"Sleeping Beauty" (, or ''The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood''; , or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, 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 bei ...

about a princess cursed by an evil

fairy A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...

to sleep for a hundred years before being awakened by a handsome prince. A good fairy, knowing the princess would be frightened if alone when she wakes, uses her

wand A wand is a thin, light-weight rod that is held with one hand, and is traditionally made of wood, but may also be made of other materials, such as metal, bone or stone. Long versions of wands are often styled in forms of staves or sceptres, whi ...

to put every living person and animal in the palace and forest asleep, to awaken when the princess does. The earliest known version of the tale is found in the French narrative ''

Perceforest ''Perceforest'' or ''Le Roman de Perceforest'' is an anonymous prose chivalric romance, written in French probably around 1340 with lyrical interludes of poetry, that describes a fictional origin of Great Britain and provides an original genesi ...

'', written between 1330 and 1344. Another was the Catalan poem ''Frayre de Joy e Sor de Paser''.

Giambattista Basile Giambattista Basile ( – 23 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 remembered for writi ...

wrote another, " Sun, Moon, and Talia" for his collection ''

Pentamerone The ''Pentamerone'', subtitled ''Lo cunto de li cunti'' (), is a seventeenth-century Neapolitan language, Neapolitan fairy tale collection by Italian poet and courtier Giambattista Basile. Background The stories in the ''Pentamerone'' were colle ...

'', published posthumously in 1634–36 and adapted by

Charles Perrault Charles Perrault ( , , ; 12 January 162816 May 1703) was a 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, published in his ...

in ''

Histoires ou contes du temps passé ''Histoires ou contes du temps passé, avec des moralités'' (), or ''Contes de ma mère l'Oye'' (),Zipes (2000), 236 ff. is a collection of literary fairy tales written by Charles Perrault, published in Paris in 1697. The work became popular be ...

'' in 1697. The version collected and printed by the

Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob Grimm, Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm, Wilhelm (1786–1859), were Germans, German academics who together collected and published folklore. The brothers are among the best-known storytellers of Oral tradit ...

was one orally transmitted from the Perrault version, while including own attributes like the thorny rose hedge and the curse. The Aarne-Thompson classification system for fairy tales lists "Sleeping Beauty" as a Type 410: it includes a princess who is magically forced into sleep and later woken, reversing the magic. The fairy tale has been adapted countless times throughout history and retold by modern storytellers across various media.

Origin

Early contributions to the tale include the medieval courtly romance ''

'' (). In this tale, a princess named Zellandine falls in love with a man named Troylus. Her father sends him to perform tasks to prove himself worthy of her, and while he is gone, Zellandine falls into an enchanted sleep. Troylus finds her, and impregnates her in her sleep. They conceive and when their child is born, the child draws from her finger the flax that caused her sleep. She realizes from the ring Troylus left her that he was the father, and Troylus later returns to marry her. Another early literary predecessor is the Provençal versified novel (). The second part of the Sleeping Beauty tale, in which the princess and her children are almost put to death but instead are hidden, may have been influenced by

Genevieve of Brabant Genevieve (also Genoveva or Genoveffa) of Brabant is a heroine of medieval legend. The story is told in the " Golden Legend" and concerns a virtuous wife falsely accused of infidelity. Legend Her story is a typical example of the widespread t ...

.Charles Willing
"Genevieve of Brabant"
/ref> Even earlier influences come from the story of the sleeping

Brynhild Brunhild, also known as Brunhilda or Brynhild ( , , or ), is a female character from Germanic heroic legend. She may have her origins in the Visigothic princess and queen Brunhilda of Austrasia. In the Norse tradition, Brunhild is a shield ...

in the Volsunga saga and the tribulations of saintly female martyrs in early Christian

hagiography A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a preacher, priest, founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian ...

conventions. Following these early renditions, the tale was first published by Italian poet Giambattista Basile who lived from 1575 to 1632.

Plot

The

folktale Oral literature, orature, or folk literature is a genre of literature that is spoken or sung in contrast to that which is written, though much oral literature has been transcribed. There is no standard definition, as anthropologists have used va ...

begins with a princess whose parents are told by a wicked fairy that their daughter will die when she pricks her finger on a particular item. In Basile's version, the princess pricks her finger on a piece of

flax Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. In 2022, France produced 75% of t ...

. In Perrault's and the Grimm Brothers' versions, the item is a spindle. The parents rid the kingdom of these items in the hopes of protecting their daughter, but the prophecy is fulfilled regardless. Instead of dying, as was foretold, the princess falls into a deep sleep. After some time, she is found by a prince and is awakened. In Giambattista Basile's version of Sleeping Beauty, '' Sun, Moon, and Talia'', the sleeping beauty, Talia, falls into a deep sleep after getting a splinter of flax in her finger. She is discovered in her palace by a wandering prince, who "carrie her to a bed, where he gather the first fruits of love." He abandons her there after the assault and she later gives birth to twins while still unconscious. According to Maria Tatar, there are versions of the story that include a second part to the narrative that details the couple's troubles after their union; some folklorists believe the two parts were originally separate tales.Maria Tatar, ''The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales'', 2002:96, The second part begins after the prince and princess have had children. Through the course of the tale, the princess and her children are introduced in some way to another woman from the prince's life. This other woman is not fond of the prince's new family, and calls a cook to kill the children and serve them for dinner. Instead of obeying, the cook hides the children and serves livestock. Next, the other woman orders the cook to kill the princess. Before this can happen, the other woman's true nature is revealed to the prince and then she is subjected to the very death that she had planned for the princess. The princess, prince, and their children live happily ever after.

