![Straparola's The Crucifix Comes To Life](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Straparola%27s_The_Crucifix_Comes_To_Life.jpg)
''The Facetious Nights of Straparola'' (
1550–1555; Italian: ''Le piacevoli notti''), also known as ''The Nights of Straparola'', is a two-volume collection of 75
[Nancy Canepa. "Straparola, Giovan Francesco (c. 1480–1558)" in ''The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Folktales and Fairy Tales'', 3-volumes, edited by Donald Haase, ]Greenwood Press
Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. (GPG), also known as ABC-Clio/Greenwood (stylized ABC-CLIO/Greenwood), is an educational and academic publisher (middle school through university level) which is today part of ABC-Clio. Established in 1967 as Gr ...
, 2008, pages 926–27. stories by
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
author and
fairy-tale
A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cult ...
collector
Giovanni Francesco Straparola
Giovanni Francesco "Gianfrancesco" Straparola, also known as Zoan or Zuan Francesco Straparola da Caravaggio (ca. 1485?–1558), was an Italian writer of poetry, and collector and writer of short stories. Some time during his life, he migrated fr ...
. Modeled after Boccaccio's ''
Decameron
''The Decameron'' (; it, label=Italian, Decameron or ''Decamerone'' ), subtitled ''Prince Galehaut'' (Old it, Prencipe Galeotto, links=no ) and sometimes nicknamed ''l'Umana commedia'' ("the Human comedy", as it was Boccaccio that dubbed Dan ...
'', it is significant as often being called the first European storybook to contain fairy-tales; it would influence later fairy-tale authors like
Charles Perrault
Charles Perrault ( , also , ; 12 January 1628 – 16 May 1703) was an iconic French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales ...
and
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.
History
''The Facetious Nights of Straparola'' was first published in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
between 1550–53
[ under the title ''Le piacevoli notti'' (''"The Pleasant Nights"'') containing 74 stories. In 1555 the stories were published in a single volume in which one of the tales was replaced with two new tales, bringing the total to 75.][ Straparola was translated into ]Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
in 1583. In 1624 it was placed on the Index of Prohibited Books
The ''Index Librorum Prohibitorum'' ("List of Prohibited Books") was a list of publications deemed heretical or contrary to morality by the Sacred Congregation of the Index (a former Dicastery of the Roman Curia), and Catholics were forbidden ...
.[
The work was modeled on Boccaccio's '']Decameron
''The Decameron'' (; it, label=Italian, Decameron or ''Decamerone'' ), subtitled ''Prince Galehaut'' (Old it, Prencipe Galeotto, links=no ) and sometimes nicknamed ''l'Umana commedia'' ("the Human comedy", as it was Boccaccio that dubbed Dan ...
'' with a frame narrative
A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent.
Frame and FRAME may also refer to:
Physical objects
In building construction
*Framing (con ...
and novellas, but it took an innovative approach by also including folk and fairy tales.[ In the frame narrative, participants of a party on the island of ]Murano
Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy. It lies about north of Venice and measures about across with a population of just over 5,000 (2004 figures). It is famous for its glass making. It was on ...
, near Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
, tell each other stories that vary from bawdy to fantastic. The narrators are mostly women, while the men, among whose ranks are included historical men of letters such as Pietro Bembo
Pietro Bembo, ( la, Petrus Bembus; 20 May 1470 – 18 January 1547) was an Italian scholar, poet, and literary theorist who also was a member of the Knights Hospitaller, and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. As an intellectual of the It ...
and Bernardo Cappello, listen.[ The 74 original tales are told over 13 nights, five tales are told each night except the eighth (six tales) and the thirteenth (thirteen tales).][ Songs and ]dances
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its reperto ...
begin each night, and the nights end with a riddle or enigma.[ The tales include folk and fairy-tales (about 15); Boccaccio-like novellas with themes of trickery and intrigue; and tragic and heroic stories.][
The 15 fairy tales were influential with later authors, some were the first recorded instances of now-famous stories, like "]Puss in Boots
"Puss in Boots" ( it, Il gatto con gli stivali) is an Italian fairy tale, later spread throughout the rest of Europe, about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand of a princess in marriage for hi ...
".[ Many of the tales were later collected or retold in ]Giambattista Basile
Giambattista Basile (February 1566 – February 1632) was an Italian poet, courtier, and fairy tale collector. His collections include the oldest recorded forms of many well-known (and more obscure) European fairy tales. He is chiefly remembere ...
’s '' The Tale of Tales'' (1634–36) and Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's ''Grimm's Fairy Tales
''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', originally known as the ''Children's and Household Tales'' (german: Kinder- und Hausmärchen, lead=yes, ), is a German collection of fairy tales by the Grimm brothers or "Brothers Grimm", Jacob and Wilhelm, first publis ...
