Jorinda and Jorindel

"Jorinde and Joringel 2"
LZinverse 

I’m not usually a huge fan of love stories, but this one is so sweet and pure that I can't help liking it.

The Tale 

"Frolicking"
Kristen Scribner

Jorinda is the prettiest girl in the world, prettier than all the other pretty girls. Jorindel is her fiance, a mere shepherd, and they love each other very much. One day while walking in the woods, the two find themselves close to the local evil fairy's castle, even though they tried avoiding it. They then share the same fate of all who have come too near the enchanted castle- Jorinda is turned into a nightingale, while Jorindel is frozen in place, unable to move. He is forced to watch as the fairy takes the love of his life away. The fairy comes back for Jorindel and says the following poem/spell, which is one of my favorite poems from fairy tales;

"Till the prisoner's fast,

And her doom is cast,

There stay! Oh, stay!

When the charm is around her,

And the spell has bound her,

Hie away! Away!”

Basically, Jorindel is set free only after Jorindel is lost. Jorindel falls to his knees and begs the fairy to release her, but she tells him he will never see her again.

Jorindel cannot face going back home, so he moves to another town and becomes a shepherd there. Every day he walks around the castle at a safe distance, knowing that if he came too close, he would be frozen once again. Then, one night, Jorindel dreams that he finds a beautiful purple flower which has the ability to disenchant anything it touches. In the dream, Jorindel uses the flower to free Jorinda.

"Jorinda and Joringel"
Arienne Adams

When he wakes up, Jorindel begins his search for the flower. He finds it on the ninth day and immediately sets off towards the castle, managing to reach the door without being frozen. Once he enters the castle, the fairy cannot come within two yards of him, thanks to the magical flower. He finds the room with seven hundred birds, all of which used to be beautiful maidens and are now trapped in cages, and wonders how he will find his Jorinda among them. Then he notices the wicked fairy sneaking out with a cage under her arm. He quickly runs towards her, touches the cage with the flower, and Jorinda falls into his arms, “as beautiful as ever, as beautiful as when they walked together in the woods.”

Jorindel immediately releases the rest of the transfigured girls, takes Jorinda home and marries her, and they live happily ever after.

Discussion points

One of the reasons I don't enjoy love stories is the “love at first sight” element that often plays an important part in them, especially in fairy tales. Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are all loved by their princes immediately without getting to know each other. This is one of the many issues feminists have with fairy tales (and the older Disney movies). While Jorinda and Jorindel can hardly be considered a feminist tale, seeing as Jorinda's role is purely Damsel in Distress, this tale has a much more realistic and practical outlook on love.

"Jorinda and Joringel"
Adrienne Segur

Jorinda may be beautiful, but that is not the reason Jorindel loves her. If anything, it is the reason the fairy kidnaps her and turns her into a beautiful bird. The young couple spends lots of time together, get to know each other, enjoy each others' company. I'd like to point out the part I quoted from when Jorindel saves Jorinda, and her beauty is pointed out to be the same as it was during the walks in the forest. I think those walks represent their relationship and their love was built by getting to know each other, and Jorinda is more beautiful in Jorindel's eyes because of that. The fact that their names are very similar also suggests that they are two parts of one being. They are meant for each other, Jorinda's beauty supplemented by Jorindel's devotion.

My favorite part of the tale was Jorinda's capture. That scene was truly heartbreaking. Jorinda is in the middle of singing a song when it is abruptly cut off and ends with the “jug jug” of a nightingale. Jorindel is helpless and cannot help save her. His pleas to the fairy are heart wrenching.

The fairy, seemingly, has separated many young couples this way. Her bird room holds seven hundred cages, each with a transfigured girl inside. I wonder if each of their lovers also had the same dream that Jorindel did. It is quite obvious that without the dream and the help of the flower, Jorindel wouldn't have managed to save Jorinda. It's not his bravery or his cunning that allows him to save her. It's his devotion and his love that lets him believe in a dream which could very easily be brought on by his longing and his grieving for his lost love. His quest for the flower lasts many days longer than typical quests. He doesn't find it on the third day, as heros usually do. He searches triple the time until he comes across the flower. This is Jorindel's virtue- he does not give up. He is completely devoted to Jorinda and he will do anything to save her, long after others whom may have a superficial love at first sight. Their maidens are pretty, but not the prettiest (remembering that in this tale, beauty seems to represent love). Their love may be strong, but not strong enough to follow the instructions of a dream, brave an evil fairy and search for longer than expected to safe their damsel. Would Sleeping Beauty's prince have looked for her if he had to do more than just stand there in order for the thorns to turn to flower? Would Cinderella's prince have bothered to try the shoe on her if there had been a third stepsister who had tried to deceive him?

"The Lovers"
Lisa Hunt

Jorinda and Jorindel is a tale about love; pure, true love that takes many walks in the forest to nurture and build, and can not be broken by a fairy and impossible odds. It is a story of “love beats all”, but for once, the love is deep. There can be no fan fiction here that tells of everything going wrong once the fairy tale is over and married life begins. Personally, I'd rather have a Jorindel than a Prince Charming.
Why do you think this tale is not adapted into movies?

* There is so much beautiful artwork of this tale online. Don't be afraid to go find some more!
Also, for anyone who wants to read the original version, here it is. This tale is very rich in detail, a lot of which I missed, so I highly recommned reading the original:
Jorinda and Joringel