Basile's narrative

's dark version of Sleeping Beauty, '' Sun, Moon, and Talia'', the sleeping beauty is named Talia. By asking wise men and astrologers to predict her future after her birth, her father, who is a great Lord, learns that Talia will be in danger from a splinter of flax. Talia, now grown, sees an old woman spinning outside her window. Intrigued by the sight of the twirling spindle, Talia invites the woman over and takes the distaff from her hand to stretch the flax. Tragically, the splinter of flax gets embedded under her nail, and she is put to sleep. After Talia falls asleep, she is seated on a velvet throne and her father, to forget his misery of what he thinks is her death, closes the doors and abandons the house forever. One day, while a king is walking by, one of his falcons flies into the house. The king knocks, hoping to be let in by someone, but no one answers, and he decides to climb in with a ladder. He finds Talia alive but unconscious, and impregnates her. Afterwards, he leaves her in bed and goes back to his kingdom. Though Talia is unconscious, she gives birth to twinsone of whom keeps sucking her finger. Talia awakens because the twin has sucked out the flax that got stuck in her finger. When she wakes up, she discovers that she is a mother and has no idea what happened to her. One day, the king decides he wants to go see Talia again. He goes back to the palace to find her awake and a mother to his twins. He informs her of who he is, what has happened, and they end up bonding. After a few days, the king has to leave to go back to his realm but promises Talia that he will return to take her to his kingdom. When he arrives back in his kingdom, his wife hears him saying "Talia, Sun, and Moon" in his sleep. She bribes and threatens the king's secretary to tell her what is going on. After the queen learns the truth, she pretends she is the king and writes to Talia asking her to send the twins because he wants to see them. Talia sends her twins to the "king" and the queen tells the cook to kill the twins and make dishes out of them. She wants to feed the king his children; instead, the cook takes the twins to his wife and hides them. He then cooks two lambs and serves them as if they were the twins. Every time the king mentions how good the food is, the queen replies, "Eat, eat, you are eating of your own." Later, the queen invites Talia to the kingdom and is going to burn her alive, but the king appears and finds out what's going on with his children and Talia. He then orders that his wife be burned along with those who betrayed him. Since the cook actually did not obey the queen, the king thanks the cook for saving his children by giving him rewards. The story ends with the king marrying Talia and living happily ever after.

Perrault's narrative

Perrault's narrative is written in two parts, which some folklorists believe were originally separate tales, as they were in the Brothers Grimm's version, and were later joined together by Giambattista Basile and once more by Perrault. According to folklore editors Martin Hallett and Barbara Karasek, Perrault's tale is a much more subtle and pared down version than Basile's story in terms of the more immoral details. An example of this is depicted in Perrault's tale by the prince's choice to instigate no physical interaction with the sleeping princess when he discovers her. At the christening of a king and queen's long-wished-for child, seven good

fairies A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...

are invited to be the infant Princess's godmothers and give her gifts. The seven fairies attend the banquet at the palace and each is given a golden box containing golden utensils adorned with diamonds and rubies. Soon after, an old fairy enters the palace, overlooked because she has not left her tower in fifty years and everyone believed her to be cursed or dead. Nevertheless, the eighth fairy is seated and given a box of ordinary utensils. When she hears the eighth fairy muttering some threats, the seventh, fearing that the uninvited guest will harm the Princess, hides herself behind some curtains, so she can be the last to give a gift. Six of the invited fairies offer their gifts of unrivaled beauty, wit, grace, dance, song, and all musical talents to the infant Princess. The eighth fairy, who is very angry about not being invited,

curse A curse (also called an imprecation, malediction, execration, malison, anathema, or commination) is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to one or more persons, a place, or an object. In particular, ...

s the infant Princess so that she will one day prick her finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel and die. The seventh fairy then offers her gift: an attempt to reverse the evil fairy's curse, but she can only do so partially. Instead of dying, the Princess will fall into a deep sleep for 100 years and be awakened by a king's son (""). The King then orders all spinning wheels in the kingdom banned and destroyed in an attempt to avert the eighth fairy's curse on his daughter. Fifteen or sixteen years pass and one day, when the king and queen are away, the Princess wanders through the palace rooms and comes upon an old woman (implied to be the evil fairy in disguise), spinning with her spindle. The Princess, who has never seen a spinning wheel before, asks the old woman if she can try it. The curse is fulfilled when the princess pricks her finger on the spindle and instantly falls into a deep sleep. The old woman cries for help and attempts are made to revive the princess. The king attributes this to fate and has the Princess carried to the finest room in the palace and placed upon a bed of gold and silver embroidered fabric. The seventh fairy arrives in her dragon-drawn chariot. Having great powers of foresight, the fairy sees that the Princess will awaken to distress when she finds herself alone, so the fairy puts everyone in the castle, except the King and Queen, to sleep. The King and Queen kiss their daughter goodbye and leave the castle to ban others from disturbing her, but the good fairy summons a forest of

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

bramble ''Rubus'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae, most commonly known as brambles. Fruits of various species are known as raspberries, blackberries, dewberries, and bristleberries. I ...

s and thorns to spring up around the place, shielding it from the outside world. A hundred years pass and a prince from another royal family spies the hidden castle during a hunting expedition. His attendants tell him differing stories regarding the castle until an old man recounts his father's words: within the castle lies an extremely beautiful princess who is doomed to sleep for a hundred years until a king's son comes and awakens her. The prince then braves the tall trees, brambles and thorns which part at his approach, and enters the castle. He passes the sleeping castle folk and comes across the chamber where the Princess lies asleep on the bed. Struck by the radiant and unmatched beauty before him, he falls on his knees before her. The spell is broken, the princess awakens and bestows upon the prince a look "more tender than a first glance might seem to warrant" (in Perrault's original French tale, the prince does not kiss the princess to wake her up) then converses with the prince for a long time. Meanwhile, the servants of the castle awaken and go about their business. The prince and princess are later married by the chaplain in the castle chapel. After marrying the Sleeping Beauty in secret, the Prince visits her for four years and she bears him two children, unbeknownst to his mother, who is an

ogre An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a legendary monster depicted as a large, hideous, man-like being that eats ordinary human beings, especially infants and children. Ogres frequently feature in mythology, folklore, and fiction throughout the world ...

. When his father, the King, dies, the Prince ascends the throne and he brings his wife, who is now twenty years old, and their two children - a four-year-old daughter named Morning (Aurore or Dawn in the original French) and a three-year-old son named Day (Jour in the original French) - to his kingdom. One day, the new King must go to war against his neighbor, Emperor Contalabutte, and leaves his mother to govern the kingdom and look after his family. After her son leaves, the Ogress Queen Mother sends her daughter-in-law to a house secluded in the woods and orders her cook to prepare Morning with Sauce Robert for dinner. The kind-hearted cook substitutes a lamb for the princess, which satisfies the Queen Mother. She then demands Day, but the cook this time substitutes a kid for the prince, which also satisfies the Queen Mother. When the Ogress demands that he serve up the Sleeping Beauty, the latter substitutes a

hind A hind is a female deer, especially a red deer. Places * Hind (Sasanian province) (262-484) * Al-Hind, a Persian and Arabic name for the Indian subcontinent * Islamic State – Hind Province, claimed province of the IS in India * Hind (cra ...

prepared with Sauce Robert, satisfying the Ogress, and secretly reuniting the young Queen with her children, who have been hidden by the cook's wife and maid. However, the Queen Mother soon discovers the cook's trick and she prepares a tub in the courtyard filled with vipers and other noxious creatures. The King returns home unexpectedly and the Ogress, her true nature having been exposed, throws herself into the tub and is fully consumed by the creatures. The King, young Queen, and children then live happily ever after.

