Cinderella
The Greek geographer Strabo recorded a tale about Rhodopis, a courtesan living in the colony of Naucratis in Egypt, sometime between 7 BC and AD 23. Her name means Rosy-Cheeks, yet her story involves an eagle snatching one of her sandals from her maid while she was bathing. The bird carried the sandal to Memphis and dropped it into the lap of King Psammetichus as he administered justice in the open air. The king sent men to find the woman who wore the sandal, eventually bringing her up to Memphis where she became his wife. This account appears in Strabo's Geographica, book 17, chapter 33, and remains the earliest known variant of the Cinderella story. A Roman orator named Aelian later reported the same story in his Miscellaneous History, adding that the pharaoh's name was indeed Psammetichus. Herodotus wrote about a possibly related courtesan named Rhodopis five centuries before Strabo, claiming she came from Thrace and was the slave of Iadmon of Samos. She was freed there for a large sum by Charaxus of Mytilene, brother of Sappho the lyric poet. Another predecessor may be Aspasia of Phocaea, whose story is told in Aelian's Varia Storia. She lost her mother early and lived in poverty until a dove transformed into a woman instructed her on how to restore her beauty. During a feast hosted by Persian regent Cyrus the Younger, the Persian King set his sights on Aspasia herself while ignoring other women.
Giambattina Basile published the first European literary version of the story in Naples, Italy, in 1634 within his collection titled Pentamerone. The tale itself was set in the Kingdom of Naples at that time the most important political and cultural center of Southern Europe. It was written in the Neapolitan dialect under the title La gatta Cenerentola. The name derives from the Italian word cenere meaning ash or cinder, alluding to servants who were usually soiled with ash from cleaning duties. The plot features Zezolla, a prince's daughter tended by a beloved governess who persuades the prince to marry her. Six daughters of the governess then abuse Zezolla and send her into the kitchen to work as a servant. The king visits the island of Sardinia and meets a fairy who gives presents to his daughter including a golden spade, bucket, napkin, and date seedling. When the king hosts a ball, Zezolla appears dressed richly by a fairy living in the date tree. She runs away before he can find out who she is but twice escapes him until a servant captures one of her pattens. The king invites all maidens in the land to a ball with a patten-test and identifies Zezolla after the patten jumps from his hand to her foot. Charles Perrault published his version in French in 1697 titled Histoires ou contes du temps passé. His tale introduced the pumpkin, the fairy-godmother, and glass slippers which became iconic elements. The story follows a wealthy widower who marries a proud woman with two vain daughters while his own beautiful young daughter faces servitude near the fireplace where she becomes covered in ashes. Her stepsisters taunt her for being uninvited to the royal ball until a fairy godmother transforms rags into a jeweled gown and glass slippers. Cinderella leaves before midnight but loses one slipper on the palace steps when the spell breaks at the final stroke. The prince pockets the slipper and vows to marry the girl whose foot fits it. Brothers Grimm recorded another well-known version called Aschenputtel or Ashputtle in their folk tale collection published in 1812. This version is much more violent than later adaptations as the stepsisters mutilate their feet to fit the golden slipper. There is no fairy godmother here; instead help comes from a wishing tree planted on her deceased mother's grave. A white bird drops clothing she needs for the festival when she prays under it three times daily. In the second edition of 1819, the brothers added a coda where magic doves strike the stepsisters' eyes blind during the wedding ceremony.
The tale of Ye Xian first appeared in Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang written by Duan Chengshi around 860. She was the daughter of a local tribal leader whose mother died when she was young. Her father's second wife abused her after her death. Ye Xian befriended a fish which was the reincarnation of her deceased mother. When her stepmother and half-sister killed the fish, Ye Xian found the bones which were magical and helped her dress appropriately for a local Festival including a very light golden shoe. Her stepfamily recognized her at the festival causing her to flee and accidentally lose the shoe. The king of another island obtained the shoe and searched everywhere until reaching Ye's house where she tried it on. The king realized she was the one and took her back to his kingdom while her cruel stepmother and half-sister were killed by flying rocks. Many variants exist among ethnic groups in China and Vietnam. The Story of Tam and Cam from Vietnam features a heroine named Tấm who had a fish that was killed by her stepmother and sister Cám. Its bones gave her clothes but later after marrying the king, Tấm was killed by her stepmother and sister and reincarnated several times as a bird, loom, and gold apple. She finally reunited with the king and lived happily ever after before commanding royal guards to pour boiling water on Cám. Her corpse was used to make fermented sauce sent to the stepmother who ate it with every meal until seeing her daughter's skull inside the jar and dying of shock. Korean folklore presents Kongjwi and Patjwi originating from South Korea with two distinguishing characteristics: extreme violence and plot continuation past marriage. The protagonist Kongjwi loses her mother when young and her father remarries a widow whose daughter is named Patjwi. After her father passes, the stepmother and Patjwi abuse Kongjwi by starving, beating, and working her brutally. Animals like cows, toads, birds, and fairies aid Kongjwi in attending a dance honoring a magistrate. On her way back she loses one shoe and the magistrate searches towns to find its owner. When found he marries her but Patjwi drowns Kongjwi in a pond and pretends to be her. Kongjwi is then reincarnated into lotus flowers burned by Patjwi and again into marble before informing her husband of Patjwi's doings. As punishment Patjwi is ripped apart alive and made into jeotgal sent to her mother who eats it in ignorance before dying out of shock. There are 17 variants known in South Korea where Kongjwi avenges her death with determination unlike Perrault's Cendrillon who forgives her family.
