This year, my A to Z Blogging Challenge theme is Romance Tropes in Folklore! For each letter, I will pick a popular trope from romcom movies and romance novels, and see if I can find the same trope in folktales and legends. Because it's fun. Here we go.
THE TROPE
Gentle giants are "strong and silent" type romantic heroes, who, despite their physical size and strength, turn out to be kind and loving. Think "big softie" for romance.
THE FOLKLORE
I decided to look into tales where giants fall in love (and not in a creepy, kidnapping-princesses way), or particularly strong and big characters prove to be kind and loving. I also didn't want the stories to end bady, this is a romance challenge, after all. (You can read about less idealistic giant-princess relationships here.)
THE STORIES
Holy Austin Rock (English folktale)
A strange girl with magic powers marries a young giant, knowing that human men would not trust her or be able to protect her. Her husband dotes on her and builds her a pretty house. However, another giant comes along and tries to kidnap her. Out of jealousy, the husband throws a rock at them, but the woman is quicker, and smites the kidnapper with lightning (apparently she has weather control powers). She survives, and reunites with her husband.
Kempy Kay (Scottish ballad)
This ballad exists in several versions, and is supposed to be a comedic spoof of romantic ballads. It is about a giant, unkept man who is wooing an equally giant and unkept woman. They do get together very happily at the end of the ballad, though, so I see nothing wrong with this romance...
Vilfrídr Fairer-than-Vala (Icelandic folktale)
This one strays a little into Twilight territory, to be honest. It's a long and elaborate Snow White variant, where the girl, after marrying a king, goes through more ordeals, loses three children, and is exiled into the wilderness. She ends up living with a kind giant, who not only saves her from her parents' (!) schemes, but also rescues her kidnapped children. In the end, she is reunited with her husband and kids. The giant asks her to leave her daughter behind. When she daughter grows up, she falls in love with the giant, and her love breaks his curse, turning him into a prince.
Three lessons to be learned (Danish folktale)
A man's three daughters marry three giants. Eventually he sets out to visit each of them to see how they are doing. He finds them living comfortably and happily. Each giant husband performs a wonderful feat, that the father, after he returns home, tries to duplicate. To near-disastrous results. But the girls are apparently very happy.
Do you have favorite romance stories that feature this trope?
Do you like the folktale versions?
Don't forget to leave a link in the comments so I can visit you back!
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So, the queen leaves her girl child with the giant? He may be a kind giant, but still! And it's kind of creepy to think she leaves a child behind who lives with the giant, only to later fall in love with him. Sounds inappropriate by today's standards!
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that gentle giants are often sidekicks, so it's nice to see them getting their own romantic happily ever afters here.
ReplyDeleteKempy Kay. Was that the inspiration for Shrek I wonder? Doesn't Mike Meyers do some kind of Scottish brogue in those films?
ReplyDeletehttps://dacairns.com.au/blog/f/a-to-z-blogging-challenge-g
I don't think I'm familiar with this trope. The last one seems very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI like the Icelandic tale...who knew there were so many gentle giants in other cultures folk tales...
ReplyDeletehttps://dbmcnicol.com/a-afterthought/
I like this trope. I liked the first story the best.
ReplyDeleteRishie.
www.aheartfullofsong.wordpress.com
I like these folktales. Great selection.
ReplyDeleteRonel visiting for G: My Languishing TBR: G
Ghastly Ghouls