Brothers Grimm's version

The

included a variant of Sleeping Beauty, ''Little Briar Rose'', in the first volume of Children's and Household Tales (published 1812). Their version ends when the prince arrives to wake Sleeping Beauty (named Rosamund) with a kiss and does not include the part two as found in Basile's and Perrault's versions. The brothers considered rejecting the story on the grounds that it was derived from Perrault's version, but the presence of the Brynhild tale convinced them to include it as an authentically German tale. Their decision was notable because in none of the Teutonic myths, meaning the Poetic and

Prose Edda The ''Prose Edda'', also known as the ''Younger Edda'', ''Snorri's Edda'' () or, historically, simply as ''Edda'', is an Old Norse textbook written in Iceland during the early 13th century. The work is often considered to have been to some exten ...

s or Volsunga Saga, are their sleepers awakened with a kiss, a fact Jacob Grimm would have known since he wrote an encyclopedic volume on German mythology. His version is the only known German variant of the tale, and Perrault's influence is almost certain. In the original Brothers Grimm's version, the fairies are instead wise women. The Brothers Grimm also included, in the first edition of their tales, a fragmentary fairy tale, "The Evil Mother-in-law". This story begins with the heroine, a married mother of two children, and her mother-in-law, who attempts to eat her and the children. The heroine suggests an animal be substituted in the dish, and the story ends with the heroine's worry that she cannot keep her children from crying and getting the mother-in-law's attention. Like many German tales showing French influence, it appeared in no subsequent edition.

Variations

The princess's name has varied from one adaptation to the other. In ''Sun, Moon, and Talia'', she is named Talia (Sun and Moon being her twin children). She has no name in Perrault's story but her daughter is called "Aurore". The Brothers Grimm named her "Briar Rose" in their first collection. However, some translations of the Grimms' tale give the princess the name "Rosamond". Tchaikovsky's ballet and Disney's version named her Aurora; however, in the Disney version, she is also called "Briar Rose" in her childhood, when she is being raised incognito by the good fairies. Besides ''Sun, Moon, and Talia'', Basile included another variant of this Aarne-Thompson type, '' The Young Slave'', in his book, ''The Pentamerone''. The Grimms also included a second, more distantly related one titled '' The Glass Coffin''.Heidi Anne Heiner
"Tales Similar to Sleeping Beauty"

Italo Calvino Italo Calvino (, ; ;. RAI (circa 1970), retrieved 25 October 2012. 15 October 1923 – 19 September 1985) was an Italian novelist and short story writer. His best-known works include the ''Our Ancestors'' trilogy (1952–1959), the '' Cosm ...

included a variant in ''

Italian Folktales ''Italian Folktales'' (''Fiabe italiane'') is a collection of 200 Italian Folklore, folktales published in 1956 in literature, 1956 by Italo Calvino. Calvino began the project in 1954, influenced by Vladimir Propp's ''Morphology of the Folktale' ...

'', "Sleeping Beauty and Her Children". In his version, the cause of the princess's sleep is a

wish A wish is a hope or desire for something. In fiction, wishes can be used as plot devices. In folklore, opportunities for "making a wish" or for wishes to "come true" or "be granted" are themes that are sometimes used. Sociology Several cu ...

by her mother. As in ''

'', the prince rapes her in her sleep and her children are born. Calvino retains the element that the woman who tries to kill the children is the king's mother, not his wife, but adds that she does not want to eat them herself, and instead serves them to the king. His version came from Calabria, but he noted that all Italian versions closely followed Basile's. In his ''More English Fairy Tales'',

Joseph Jacobs Joseph Jacobs (29 August 1854 – 30 January 1916) was an Australian-born folklorist, literary critic and historian who became a notable collector and publisher of English folklore. Born in Sydney to a Jewish family, his work went on to popula ...

noted that the figure of the Sleeping Beauty was in common between this tale and the Romani tale '' The King of England and his Three Sons''. The hostility of the king's mother to his new bride is repeated in the fairy tale ''

The Six Swans "The Six Swans" () is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' in 1812 (KHM 49). It is of Aarne–Thompson type 451 ("The Maiden Who Seeks Her Brothers"), commonly found throughout Europe. Other tales of th ...

'', and also features in ''

The Twelve Wild Ducks "The Twelve Wild Ducks" ( Norwegian: ''De tolv villender'') 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. ...

'', where the mother is modified to be the king's stepmother. However, these tales omit the attempted cannibalism. Russian Romantic writer

Vasily Zhukovsky Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky (; – ) was the foremost Russian poet of the 1810s and a leading figure in Russian literature in the first half of the 19th century. He held a high position at the Romanov court as tutor to the Grand Duchess Alexan ...

wrote a versified work based on the theme of the princess cursed into a long sleep in his poem "Спящая царевна" (), published in 1832.

Interpretations

According to Maria Tatar, the Sleeping Beauty tale has been disparaged by modern-day feminists who consider the protagonist to have no agency and find her passivity to be offensive; some feminists have even argued for people to stop telling the story altogether.

