The Goose Girl ~ Origins

Welcome to the origins of The Goose Girl tale!

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While the theme of the false bride is not an unusual one in the world history of fairy tale and folklore, The Grimm Brothers’ “The Goose Girl” is fairly unique. It was first published in their collection in 1815, and this particular version can be traced to Dorothea Viehmann, a common source behind many of the Brothers Grimm’s stories.

The daughter of a tavern owner, Dorothea Viehmann had more than ample opportunity to hear a variety of tales and legends growing up. While she was born in Germany, she had French Huguenot ancestry that also influenced her knowledge of folklore. She met the Grimm brothers in 1813, and they were certainly impressed with her storytelling prowess: it’s said she shared with them over forty tales to add to their collection! However, by far the most famous of her contributions is “The Goose Girl.”

Perhaps one of the most interesting histories I found on the Goose Girl’s origins is a gender-swapped version! The ballad “The Lord of Lorn and the False Steward” (sung to the tune of Greensleeves) dates back at least to the sixteenth century, and it in turn was possibly derived from the Scottish romance “Roswall and Lillian.” Both works contain the story of a young lord (or prince) who is forced by his treacherous steward to switch places.

Another fascinating tidbit: despite being what many would consider one of the more obscure tales, “The Goose Girl” was actually one of the first fairy tales to be adapted for the screen! Though now believed to be lost, a silent film of the story was released in 1915, starring Marguerite Clark, who would later star as the titular character in the first feature-film length adaptation of “Snow White.”

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(This post was written by our brilliant Hayden Wand, as usual, but I’m posting it this month due to technical issues.)