The corpse bride

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Illustration (2013)

The Corpse Bride (Мёртвая невеста, literally The Dead Bride ) is a Russian folk tale from the 19th century, probably based on an older Jewish legend from the 16th century. The fairy tale is about a young man who accidentally marries a corpse. Became famous for the fairy tale by the film Corpse Bride - Corpse Bride by Tim Burton from the year of 2005.

backgrounds

The Jewish folklorist Howard Schwartz, professor at the University of Missouri – St. Louis , published the collection "Lilith's Cave: Jewish Tales of the Supernatural" in 1987. In it is the fairy tale under the name "The Finger" (Eng. The Finger ). As a source he named the book "Shivhei ha-Ari" from the 17th century and pointed out that the story in it goes back to Isaac Luria . He wrote the legend as early as the 16th century. This retelling differs in a few details. The bridegroom there bears the name Reuven and the place of action is specified with Safed . Partly the origin is seen in Russia in the late 19th century. The Jewish fairy tale also treats the pogroms that increased in Russia from 1881 on. The corpse bride is regarded as a victim of the pogrom, as Russian gangs sometimes targeted Jewish wedding parties. Whether the fairy tale originated in Russia or was popularized there can no longer be reconstructed without any doubt.

In other cultures emerged ballads and fairy tale with a similar background, such as Lenore from Gottfried August Burger , The Bride of Corinth of Goethe , especially the dead bride of Aloys Schreiber , and the dead bride from the ghosts book by Friedrich August Schulze . In Christianity there was also the custom of the wedding in the dead . In Tim Burton's filming Corpse Bride - Wedding with a corpse , all Jewish elements are missing, some of which have been replaced by Christianity. The fairy tale has not yet been published in German.

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A young man went with a friend to the village of his fiancée . At night they camped by a river when the bridegroom saw a strange branch sticking out of the earth. Both friends joked about this branch. The groom took the wedding ring out of his pocket and put it on the branch and began to perform the Jewish wedding dance around the branch three times, singing a wedding song and reciting the marriage vows, which greatly amused his friend. Suddenly the earth trembled beneath their feet. The earth under the branch opened and a corpse rose from it. Still recognizable as a bride by the torn, old wedding dress , but physically little more than a skeleton held together by shreds of skin. Worms and cobwebs covered the once pearl-studded bodice and the worn veil.

The two young men reacted horrified. Then the corpse bride began to speak: “You danced the wedding dance, promised me marriage and put the ring on my finger. Now we are husband and wife. I claim my rights as your bride. "

Shuddered and frightened, the two men fled to the village where his real bride was waiting for him. Immediately they went to see the rabbi . The groom told the rabbi about the situation and asked if this was really a valid marriage vow. The rabbi, on the other hand, asked for time to think about it when the wind blew the door open and the corpse bride appeared in the door frame. She repeated her claim to this husband because he had promised her marriage and put the ring on her finger. The rabbi recognized a tricky situation and had to consult with other rabbis first.

All the rabbis in the area discussed the case while the men anxiously awaited its decision. The corpse bride also waited impatiently and said that she would finally have her wedding night with her husband, which made the husband shudder. Then the living bride appeared to find out what was going on. When her fiancé explains, she despairs. Now all her hopes and dreams would be ruined, she would never get married and have a family.

The rabbis stepped into the room and asked again whether the man had actually danced the wedding dance, made the marriage vows and put the ring on the corpse's finger. The two men nodded their heads and the rabbis withdrew again with a serious look. The young bride wept bitter tears, while the corpse bride looked forward to the longed-for wedding night.

Then the rabbis appeared to announce their decision. Since the man danced the wedding dance, made the marriage vows and put the ring on the finger of the corpse bride, this is a valid marriage. However, they added, they have decided that the dead are not entitled to the living. The young bride was relieved, but the corpse bride howled, now her dreams would never come true, her last opportunity was gone. Her body collapsed on the floor, leaving only a lifeless pile of bones in a ragged wedding dress.

The young bride felt pity. She knelt over the remains of the corpse bride, took her in her arms, rocked her and mumbled and sang a promise: “Don't worry, I'll live your dreams for you, I'll live your hopes for you, I'll be your children have for you, I will have enough children for both of us and you can rest in peace. ”She also promised the corpse bride that she would never be forgotten. With her bones in her arms, she went to the river bank and carefully buried them there, with the wedding dress arranged and the wedding ring on her finger. The corpse seemed happy, as if she knew her wishes were being granted.

The young bride then married her groom in a solemn ceremony and they lived happily ever after. The story of the funeral bride was always told to all of her children and grandchildren so that it would not be forgotten.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ https://www.jweekly.com/2005/09/16/tim-burton-s-corpse-bride-has-jewish-bones/
  2. ↑ http://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/11891/
  3. ↑ http://mentalfloss.com/article/89345/12-lively-facts-about-corpse-bride
  4. ↑ https://friggasgirl.livejournal.com/348997.html
  5. ↑ http://www.stormtiger.com/collie/articles/corpsebride.cgi
  6. ↑ http://www.cjnews.com/culture/entertainment/arts/corpse-bride-set-live-music-ashkenaz
  7. ↑ https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/Die_todte_Braut
  8. ↑ https://www.planet-wissen.de/gesellschaft/tod_und_trauer/bestattungskultur/pwietotenhochzeitvermaehlungsnachdemtode100.html
  9. ↑ http://decentfilms.com/reviews/corpsebride
  10. ↑ http://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/11891/