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

has received criticism for depicting both

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

and the Sleeping Beauty princess as "

naïve Naivety (also spelled naïvety), naiveness, or naïveté is the state of being naive. It refers to an apparent or actual lack of experience and sophistication, often describing a neglect of pragmatism in favor of moral idealism. A ''naïve'' may ...

and malleable" characters. '' Time Out'' dismissed the princess as a "delicate" and "vapid" character. Sonia Saraiya of

Jezebel Jezebel ()"Jezebel"
(US) and

echoed this sentiment, criticizing the princess for lacking "interesting qualities", where she also ranked her as Disney's least

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

princess. Similarly, Bustle also ranked the princess as the least feminist Disney Princess, with author Chelsea Mize expounding, "Aurora literally sleeps for like three quarters of the movie… Aurora just straight-up has no agency, and really isn't doing much in the way of feminine progress." Leigh Butler of

Tor.com ''Reactor'', formerly ''Tor.com'', is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine published by Tor Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers. The magazine publishes articles, reviews, original short fiction, re-reads and commentary on specul ...

went on to defend the character, writing, "Aurora’s cipher-ness in ''Sleeping Beauty'' would be infuriating if she were the only female character in it, but the presence of the Fairies and Maleficent allow her to be what she is without it being a subconscious statement on what ''all'' women are." Similarly,

Refinery29 Refinery29 (R29) is an American multinational digital media and entertainment website focused on young women. It is owned by Sundial Media Group. History Justin Stefano, Philippe von Borries, Piera Gelardi, and Christene Barberich co-founded Ref ...

ranked Princess Aurora the fourth most feminist Disney Princess because, "Her aunts have essentially raised her in a place where women run the game." Despite being featured prominently in

Disney merchandise The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

, "Aurora has become an oft-forgotten princess", and her popularity pales in comparison to those of Cinderella and Snow White. An example of the cosmic interpretation of the tale given by the nineteenth century solar mythologist school appears in John Fiske's ''Myths and Myth-Makers'': “It is perhaps less obvious that winter should be so frequently symbolized as a thorn or sharp instrument... Sigurd is slain by a thorn, and Balder by a sharp sprig of mistletoe; and in the myth of the Sleeping Beauty, the earth-goddess sinks into her long winter sleep when pricked by the point of the spindle. In her cosmic palace, all is locked in icy repose, naught thriving save the ivy which defies the cold, until the kiss of the golden-haired sun-god reawakens life and activity.”

Media

"Sleeping Beauty" has been popular for many

fairytale fantasy Fairytale fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy. It is distinguished from other subgenres of fantasy by the works' heavy use of motifs, and often plots, from fairy tales or folklore. History Literary fairy tales were not unknown in the Roman era ...

retellings. Some examples are listed below:

In film and television

* '' La belle au Bois-Dormant'' (1902), a French silent film directed by

Lucien Nonguet Lucien Henri Nonguet (10 May 1869 – 22 June 1955) was a French film director, actor and screenwriter. He was one of the first film directors and screenwriters of the Pathé company. Biography Lucien Nonguet was born on 10 May 1869 in Poit ...

and

Ferdinand Zecca Ferdinand Zecca (19 February 1864 – 23 March 1947) was a pioneer French film director, film producer, actor and screenwriter. He worked primarily for the Pathé company, first in artistic endeavors then in administration of the internationall ...

. * '' La Belle au bois dormant'' (1908), a French silent film directed by Lucien Nonguet and

Albert Capellani Albert Capellani (23 August 1874 – 26 September 1931) was a French film director and screenwriter of the silent film, silent era. He directed films between 1905 and 1922. One of his brothers was the actor-sculptor Paul Capellani, and anoth ...

. * ''Dornröschen'' (1917), a German silent film directed by

Paul Leni Paul Leni (born Paul Josef Levi, 8 July 1885 – 2 September 1929) was a German filmmaker and a key figure in German Expressionism (cinema), German Expressionism, making ''Hintertreppe'' (1921) and ''Waxworks (film), Waxworks'' (1924) in German ...

. * ''Dornröschen'' (1929), a German silent film directed by Dorothy Douglas. * ''Dornröschen'' (1936), a German film directed by Alf Zengerling. * ''Dornröschen'' (1941), a German stop-motion short directed by Ferdinand Diehl. * '' The Sleeping Princess'' (1939), a

Walter Lantz Productions Walter Lantz Productions was an American animation studio. It was in operation from 1928 to 1949 and then from 1950 to 1972, and was the principal supplier of animation for Universal Pictures. The studio was originally formed as Universal Carto ...

animated short parodying the original fairy tale. * A loose adaptation can be seen in a scene from the propaganda cartoon ''

Education for Death ''Education for Death: The Making of the Nazi'' is an American animated anti-Nazi propaganda short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released on January 15, 1943, by RKO Radio Pictures, shown in theaters with '' Fighting Frontier''. ...

'', where Sleeping Beauty is a valkyrie representing

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

, and where the prince is replaced with Fuehrer

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

in knights' armor. The short also parodies

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

's opera ''

Siegfried Siegfried is a German-language male given name, composed from the Germanic elements ''sig'' "victory" and ''frithu'' "protection, peace". The German name has the Old Norse cognate ''Sigfriðr, Sigfrøðr'', which gives rise to Swedish ''Sigfrid' ...

''. * '' Prinsessa Ruusunen'' (1949), a Finnish film directed by

Edvin Laine Edvin Armas Laine (13 July 1905 – 18 November 1989) was a Finnish film director and actor. Laine was born Bovellán. Laine directed a comedy '' Aaltoska orkaniseeraa'' and family film ''Sleeping Beauty'', both in 1949. '' The Unknown Sold ...

and scored with

Erkki Melartin Erkki Gustaf Melartin (7 February 1875 – 14 February 1937) was a Finnish composer, conductor, and teacher of the late-Romantic and early-modern periods. Melartin is generally considered to be one of Finland's most significant national Romant ...

's incidental music from 1912. * '' Dornröschen'' (1955), a West German film directed by

Fritz Genschow Fritz Genschow (15 May 1905 – 21 June 1977) was a German actor, film director and screenwriter. Selected filmography * ''Hands Up, Eddy Polo'' (1929) - Russenphilipp * ''Beyond the Street'' (1929) - Der Arbeitsloser / The Unemployed man * ' ...

. * ''

Shirley Temple's Storybook ''Shirley Temple's Storybook'' is a 1958–61 American children's anthology series hosted and narrated by actress Shirley Temple. The series features adaptations of fairy tales like Mother Goose and other family-oriented stories performed by we ...

'' (1958), episode ''The Sleeping Beauty'', directed by

Mitchell Leisen James Mitchell Leisen (October 6, 1898 – October 28, 1972) was an American film director, director, art director, and costume designer. Film career He entered the film industry in the 1920s, beginning in the art and costume departments. He d ...

and starring

Anne Helm Anne Helm (born September 12, 1938) is a retired Canadian-born actress and children's author (as Annie Helm), who primarily appeared in guest roles on episodes of various American television series. Her few film roles include playing Elvis Presl ...