'' (1812–15).[
]
Fairy tales
Fairy tales that originally appeared in ''Nights of Straparola'', with later adaptations by Giambattista Basile
Giambattista Basile (February 1566 – February 1632) was an Italian poet, courtier, and fairy tale collector. His collections include the oldest recorded forms of many well-known (and more obscure) European fairy tales. He is chiefly remembere ...
, Madame d'Aulnoy
Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness d'Aulnoy (1650/1651 – 14 January 1705), also known as Countess d'Aulnoy, was a French author known for her literary fairy tales. When she termed her works ''contes de fées'' (fairy tales), sh ...
, Charles Perrault
Charles Perrault ( , also , ; 12 January 1628 – 16 May 1703) was an iconic French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales ...
, Carlo Gozzi
__NOTOC__
Carlo, Count Gozzi (; 13 December 1720 – 4 April 1806) was an Italian ( Venetian) playwright and champion of Commedia dell'arte.
Early life
Gozzi was born and died in Venice; he came from a family of minor Venetian aristocracy, the T ...
, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.
*1.2, “Cassandrino” (Grimms’ "The Master Thief
"The Master Thief" is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Peter Chr. Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. The Brothers Grimm included a shorter variant as tale 192 in their fairy tales. Andrew Lang included it in ''The Red Fairy Book''. George Webbe ...
")[
*1.3, “Pre Scarpacifico” (Grimms’ "Little Farmer")][
*1.4, “Tebaldo and Doralice” (related to Basile's " The Bear"; Charles Perrault's "]Donkeyskin
''Donkeyskin'' (french: Peau d'Âne) is a French literary fairytale written in verse by Charles Perrault. It was first published in 1695 in a small volume and republished in 1697 in Perrault's ''Histoires ou contes du temps passé''. Andrew Lan ...
"; the Grimms’ " All-Fur" or '' All-Kinds-of-Fur'')[
*2.1, “]The Pig King
"The Pig King" or "King Pig" (''Il re porco'') is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in his '' The Facetious Nights of Straparola''. Madame d'Aulnoy wrote a French, also literary, variant, titled Prince Marcas ...
” (d'Aulnoy's "Prince Marcassin", Grimms’ "Hans My Hedgehog
"Hans My Hedgehog" (german: Hans mein Igel) is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm (KHM 108). The tale was translated as ''Jack My Hedgehog'' by Andrew Lang and published in ''The Green Fairy Book''. It is of Aarne-Thompson type ...
")[
*3.1, “Crazy Peter” (Basile's "]Peruonto
Peruonto is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giambattista Basile in his 1634 work, the ''Pentamerone''.
Synopsis
A widow named Ceccarella had a stupid son named Peruonto, as ugly as an ogre. One day, she sent him to gather wood. He s ...
"; d'Aulnoy's " The Dolphin"; Grimms’ "Simple Hans
Simple or SIMPLE may refer to:
*Simplicity, the state or quality of being simple
Arts and entertainment
* Simple (album), ''Simple'' (album), by Andy Yorke, 2008, and its title track
* Simple (Florida Georgia Line song), "Simple" (Florida Ge ...
")[
*3.2, “Livoretto” (Basile's ''Corvetto''; Aulnoy's "]The Story of Pretty Goldilocks
The Story of Pretty Goldilocks or The Beauty with Golden Hair is a French literary fairy tale written by Madame d'Aulnoy. Andrew Lang included it in ''The Blue Fairy Book''.
It is Aarne–Thompson type 531. This type is generally called "The ...
" and Grimm's ''Ferdinand the Faithful and Ferdinand the Unfaithful
"Ferdinand the Faithful and Ferdinand the Unfaithful" is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 126.
It is Aarne-Thompson type 531. Other tales of this type include ''The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa'', '' Corvetto'' ...
'')
*3.3, “Biancabella and the Snake Biancabella and the Snake is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in '' The Facetious Nights of Straparola''.
Italo Calvino included a Piedmontese variant The Snake, with some elements from a Tuscan version, while ...
” (elements of Basile's " Penta With the Chopped-Off Hands" and "The Two Little Pizzas")[
*3.4, “ Fortunio” (elements of the Grimms’ " The Nixie in the Pond")][
*4.1, “]Costanza / Costanzo Costanza / Costanzo is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in ''The Facetious Nights of Straparola'' (written between 1550 and 1555).
Synopsis
A king married to have heirs, and his wife bore three daughters. In ...
” (d'Aulnoy's "Belle-Belle ou Le Chevalier Fortuné
''Belle-Belle ou Le Chevalier Fortuné'' is a French literary fairy tale, written by Madame d'Aulnoy.