Folklorists classify Cinderella as type 510A Persecuted Heroine within the Aarne-Thompson-Uther system alongside tales like The Sharp Grey Sheep and Katie Woodencloak. Many international versions lack the fairy godmother present in Charles Perrault's tale. Instead the donor is her mother incarnated into an animal if dead or transformed into a cow if alive. Other helpers include animals such as cows, bulls, pike, saints, or angels. The bovine helper appears in Greek and Armenian versions and Balkan-Slavonic traditions along with Central Asian variants. Professor Gražina Skabeikytė-Kazlauskienė notes that fish, cows, even female dogs represent the heroine's mother's legacy across different cultures. In Sicilian folktales collected by Giuseppe Pitrè, Jack Zipes concluded that Cinderella is helped by her mother in the guise of doves fairies and godmothers. Villains often take forms beyond wicked stepmothers; some older sisters confine her to the kitchen while others drive her from home due to paternal wishes to marry her. Gioachino Rossini inverted sex roles in his opera La Cenerentola where Cenerentola is mistreated by her stepfather Don Magnifico who wants larger dowries for his own daughters. The number of balls varies sometimes one two or three and events may be churches instead of balls. The midnight curfew is absent in many versions though it remains central to Perrault's narrative. Identifying items vary widely: glass slippers unique to Perrault golden shoes in Grimm tales anklets rings bracelets or magical pots. Some interpreters suggest Perrault's glass slipper was originally squirrel fur pantoufle de vair confused linguistically but most scholars believe it deliberate poetic invention. The 1950 Disney adaptation uses the glass material to add drama when the stepmother shatters the slipper before Cinderella tries it on. Revelation scenes show princes told Cinderella cannot possibly be the one because she is too dirty yet they insist on testing her identity through fitting items. In Korean scholarship East Asian versions typically continue as the stepmother replaces the heroine with her own daughter while the true bride undergoes transformation cycles.
Massenet composed an opera titled Cendrillon in 1894-95 with libretto by Henri Caïn following earlier attempts like Nicolas Isouard's 1810 version and Stefano Pavesi's 1814 work. Gioachino Rossini wrote La Cenerentola in 1817 agreeing to omit all magical elements if allowed to replace them with human aid. He gave Cenerentola assistance from Alidoro a philosopher formerly the Prince's tutor instead of fairies. Baron Boris Vietinghoff-Scheel created Cinderella in 1893 while Jules Massenet returned to the story again in 1894-95. Johann Strauss II adapted Aschenbrödel in 1901 completed by Josef Bayer and Gustav Holst composed another version between 1901-02. Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari wrote La Cenerentola in 1902 followed by Pauline García-Viardot's Cendrillon in 1904. Leo Blech presented Aschenbrödel in 1905 with Richard Batka writing the libretto. Frank Martin composed Das Märchen vom Aschenbrödel in 1941 and Sergei Prokofiev created Zolushka or Cinderella in 1945. Peter Maxwell Davies wrote a pantomime opera in 1979 using Prokofiev's music set in 1940 London. Matthew Bourne produced Cinderella in 1997 taking place in wartime London using Prokofiev's score. In theatre history, Drury Lane Theatre in London presented Cinderella as A new Grand Allegorical Pantomimic Spectacle in 1804 featuring clown Joseph Grimaldi playing Pedro the servant antecedent of Buttons. Harlequin and Cinderella appeared at Theatre Royal Covent Garden in 1820 based on Rossini's opera but styled as a Harlequinade again featuring Grimaldi. Rophino Lacy used Rossini's music with spoken dialogue in 1830 comic opera introducing Fairy Queen instead of magician. Henry Byron converted this via burlesque leading to modern pantomime style at Royal Strand Theatre in 1860 titled Cinderella! Or the Lover the Lackey and the Little Glass Slipper. Traditional pantomimes open in forests where hunts occur introducing Prince Charming and his right-hand man Dandini whose name comes from Rossini's La Cenerentola. Baron Hardup remains under thumb of stepdaughters Ugly sisters while Broker's Men harass him for rent payments. The Fairy Godmother creates coaches carriages footmen dresses magically before midnight spells cease. Rodgers and Hammerstein produced Cinderella for television three times including 1958 London Coliseum production starring Tommy Steele Yana Jimmy Edwards Kenneth Williams Betty Marsden. A 2013 Broadway production opened with new book by Douglas Carter Beane running 770 performances. Andrew Lloyd Webber composed Cinderella premiering West End the 18th of August 2021 closing the 12th of June 2022 later opening Broadway as Bad Cinderella after 85 performances ending a continuous 44-year period of his shows playing there.