, Judith Evelyn and

Alexander Scourby Alexander Scourby (; November 13, 1913 – February 22, 1985) was an American film actor, film, television actor, television, and voice actor and narrator known for his deep and resonant voice and Northeastern elite accent, Mid-Atlantic acce ...

. * ''

Sleeping Beauty "Sleeping Beauty" (, or ''The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood''; , or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess curse, cursed by an evil fairy to suspended animation in fi ...

'' (1959), a Walt Disney animated film based on both Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm's versions. Featuring the original voices of

Mary Costa Mary Costa (born April 5, 1930) is an American retired actress and singer. Her most notable film credit is providing the voice of Princess Aurora in the 1959 Disney animated film ''Sleeping Beauty''. She is the last surviving voice actress of the ...

Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...

and

Eleanor Audley Eleanor Audley ( Zellman; November 19, 1905 – November 25, 1991) was an American actress with a distinctive voice and a diverse body of work. She played Oliver Douglas's mom, Eunice Douglas, on the CBS sitcom '' Green Acres'' (1965–1969 ...

Maleficent Maleficent ( or ) is a fictional character who first appears in Walt Disney Productions' animated film, ''Sleeping Beauty (1959 film), Sleeping Beauty'' (1959). Maleficent is the self-proclaimed "Dark lord, Mistress of All Evil" based on the Wic ...

. * ''Sleeping Beauty'' / ''Спящая красавица'' pjáščaja krasávica(1964), a filmed version of the ballet produced by the

Kirov Ballet The Mariinsky Ballet () is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russian Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet is one of the world's ...

along with

Lenfilm Lenfilm (, acronym of Leningrad Films) is a Russian production and distribution company with its own film studio located in Saint Petersburg (the city was called Leningrad from 1924 to 1991, thus the name). It is a corporation with its stakes s ...

studios, starring Alla Sizova as Princess Aurora. * ''Dornröschen'' (1971), an East German film directed by Walter Beck. * '' Festival of Family Classics'' (1972–73), episode ''Sleeping Beauty'', produced by

Rankin/Bass Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment (founded and formerly known as Videocraft International, Ltd. and Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.) was an American production company located in New York City. It was known for its seasonal television specials, ...

and animated by

Mushi Production or Mushi Pro for short, is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Fujimidai, Nerima, Tokyo, Japan. It previously had a headquarters elsewhere in Nerima. The studio was headed by manga artist Osamu Tezuka. Tezuka started it as a rivalry wi ...

. * ''

Some Call It Loving ''Some Call It Loving'', also known as ''Sleeping Beauty'', is a 1973 romantic mystery erotic drama film written, produced and directed by James B. Harris and starring Zalman King, Carol White, Tisa Farrow and Richard Pryor. It is based o ...

'' (also known as ''Sleeping Beauty)'' (1973), directed by James B. Harris and starring

Zalman King Zalman King (born Zalman King Lefkowitz; May 23, 1941 – February 3, 2012) was an American film director, writer, actor and producer. His films are known for incorporating sexuality, and are often categorized as erotica. Early life Zalman Kin ...

Carol White Carole Joan White (1 April 1943 – 16 September 1991) was an English actress. White became famous for her performances in the television play ''Cathy Come Home'' (1966) and the films ''Poor Cow'' (1967) and '' I'll Never Forget What's ' ...

, Tisa Farrow, and

Richard Pryor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Known for reaching a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, he is widely regarded ...

, based on a short story by

John Collier John Collier may refer to: Arts and entertainment * John Collier (caricaturist) (1708–1786), English caricaturist and satirical poet *John Payne Collier (1789–1883), English Shakespearian critic and forger *John Collier (painter) (1850–1934) ...

. * '' Manga Fairy Tales of the World'' (1976–79), 10-minute adaptation. * '' Jak se budí princezny'' (1978), a Czechoslovak film directed by

Václav Vorlíček Václav Vorlíček (3 June 1930 – 5 February 2019) was a Czech film director. His filmography includes several comedies made in collaboration with screenwriter Miloš Macourek. He also specialized in directing children's and fairytale films, mos ...

. * '' World Famous Fairy Tale Series'' (''Sekai meisaku dōwa'') (1975–83) has a 9-minute adaptation, later reused in the U.S. edit of '' My Favorite Fairy Tales''. * ''

Faerie Tale Theatre ''Faerie Tale Theatre'' (also known as ''Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre'') is an American award-winning live-action fairytale fantasy drama anthology television series created and presented by actress Shelley Duvall. The series originally ...

'' (1983), episode ''Sleeping Beauty'', directed by

Jeremy Kagan Jeremy Paul Kagan (born December 14, 1945) is an American Film director, film and television director, screenwriter, and television producer. Early life Born as the son of a rabbi into a Jewish family in Mount Vernon, New York. Kagan received hi ...

and starring

Christopher Reeve Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, activist, director, and author. He amassed Christopher Reeve on stage and screen, several stage and screen credits in his 34-year career, including playin ...

Bernadette Peters Bernadette Peters ( ''née'' Lazzara; born February 28, 1948) is an American actress and singer. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo concerts and released reco ...

and

Beverly D'Angelo Beverly Heather D'Angelo (born November 15, 1951) is an American actress who starred as Ellen Griswold in the '' National Lampoon's Vacation'' films (1983–2015). She has appeared in over 60 films and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for ...

. * '' Goldilocks and the Three Bears/Rumpelstiltskin/Little Red Riding Hood/Sleeping Beauty'' (1984),

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...

featurette by

Lee Mendelson Film Productions Lee Mendelson Film Productions is an American animation studio situated in Burlingame, California founded by Lee Mendelson. The studio is best known for the ''Peanuts'' animated film productions including '' Snoopy Come Home'' and '' A Boy Nam ...

. * A 1986 episode of '' Brummkreisel'' had Kunibert ( Hans-Joachim Leschnitz) demanding that he and his friends Achim ( Joachim Kaps), Hops and Mops enact the story of Sleeping Beauty. Achim first compromises by incorporating Sleeping Beauty into his lesson about days of the week, and then finally he allows Kunibert to have his way; Hops played the princess, Kunibert played the prince, Mops played the wicked fairy and Achim played the brambles. * ''

'' (1987), a direct-to-television musical film directed by David Irving. * An episode of the series ''

Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics ''Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics'', also known as ''Grimm Masterpiece Theater'' (グリム名作劇場 ''Gurimu meisaku gekijō'') in the original version and ''The Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (in Australia and New Zealand), is a Japanese anime anthol ...