Plot summary
A king, driven from his capital by an emperor, was forming an army and demanded that one person from every noble household become a ...
", Grimms’ "How Six Made Their Way in the World
"How Six Made Their Way in the World" (german: Sechse kommen durch die ganze Welt, KHM 71) is a Grimms' fairy tale about an ex-soldier and his five companions with special abilities who through their feats obtain all of the king's wealth. It is ...
")[
*4.3, “]Ancilotto, King of Provino
Ancilotto, King of Provino is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in ''The Facetious Nights of Straparola''.
It is Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 707: " The Three Golden Children" or "the dancing water, the singi ...
” (Grimms’ "The Three Little Birds
"The Three Little Birds" ( German: ''De drei Vügelkens'') is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 96. The story is originally written in Low German. It is Aarne-Thompson type 707, the dancing water, the singing ap ...
"; d'Aulnoy's "Princess Belle-Etoile
''Princess Belle-Etoile'' is a French literary fairy tale written by Madame d'Aulnoy. Her source for the tale was '' Ancilotto, King of Provino'', by Giovanni Francesco Straparola.
It is classified as Aarne-Thompson type 707 ''The dancing water ...
"; Carlo Gozzi
__NOTOC__
Carlo, Count Gozzi (; 13 December 1720 – 4 April 1806) was an Italian ( Venetian) playwright and champion of Commedia dell'arte.
Early life
Gozzi was born and died in Venice; he came from a family of minor Venetian aristocracy, the T ...
's " The Green Bird"; Crane's "The Dancing Water, the Singing Apple, and the Speaking Bird
The Dancing Water, the Singing Apple, and the Speaking Bird is a Sicilian fairy tale collected by Giuseppe Pitrè, and translated by Thomas Frederick Crane for his ''Italian Popular Tales''. Joseph Jacobs included a reconstruction of the stor ...
")[
*5.1, “]Guerrino and the Savage Man Guerrino and the Savage Man is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in '' The Facetious Nights of Straparola''.
It is Aarne-Thompson type 502, and the oldest known written variant of it.Paul Delarue, ''The Borzoi ...
” (Grimms’ " Iron Hans")[
*5.2, “Adamantina” (Basile's "The Goose"; Grimms’ "]The Golden Goose
"The Golden Goose" (german: Die goldene Gans) is a fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm (KHM 64).
Story
In the Brothers Grimm version, the hero is the youngest of three brothers, given the nickname Simpleton as he is not handsome or stro ...
")[
*7.5, “The Three Brothers” (Basile's "The Five Sons"; Grimms’ "]The Four Skillful Brothers
"The Four Skillful Brothers" (German: ''Die vier kunstreichen Brüder'') is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm (KHM 129). It is Aarne-Thompson type 653.
Origin
The Brothers Grimm published this tale in the second edition of ''K ...
")[
*8.5, “]Maestro Lattantio and His Apprentice Dionigi Maestro Lattantio and His Apprentice Dionigi is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giovanni Francesco Straparola in '' The Facetious Nights of Straparola''.
This tale plays off a long tradition of conflict between apprentices and their maste ...
” (Grimms’ "The Thief and His Master
"The Thief and His Master" is a German fairy tale (original title: "De Gaudeif un sien Meester") collected by the Brothers Grimm in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' as tale number 68. In the first edition (published on 20 December 1812) there was another f ...
")[
*10.3, “Cesarino di Berni” (Basile's " The Merchant"; Grimms’ "]The Two Brothers
The Two Brothers is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 60. It is Aarne-Thompson type 303, "The Blood Brothers", with an initial episode of type 567, "The Magic Bird Heart". A similar story, of Sicilian origin, wa ...
")
*11.1, “ Costantino Fortunato” (Basile's "Cagliuso"; Perrault's "Puss in Boots
"Puss in Boots" ( it, Il gatto con gli stivali) is an Italian fairy tale, later spread throughout the rest of Europe, about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand of a princess in marriage for hi ...
")[
]
Footnotes
References
Further reading
*Ruth B. Bottigheimer
Ruth B. Bottigheimer is a literary scholar, folklorist, and author. She is currently Research Professor in the department of English at Stony Brook University, State University of New York , ''Fairy Godfather: Straparola, Venice, and the Fairy Tale Tradition'' (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2002).
External links
''The Nights of Straparola''
trans. W.G.Waters 1894. Scanned original color illustrated editions.
''The Italian Novelists'' (vol. 1–4)
trans. W.G.Waters 1901–04. Scanned original color illustrated editions. Note: this edition differs slightly in content from the 1894 edition.
SurLaLune Fairy Tale Pages: ''The Facetious Nights of Straparola''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Facetious Nights Of Straparola
Collections of fairy tales