Walt Disney released an animated Laugh-O-Gram version of Cinderella on the 6th of December 1922 lasting seven and half minutes long. Walter Lantz directed another animated short film titled Cinderella in 1925 produced by Bray Studios Inc. Bud Fisher created A Kick for Cinderella in 1925 within Mutt and Jeff comic strip adaptations. Van Beuren produced Cinderella Blues in 1931 featuring a feline version of the character. Fleischer Studios released Poor Cinderella in 1934 their first color cartoon only appearance of Betty Boop in color during that era. Jam Handy made Chevrolet advertisements A Coach for Cinderella and A Ride for Cinderella both in 1937. Merrie Melodies presented Cinderella Meets Fella in 1938 starring Egghead who evolved into Elmer Fudd as Prince Charming. The Walt Disney Company released its famous animated feature Cinderella on the 15th of February 1950 now considered one of Disney's Classics and most well-known film adaptation incorporating the titular character as a Disney Princess franchise member. Sequels followed including Cinderella II Dreams Come True in 2002 and Cinderella III A Twist in Time in 2007. Popeye parodied the story in Ancient Fistory released in 1953 while Looney Tunes featured Señorella and the Glass Huarache in 1964 transplanted to Mexican settings. Rankin/Bass produced Festival of Family Classics episode Cinderella in 1972-73 animated by Mushi Production. Alvin & the Chipmunks aired Cinderella? Cinderella! in 1986 with Brittany playing Cinderella and Alvin as Prince Charming. Britannica's Tales Around the World included Perrault's version alongside two other variants between 1990-91. Shrek 2 released in 2004 featured Doris one ugly stepsister returning in Shrek the Third in 2007. Animation series Ever After High introduced Ashlynn Ella daughter of Cinderella. Lynne Southerland directed Cinderella and the Secret Prince in 2018. Lotte Reiniger created Aschenputtel in 1922 using silhouette shadow play techniques showing exaggerated figures without backgrounds creating stark visuals where step-sisters graphically hacked feet off fitting glass slippers. Spanish film Érase una vez... released in 1950 directed by Alejandro Cirici-Pellicer received honorable mention at Venice Biennale declared national interest by Sindicato Nacional del Espectáculo. Japanese animation World Famous Fairy Tale Series Sekai meisaku dōwa ran 1975-83 featuring nine-minute adaptations while Manga Fairy Tales of the World followed 1976-79 ten-minute versions. Soyuzmultfilm produced Cinderella in 1979 based on Charles Perrault's version. My Favorite Fairy Tales anime anthology aired 1986 with twelve-minute adaptation. Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics ran 1987-89 as half-hour episodes. Funky Fables Ponkikki Meisaku World presented adaptations between 1988-90. Jetlag Productions released Cinderella in 1994 as direct-to-video film. Toei Animation produced World Fairy Tale Series Anime sekai no dōwa in 1995 with half-hour adaptations. Tatsunoko Production created Cinderella Monogatari The Story of Cinderella in 1996. Simsala Grimm adapted this story in 2000 revealing stepsisters Agatha and Beata burned dresses Cinderella wore. Stepmother gave prince potion making him faint blaming stepdaughter third day before Yoyo Doc Croc freed her helping prince recognize true bride. French/Belgian Cendrillon au Far West set wild western age written directed Pascal Hérold in 2012. Italian Alessandro Rak directed Cinderella the Cat in 2017. Netflix anthology Grimm Variations released 2024 featuring sinister girl Kiyoko treating others like dolls.
