E is for Enemies to Lovers (Romance Tropes in Folklore)

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

If there is one trope that pops up every time someone mentions romance, it's Enemies to Lovers. Everyone is crazy about this one. Passion, tension, banter, rivalry, gloomy bad guy (or girl) redeemed, etc. So I knew I couldn't skip this one.

THE FOLKLORE

This one is actually quite common in folklore - it just rarely ends well. Usually, in these situations, the woman has to be subdued/conquered/bested, before she gives in to the man. Which... also could be a kink, I guess, but it lacks the banter-filled slow burn that the trope above implies. So, I went beyond such things as Cú Chulainn and Aoife.

THE STORIES

The Basil Maiden (Puerto Rican folktale)

This entire tale type (ATU 879) involves a banter and prank war between a haughty prince and a clever princess, during which they eventually fall in love. In the case of this Puerto Rican version, a king challenges the girl to a game of riddles, and she embarrasses him with her quick replies and clever pranks. In the end, they fall in love and get married.

Violet (Italian folktale)

This story is another version of the type above. In this one, the girl initiates the feud, calling out "Good day, prince! I know more than you!" A prank war then ensues where they mutually manage to trick and embarrass each other. In the end, the prince yields, they conclude they are a good match, and get married. 

The story of Halaf (Bedouin folktale)

A chief leads a raid on a neighboring tribe, but when he tries to loot the guests' tent, the daughter of the attacked chief confronts him and shames him for his behavior. The attacker stops the raid, and is impressed with the girl (and she is too, with him), so he returns later in disguise to court her. She recognizes him, and the encounter almost ends in trouble - but then a third tribe attacks, and the suitor helps beat them back. Thus, he wins the girl's hand and the tribes reconcile.

The king's seven sons (Jewish folktale from Spain)

This is once again a tale that belongs to a larger type (ATU 884B). A princess, disguised as a man, goes to war on her father's behalf (hello, Mulan), and the enemy prince falls in love with her. He tries his best to acertain whether she is a man or a woman. His tests fail repeatedly, but in the end she reveals her identity, boasting that she was more clever than the prince. In love, the prince follows her home, and manages to win her hand.

(I blogged about another, Spanish Roma version of this tale type earlier.)

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!