'' (1987–89) is dedicated to ''Princess Briar Rose''. * '' The Legend of Sleeping Brittany'' (1989), an episode of '' Alvin & the Chipmunks'' based on the fairy tale. * '' Briar-Rose or The Sleeping Beauty'' (1990), a Japanese/Czechoslovak stop-motion animated featurette directed by Kihachiro Kawamoto. * ''

Britannica's Tales Around the World ''Britannica's Tales Around the World'' (also referred to as ''Britannica's Fairy Tales from Around the World'' and ''Familiar Tales Around the World'') is a direct-to-video animated educational series that was released in 1990. Premise ''Br ...

'' (1990–91), features three variations of the story. * ''Sleeping Beauty'' (1991), a

animated featurette produced by American Film Investment Corporation. * '' World Fairy Tale Series'' (''Anime sekai no dōwa'') (1995), anime television anthology produced by Toei Animation, has half-hour adaptation. * ''Sleeping Beauty'' (1995), a Japanese-American direct-to-video animated film by Jetlag Productions. * '' Wolves, Witches and Giants'' (1995–99), episode ''Sleeping Beauty'', season 1 episode 12. * '' Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child'' (1995), episode ''Sleeping Beauty'', the classic story is told with a Hispanic cast, when Rosita is cast into a long sleep by Evelina, and later awakened by Prince Luis. * '' The Legend of Sleeping Beauty'' (''La leggenda della bella addormentata'') (1998), an Italian television series of 26 episodes, distributed by Mondo tv. * ''

The Triplets The Triplets (; ) are three fictional characters (Anna, Teresa and Helena) created by Catalan illustrator Roser Capdevila. The Triplets were created in 1983, based on Capdevila's own daughters, three actual triplets born in 1969. The stories we ...

'' (''Les tres bessones/Las tres mellizas'') (1997–2003), catalan animated series, season 1 episode 19. * '' Simsala Grimm'' (1999–2010), episode 9 of season 2. * '' Bellas durmientes (Sleeping Beauties)'' (2001), directed by Eloy Lozano, adapted from the

Yasunari Kawabata was a Japanese novelist and short story writer whose spare, lyrical, subtly-shaded prose works won him the 1968 Nobel Prize in Literature, the first Japanese author to receive the award. His works have enjoyed broad international appeal and ...

novel. * '' Hello Kitty's Animation Theater'' (2001), features a 16-minute adaptation. * ''Shrek the third'' (2007) a Dreamworks animated film, directed by Chris Miller. * ''Dornröschen'' (2009), a German made-for-television film directed by Oliver Dieckmann starring Lotte Flack, François Goeske and

Hannelore Elsner Hannelore Elsner (; born Hannelore Elstner; 26 July 1942 – 21 April 2019) was a German actress with a long career in television and film. She first performed on stage in Munich, and later starred in popular films and television series such as ' ...

. * '' La belle endormie (The Sleeping Beauty)'' (2010), a film by

Catherine Breillat Catherine Breillat (; born 13 July 1948) is a French filmmaker, novelist and professor of auteur cinema at the European Graduate School. Life and career Breillat was born in Bressuire, Deux-Sèvres, but grew up in Niort. She decided to becom ...

. * ''

'' (2011), directed by

Julia Leigh Julia Leigh (born 1970) is an Australian novelist, film director and screenwriter. In 2011 her debut feature film'' Sleeping Beauty'' was selected to screen in official competition at the Cannes Film Festival. She is an author of two award-winn ...

and starring Emily Browning, about a young girl who takes a sleeping potion and lets men have their way with her to earn extra money. * ''

Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 in storytelling in the English language and has started many narrative ...

'' (2011), an

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

TV show with

Sarah Bolger Sarah Lee Bolger (born 28 February 1991) is an Irish actress. She starred in the films '' In America'' (2003), '' Stormbreaker'' (2006), ''The Spiderwick Chronicles'' (2008), '' The Moth Diaries'' (2011), '' The Lazarus Effect'' (2015), '' Emelie ...

as Aurora and

Julian Morris Julian David Morris (born 13 January 1983) is an English actor. After appearing in the British television series '' The Knock'' (1996) and ''Fish'' (2000) during his teenage years, he had his first starring role in the American slasher film '' C ...

as Philip. * ''Sleeping Beauty'' (2014), a film by Rene Perez. * ''Sleeping Beauty'' (2014), a film by

Casper Van Dien Casper Robert Van Dien Jr. (born December 18, 1968) is an American actor, best known for his lead role as Johnny Rico in the science-fiction action film ''Starship Troopers'' (1997). Other credits include '' Sleepy Hollow'' (1999), '' Sanctimony ...

. * ''

'' (2014), a live-action

reimagining A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...

of the Walt Disney film starring

Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie ( ; born Angelina Jolie Voight, , June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Angelina Jolie, numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards ...

and

Elle Fanning Mary Elle Fanning (born April 9, 1998) is an American actress. Her works include both independent films and blockbusters, and her accolades include a National Board of Review Award, in addition to nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and ...

as Princess Aurora. * '' Ever After High'', episode '' Briar Beauty'' (2015), an animated Netflix series. * '' The Curse of Sleeping Beauty'' (2016), an American horror film directed by Pearry Reginald Teo. * Archie Campbell satirized the story with "Beeping Sleauty" in several ''

Hee Haw ''Hee Haw'' is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with the fictional rural "Kornfield Kounty" as the backdrop. It aired from 1969 to 1993, and on TNN from 1996 to 1997. Reruns of the series were broadcast on ...

'' television episodes. * '' Maleficent: Mistress of Evil'' (2019), the sequel to Maleficent (2014). * '' Avengers Grimm'' (2015) portrays an adult Sleeping Beauty with superpowers. * Sleeping Beauty is a main character of the "Neverafter" season of the tabletop role-playing game show ''

Dimension 20 ''Dimension 20'' is a tabletop role-playing game show produced by and broadcast on Dropout (media company), Dropout, and created and generally hosted by Brennan Lee Mulligan as the show's regular Dungeon Master. Most of the games use Dungeons ...

''. She is played by '' Siobhan Thompson.'' In this adaptation, she goes by the name Rosamund du Prix (2022–2023). * '' Awakening Sleeping Beauty'' (2025), an upcoming horror re-telling of the story set in

The Twisted Childhood Universe The Twisted Childhood Universe (TCU) (also referred to as the Poohniverse), is a British film series and shared universe of independent slasher horror films. It was conceived and created by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, and produced by the filmmaker' ...

