an examination of those variants of those larger compounds, which have also traces of The Water of Life or some allied motive.
Turning first to such versions of the combination The Grateful Dead + The Poison Maiden, we find eleven on our list, all of which have already been summarized and discussed in connection with the simple compound.[1] These are Esthonian II., Rumanian I., Irish I., Irish II., Irish III, Danish III, Norwegian II., Simrock X., Harz I., Jack the Giant-Killer, and Old Wives' Tale. Since we know definitely that Danish III. (the tale by Christian Andersen) was taken from Norwegian II, it may be left out of account. Ten variants thus remain to be studied with reference to the subsidiary elements.
In Esthonian II. the hero releases a princess, who goes with devils every night to church, by watching in the church for three nights with three, six, and twelve candles on successive nights. In Rumanian I. the hero wins a princess by explaining why she wears out twelve pairs of slippers every night; and he accomplishes this by the aid of his helper, who follows the lady in the form of a cat, and picks up the handkerchief, spoon, and ring which she drops in the house of the dragons. According to Irish I. the helper obtains for the hero horses of gold and silver, a sword of light, a cloak of darkness, and a pair of slippery shoes; he helps him keep over night a comb and a pair of scissors, in spite of enchantment, and finally gets the lips of the giant enchanter, so that the hero unspells and wins the lady of his quest. In Irish II. the hero is joined by a green man (the grateful dead), a gunner, a listener, a blower, and a strong man. By the aid of the first he gives his princess a pair of scissors, a comb, and the enchanter's head; by the aid of the others he obtains water from the well of the western world, and is enabled to walk over three miles of needles. Irish III.
- ↑ See pp. 58-73.