Ella Cinders released in 1926 starred Colleen Moore based on comic strip by William M. Conselman and Charles Plumb inspired by Charles Perrault's version. First Love musical modernization featured Deanna Durbin and Robert Stack in 1939. Jerry Lewis played Cinderfella whose fairy godfather Ed Wynn helped escape wicked stepmother Judith Anderson and stepbrothers in 1960 film. Drew Barrymore starred in Ever After 1998 post-feminist historical fiction take on story. Anne Hathaway appeared in Ella Enchanted 2004 fantasy retelling based on 1997 novel. Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray led A Cinderella Story 2004 modernization while Selena Gomez and Drew Seeley headlined Another Cinderella Story 2008. Lucy Hale and Freddie Stroma starred in A Cinderella Story Once Upon a Song 2011. Sofia Carson and Thomas Law appeared in If the Shoe Fits 2016. Laura Marano and Gregg Sulkin played leads in Christmas Wish 2019. Bailee Madison and Michael Evans Behling headlined Starstruck 2021. Ashlee Hewitt and Sterling Knight portrayed Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale 2010. Chosen Jacobs and Lexi Underwood starred Sneakerella 2022. Rodgers and Hammerstein musical adaptation aired 1957 starring Julie Andrews Jon Cypher Kaye Ballard Alice Ghostley Edie Adams originally broadcast color surviving only black-and-white kinescopes. BBC Television broadcast British version the 26th of December 1958 starring June Thorburn John Fabian Peter Sallis Joan Benham Edna Petrie Frazer Hines Kynaston Reeves Colin Douglas Patrick Cargill Dennis Ramsden Balbina Bernard Horsfall. Lesley Ann Warren aged 18 led second production 1965 featuring Stuart Damon Ginger Rogers Walter Pidgeon Celeste Holm filmed color broadcast annually ten years. Shelley Duvall produced Faerie Tale Theatre version 1985. The Charmings spoofed story episode Cindy's Back In Town 1987 with Kim Johnston Ulrich portraying Cinderella making play for Snow White husband Prince Charming. Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods film adaptation released 1989 Broadway original 1987 won Best Score Book Tony Awards 1988. Brandy Whitney Houston Bernadette Peters Jason Alexander Whoopi Goldberg starred third Rodgers Hammerstein TV production 1997 remake of earlier versions. Marcella Plunkett Kathleen Turner Jane Birkin headlined British TV modernization. The 10th Kingdom 2000 miniseries featured Cinderella major character. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister 2002 TV movie by Gene Quintano Gavin Millar focused step-sister point of view based book same name. Jessy Schram played recurring Cinderella Once Upon a Time 2011 making deal Rumplestiltskin killed fairy godmother front her Ashley real-world counterpart discovered stepsister wanted marry footman rather prince different Cinderella season seven Dania Ramirez went ball kill prince not meet him. Family Guy episode Grimm Job 12x10 retold story Lois as Cinderella Peter Prince Charming Mayor West fairy godmother Lois mother wicked step-mother Meg Stewie stepsisters. Rags 2012 gender switched inversion starring Keke Palmer Max Schneider. Sesame Street special CinderElmo Magic Adventures Mumfie Scarecrowella feature male protagonists playing Cinderella role. My Little Pony first-season finale Best Night Ever parodies key parts story. Carry On Christmas Special 1969 sketch spoofing Cinderella Barbara Windsor plays Cinderella.
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Common questions
Who recorded the earliest known variant of Cinderella in Greek history?
The Greek geographer Strabo recorded the earliest known variant of Cinderella between 7 BC and AD 23. This account describes Rhodopis, a courtesan living in Naucratis Egypt whose sandal was snatched by an eagle and delivered to King Psammetichus.
When did Giambattista Basile publish the first European literary version of Cinderella?
Giambattista Basile published the first European literary version of Cinderella in Naples Italy in 1634 within his collection titled Pentamerone. The tale written in Neapolitan dialect is titled La gatta Cenerentola and features the character Zezolla.
What year did Walt Disney release its famous animated feature film Cinderella?
Walt Disney released its famous animated feature film Cinderella on the 15th of February 1950. This production is now considered one of Disney's Classics and incorporates the titular character as a member of the Disney Princess franchise.
Which composer created the opera Zolushka or Cinderella in 1945?
Sergei Prokofiev created the ballet and opera Zolushka or Cinderella in 1945. Peter Maxwell Davies later wrote a pantomime opera in 1979 using Prokofiev's music set in 1940 London.
How many variants of Cinderella are known to exist in South Korea?
There are 17 variants of Cinderella known in South Korea featuring the story of Kongjwi and Patjwi. These versions distinguish themselves through extreme violence and plot continuation past marriage where the heroine avenges her death with determination.