, directed by Louisa Warren and starring Lora Hristova, Robbie Taylor and Charlotte Coleman as Princess Thalia, the Prince and Queen Primrose, respectively, along with Lila Lasso, Leah Glater, Sophie Rankin, Judy Tcherniak and Danielle Scott.

In literature

* ''Sleeping Beauty'' (1830) and ''

The Day-Dream ''The Day-Dream'' is a poem written by Alfred Tennyson that was published in 1842. It was an expanded version of his 1830 poem ''The Sleeping Beauty''. It was further altered in 1848 for a dramatic performance for a private gathering with Tennys ...

'' (1842), two poems based on Sleeping Beauty by

Alfred, Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (; 6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of ...

. * ''

The Rose and the Ring ''The Rose and The Ring'' is a satirical work of fantasy fiction written by William Makepeace Thackeray, originally published on Christmas in 1854, though the first edition is dated 1855. It criticises, to some extent, the attitudes of the monar ...

'' (1854), a satirical fantasy by

William Makepeace Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray ( ; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was an English novelist and illustrator. He is known for his Satire, satirical works, particularly his 1847–1848 novel ''Vanity Fair (novel), Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portra ...

. * ''The Sleeping Beauty'' (1919), a poem by Mary Carolyn Davies about a failed hero who did not waken the princess, but died in the enchanted briars surrounding her palace. * ''The Sleeping Beauty'' (1920), a retelling of the fairy tale by Charles Evans, with illustrations by

Arthur Rackham Arthur Rackham (19 September 1867 – 6 September 1939) was an English book illustrator. He is recognised as one of the leading figures during the Golden Age of British book illustration. His work is noted for its robust pen and ink drawings, ...

. * ''Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty)'' (1971), a poem by

Anne Sexton Anne Sexton (born Anne Gray Harvey; November 9, 1928 – October 4, 1974) was an American poet known for her highly personal, confessional poetry, confessional verse. She won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1967 for her book ''Live or Die (book ...

in her collection ''Transformations'' (1971), in which she re-envisions sixteen of the ''

Grimm's Fairy Tales ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', originally known as the ''Children's and Household Tales'' (, , commonly abbreviated as ''KHM''), is a German collection of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, Jacob Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Wilhelm, first publish ...

''. * ''

The Sleeping Beauty Quartet ''The Sleeping Beauty Quartet'' is a series of four novels written by American author Anne Rice under the pseudonym of A. N. Roquelaure. The quartet comprises ''The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty'', ''Beauty's Punishment'', ''Beauty's Release'', ...

'' (1983–2015), four erotic novels written by

Anne Rice Anne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien; October 4, 1941 – December 11, 2021) was an American author of Gothic fiction, erotic literature, and Bible fiction. She is best known for writing ''The Vampire Chronicles''. She later adapted t ...

under the pen name A.N. Roquelaure, set in a medieval fantasy world and loosely based on the fairy tale. * ''Beauty'' (1992), a novel by Sheri S. Tepper. *''

Briar Rose Briar Rose may refer to: Folklore * "Little Briar Rose", also called "Sleeping Beauty", a folk tale originally recorded by the Brothers Grimm Characters * Briar Rose, a pseudonym used by Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Princess Aurora in Walt Disney's ...

'' (1992), a novel by

Jane Yolen Jane Hyatt Yolen (born February 11, 1939) is an American writer of fantasy, science fiction, and children's books. She is the author or editor of more than 400 books, of which the best known is '' The Devil's Arithmetic'', a Holocaust novella. H ...

. * ''Enchantment'' (1999), a novel by Orson Scott Card based on the Russian version of Sleeping Beauty. *'' Spindle's End'' (2000), a novel by Robin McKinley. *''Clementine'' (2001), a novel by

Sophie Masson Sophie Masson is a French-Australian fantasy and children's author. Early life and education Sophie Masson was born in Indonesia of French parents who are of mixed ancestry (French, Basque, Spanish and Portuguese). Masson, the third in a f ...

. *''Waking Rose'' (2007), novel by Regina Doman. *''A Kiss in Time'' (2009), a novel by Alex Flinn. *''The Sleeper and the Spindle'' (2012), a novel by

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon Gaiman (; born Neil Richard Gaiman; 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, audio theatre, and screenplays. His works include the comic series ''The Sandman (comic book), The Sandma ...

. *'' The Gates of Sleep'' (2012), a novel by

Mercedes Lackey Mercedes Ritchie Lackey (born June 24, 1950) is an American writer of Fantasy literature, fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar (fictional co ...

from the Elemental Masters series set in Edwardian England. *''Sleeping Beauty: The One Who Took the Really Long Nap'' (2018), a novel by Wendy Mass and the second book in the ''Twice Upon a Time'' series features a princess named Rose who pricks her finger and falls asleep for 100 years. *''The Sleepless Beauty'' (2019), a novel by Rajesh Talwar setting the story in a small kingdom in the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

. *''Lava Red Feather Blue'' (2021), a novel by Molly Ringle involving a male/male twist on the Sleeping Beauty story. *''Malice'' (2021), a novel by Heather Walter told by the Maleficent character's (Alyce's) POV and involving a woman/woman love story. *''Misrule'' (2022), a novel by Heather Walter and sequel to Malice. *''Immortality'', a poem by Lisel Mueller in her Pulitzer Prize winning book "Alive Together"

In music

* '' La Belle au Bois Dormant'' (1825), an opera by Michele Carafa. * ''La belle au bois dormant'' (1829), a ballet in four acts with book by

Eugène Scribe Augustin Eugène Scribe (; 24 December 179120 February 1861) was a French dramatist and librettist. He is known for writing "well-made plays" ("pièces bien faites"), a mainstay of popular theatre for over 100 years, and as the librettist of man ...

, composed by

Ferdinand Hérold Louis Joseph Ferdinand Herold (28 January 1791 – 19 January 1833), better known as Ferdinand Hérold (), was a French composer. He was celebrated in his lifetime for his operas, of which he composed more than twenty, but he also wrote ballet mus ...

and choreographed by Jean-Louis Aumer. * '' The Sleeping Beauty'' (1890), a ballet by

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular ...

