food, a cowrie shell about the camel's neck as a charm, a negro, Barka, and his wife to take care of her. On the second day, Barka told Udea to get off the camel so that his wife could ride in her place. The mother was close by and told Barka to leave Udea alone. On the third day, Barka again told Udea to let his wife ride the camel in her place, but the mother was now too far away to hear and command Barka. Udea called out for her mother to no avail and Barka threw the girl to the ground. The wife climbed onto the camel and Udea walked on the ground, her bare feet cut up because of the stones on her path.
One day, they passed a caravan, where they were told of the castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
where the brothers lived. Barka let Udea ride the camel to the castle, but smeared her with pitch
Pitch (resin)
Pitch is the name for any of a number of viscoelastic, solid polymers. Pitch can be made from petroleum products or plants. Petroleum-derived pitch is also called bitumen. Pitch produced from plants is also known as resin. Products made from plant resin are also known as rosin.Pitch was...
, so that her brothers would not recognize her. However, they accepted her without question. Her tears of joy left white marks on her face. One alarmed brother took a cloth and rubbed the mark until the pitch was gone. The brother asked her who had painted her skin black, to which she would not answer, in fear of Barka's anger. She finally relented, describing the treatment she received during her travels. The seven brothers were outraged and beheaded both Barka and his wife.
The brothers went hunting for seven days, instructing Udea to lock herself in the castle with only the cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
who grew up in the house. She would follow the cat's advice in all matters and eat nothing that the cat did not eat. They returned, and found her well. The brothers then told her of the castle elves and pigeons, who could be called to fetch the brothers in case Udea was in any danger. The pigeons had seven days worth of food and water left by the brothers during each hunting trip; Udea asked why they did not have her feed the pigeons daily, because the food they had laid out was old after seven days. They agreed and told her any kindness towards the pigeons would be considered a kindness towards themselves.
On the brothers' third hunting trip, Udea was cleaning the castle and, forgetting her instructions for a moment, found a bean
Bean
Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae used for human food or animal feed....
and ate it. The cat demanded half. Udea said she could not, because she had already eaten it, and offered one hundred other beans. The cat only wanted the bean that Udea had eaten. To punish the girl, the cat put out the fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
in the kitchen. With no way of cooking, Udea climbed up the castle, saw a fire in the distance and left to find its source. She asked for a lump of burning coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
from the elderly man tending the fire, but he was in fact a "man-eater" (cannibal) and demanded a strip of blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
from her ear to her thumb in return. She bled all the way home, and did not notice the raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
that had followed her back until she came upon the castle door. Startled, she cursed the raven, hoping to startle it as well. It asked why she would wish harm to one that had done her a favor. It flew off, along with the dirt it had used to cover her trail of blood. The man-eater followed this path to the castle and broke six doors in six nights, intending to attack and eat Udea. On the last day, with only one door in place, she sent a letter to her brothers with the help of the castle pigeons. The brothers immediately came home and trapped the man-eater in a burning pit.
As the man-eater burned, only one of his fingernails was left behind. It was blown towards and stabbed Udea under her own fingernail. She collapsed, lifeless. Her brothers put her on a bier
Bier
A bier is a stand on which a corpse, coffin or casket containing a corpse, is placed to lie in state or to be carried to the grave.In Christian burial, the bier is often placed in the centre of the nave with candles surrounding it, and remains in place during the funeral.The bier is a flat frame,...
and the bier on a camel, and set it off to their mother. They ordered the camel to avoid capture and stop only when someone said, "string." During the journey, three men chased after the camel, but only when one said that his sandal
Sandal (footwear)
Sandals are an open type of outdoor footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps passing over the instep and, sometimes, around the ankle...
string was broken did it stop. The man took Udea's hand and attempted to pull off her ring. This motion freed the man-eater's fingernail from her hand, and she woke up full of life. The camel returned her to her joyful brothers, and all the siblings set out to see their parents once again.
On the fourth day of their reunion, the eldest brother told their parents of their aunt's treachery and the adventures they encountered.
See also
- The Twelve Wild DucksThe Twelve Wild DucksThe Twelve Wild Ducks is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in Norske Folkeeventyr.It is Aarne-Thompson type 451, the brothers who were turned into birds.-Plot summary:...
- The Six SwansThe Six SwansThe Six Swans is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm. It is tale number 49. Andrew Lang included a variant in The Yellow Fairy Book. It is Aarne-Thompson type 451: the brothers who were turned into birds...
- The Seven RavensThe Seven RavensThe Seven Ravens is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm.It is tale number 25, and Aarne-Thompson type 451, the brothers who were turned into birds. Georgios A Megas collected another, Greek variant in Folktales of Greece...
- The Goose GirlThe Goose GirlThe Goose Girl is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm. Since the second edition published in 1819, The Goose Girl has been recorded as Tale no. 89....
- The Lord of Lorn and the False StewardThe Lord of Lorn and the False StewardThe Lord of Lorn and the False Steward or The Lord of Lorn and the Flas Steward or The Lord of Lorn is Child ballad number 271.A ballad, Lord of Lorn and the False Steward, was entered in the Stationers' Register in 1580, with a note that it is to the tune of Greensleeves.-Synopsis:The son of the...
- Vasilissa the BeautifulVasilissa the BeautifulVasilisa the Beautiful , commonly known as Vasilisa's Doll, is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in Narodnye russkie skazki....
- Snow WhiteSnow White"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
- Bella VeneziaBella VeneziaBella Venezia is an Italian fairy tale collected by Italo Calvino in his Italian Folktales. Calvino selected this variant, where the heroine meets robbers, rather than others that contain dwarfs, because he believed the dwarfs were probably an importation from Germany.It is Aarne-Thompson type...
- Gold-Tree and Silver-TreeGold-Tree and Silver-TreeGold-Tree and Silver-Tree is a Scottish fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in his Celtic Fairy Tales. It is Aarne-Thompson type 709, Snow White. Others of this type include Bella Venezia, Nourie Hadig, and Myrsina.-Synopsis:...
- The Twelve BrothersThe Twelve BrothersThe Twelve Brothers is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 9. Andrew Lang included it in The Red Fairy Book.It is Aarne-Thompson type 451, the brothers who were turned into birds...