In support of the release of Bluebeard Tales From Around the World
I have updated the Tales Similar to Bluebeard page on the SurLaLune main site. The page now includes tales from three ATU tale types: 311, 312 and 955, all of which are usually considered in Bluebeard discussions and also appear in the book. I have some more titles to add to the page from my notes, but the list has almost quadrupled in length and includes bibliographical information for the tales from multiple sources (not just for my book). The book has 88 tales in it, some different publications of the same tale. For example, Perrault's Bluebeard and Mr. Fox from England are represented more than once.When I work on projects like this, I keep considering a database which I have the means to produce but not really the funds. (The hubby and his cronies are the resource I need to make the technical stuff happen, but there would still be moderate expense involved.) Wouldn't a searchable database with possible full text options be lovely though?
Next week I plan to spend several days discussing the material available in the book and why it was included so stay tuned! Do you have any questions about Bluebeard? Does the tale interest you? And why? I'd love to hear more from you.
What I would like to know is how Bluebeard's last wife did not realize much was amiss before her husband gave her the key? Based on the description of the room where Bluebeard's dead wives were kept, it would be almost certain that they would give off a nasty stench.
ReplyDeleteWas the room so well hidden that the stench would be almost impossible to detect? And if nobody knew what became of those wives, how come the wives' families never reported a missing person's case to the criminal justice of their era?
Finally, what on earth was Bluebeard's wife's sister doing this whole time? Didn't she try to convince Big Sis not to check out the creepy door? Didn't she take a sniff and realize something rotten was afoot (pun intended)? Didn't they try to make a run for it?
Very curious (pun intended).