. * '' Dornröschen'' (1902), an opera by Engelbert Humperdinck. * ''Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant'' (1910), the first movement of Ravel's

Ma mère l'Oye ''Ma mère l'Oye'' (English: ''Mother Goose'', literally "''My Mother the Goose''") is a suite by French composer Maurice Ravel. The piece was originally written as a five-movement piano duet in 1910. In 1911, Ravel orchestrated the work. Pian ...

. * ''The Sleeping Beauty'' (1992), song on album

Clouds In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles, suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may c ...

by the Swedish band

Tiamat In Mesopotamian religion, Tiamat ( or , ) is the primordial sea, mating with Abzû (Apsu), the groundwater, to produce the gods in the Babylonian epic '' Enûma Elish'', which translates as "when on high". She is referred to as a woman, an ...

. *''Sleeping Beauty Wakes'' (2008), an album by the American musical trio GrooveLily. * ''There Was A Princess Long Ago'', a common

nursery rhyme A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for children in Britain and other European countries, but usage of the term dates only from the late 18th/early 19th century. The term Mother Goose rhymes is interchangeable with nursery rhymes. Fr ...

singing game A singing game is an activity based on a particular verse or rhyme, usually associated with a set of actions and movements. As a collection, they have been studied by folklorists, ethnologists, and psychologists and are seen as important part o ...

typically sung stood in a circle with actions, retells the story of ''Sleeping Beauty'' in a summarised song. *''Sleeping Beauty The Musical'' (2019), a two act musical with book and lyrics by Ian Curran and music by Simon Hanson and Peter Vint. *'' Hex'' (2021) is a musical with book by Tanya Ronder, music by Jim Fortune and lyrics by

Rufus Norris Sir Rufus John Norris (born 16 January 1965) is a British theatre and film director, who was the artistic director and chief executive of the National Theatre from 2015 to 2025. He received the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 2025 f ...

that opened at the

Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...

in December 2021.

In video games

* ''

Kingdom Hearts is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square) and owned by The Walt Disney Company. A collaboration between the two companies, it was conceptualized by Square employees, Japanese gam ...

'' is a video game in which

is one of the main antagonists and

is one of the Princesses of Heart together with the other

Disney princesses ''Disney Princess'', also called the ''Princess Line'', is a media franchise and toy line owned by the Walt Disney Company. Created by Disney Consumer Products chairman Andy Mooney, the franchise features a lineup of female protagonists who hav ...

. * The Playstation 2 game ''Quest for Sleeping Beauty'' (2006) loosely adapts the story into a

Pac-Man ''Pac-Man,'' originally called in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The pla ...

style maze game. * Video game series '' Dark Parables'' adapted the tale as the plot of its first game, ''Curse of Briar Rose'' (2010). * ''Little Briar Rose'' (2019) is a

point-and-click adventure An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story, driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based m ...

inspired by the

's version of the fairy tale. * ''

SINoALICE was a role-playing video game developed by Pokelabo for Android and iOS. The game was directed by Yoko Taro, better known for his work in the ''Drakengard'' and ''NieR'' series. The game was released in Japan by Square Enix in June 2017, and ...

'' (2017) is a mobile

gacha game A is a game, typically a video game, that implements the machine style mechanics. Similar to loot boxes, live service gacha games entice players to spend in-game currency to receive a random in-game item. Some in-game currency generally can ...

which features Sleeping Beauty as one of the main

player characters A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...

. She has her own dark story-line which follows her unending desire to sleep, and crosses over with the other fairy-tale characters featured in the game.

In art

Image:La_Belle_au_Bois_Dormant_-_Sixth_of_six_engravings_by_Gustave_Doré.jpg, Perrault's La Belle au bois dormant (Sleeping Beauty), illustration by

Gustave Doré Paul Gustave Louis Christophe Doré ( , , ; 6January 1832 – 23January 1883) was a French printmaker, illustrator, painter, comics artist, caricaturist, and sculptor. He is best known for his prolific output of wood-engravings illustrati ...

File:Sleeping Beauty by Harbour.jpg, ''Sleeping Beauty'' by Jenny Harbour File:De_schoone_slaapster_in_het_bosch.jpg, Book cover for a Dutch interpretation of the story by Johann Georg van Caspel File:Briar Rose - Anne Anderson.jpg, Briar Rose Image:Brewtnall - Sleeping Beauty.jpg, ''Sleeping Beauty'' by Edward Frederick Brewtnall File:Louis Sussmann - Dornröschen - Mutter Erde fec.jpg, Louis Sußmann-Hellborn (1828- 1908) ''Sleeping Beauty'', Image:Спящая царевна.jpg, ''Sleeping Princess'' by

Viktor Vasnetsov Viktor Mikhaylovich Vasnetsov (; 15 May (New Style, N.S.), 1848 – 23 July 1926) was a Russian artist who specialised in mythological and historical subjects. He is considered a co-founder of Russian folklorist and romantic nationalistic pain ...

File:Märchenbrunnen Dornröschen.jpg, ''Sleeping Beauty'', statue in

Wuppertal Wuppertal (; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany, with a population of 355,000. Wuppertal is the seventh-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and List of cities in Germany by population, 17th-largest in Germany. It ...

– Germany

Notes

References

External links

*
''Sleeping beauty in the woods''
by Perrault, 1870 illustrated scanned book via

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

''The Stalk of Flax'' adapted by Amy Friedman and Meredith Johnson

* A painting by John Wood, engraved by F. Bacon and with a poetical illustration by

Letitia Elizabeth Landon Letitia Elizabeth Landon (14 August 1802 – 15 October 1838) was an English poet and novelist, better known by her initials L.E.L. Landon's writings are emblematic of the transition from Romanticism to Victorian literature. Her first major b ...

in the Forget Me Not annual, 1837. * {{Authority control 14th-century literature ATU 400-459 Brunhild European fairy tales European folklore characters Female characters in fairy tales Fairy tales about fairies Fairy tales about princes Fairy tales about princesses Fiction about curses Fiction about rape Fiction about uxoricide Fictional princesses French fairy tales Grimms' Fairy Tales Sleep in mythology and folklore Textiles in folklore Witchcraft in fairy tales Works about kissing Works by Charles Perrault

Origin

Plot

Basile's narrative

Perrault's narrative

Brothers Grimm's version

Variations

Interpretations

Media

In film and television

In literature

In music

In video games

In art

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links