Die Prinzessin und Curdie
Die Prinzessin und Curdie (Originaltitel: The Princess and Curdie) ist ein Fantasy-Roman des schottischen Autors George MacDonald aus dem Jahr 1883. Es handelt sich dabei um eine Fortsetzung seines elf Jahre zuvor erschienenen Werks Die Prinzessin und der Kobold. Beide Bücher gemeinsam werden in der englischsprachigen Literatur als Princess Books oder Curdie Books bezeichnet.
Handlung
Ein Jahr ist seit dem Angriff der Kobolde auf das königliche Schloss vergangen. Der König beschließt, mit seiner Tochter, Prinzessin Irene, in seinen Palast in der Hauptstadt Gwyntystorm zu ziehen. Der 13-jährige Bergmannssohn Curdie Peterson, der sich mit seinem Mut die Gunst des Königs erworben hatte, zieht es hingegen vor, bei seinen Eltern zu bleiben. Im Laufe der Zeit schwindet Curdies Glauben an die geheimnisvolle Ururgroßmutter der Prinzessin und er findet Gefallen an der Jagd. Eines Tages verletzt er mit seinem Bogen rücksichtslos eine der Tauben der Großmutter, woraufhin sie den Jungen zu sich ruft. Curdie zeigt sich geläutert und erhält von der alten Dame eine Mission. Sie stattet ihn mit magischen Händen aus, die ihn dazu befähigen, das Wesen seiner Mitmenschen zu erfassen. Außerdem stellt sie ihm eine vierbeinige Kreatur namens Lina zur Seite und überreicht seinem Vater einen Smaragd, der die Farbe ändert, sobald sich Curdie in Gefahr begibt.
Curdie und Lina machen sich auf den Weg nach Gwyntystorm. Während der Reise bewahrt Lina den jungen Bergmann vor dem einen oder anderen Übel und erweist sich somit als treue Begleiterin. Am Königspalast angekommen, finden sie den König in einer grauenvollen Gesundheitsverfassung vor. Prinzessin Irene pflegt ihren Vater auf dem Krankenbett. Curdie bringt in Erfahrung, dass der Leibarzt den König langsam vergiftet anstatt ihm zu helfen. Auch die anderen Hofdiener sind Teil einer Verschwörung gegen den Regenten, die darauf abzielt, Irene mit einem ausgewählten Thronwerber zu vermählen, sobald ihr Vater tot ist. Mithilfe der Ururgroßmutter, die sich als Magd verkleidet, gelingt es, das Komplott aufzulösen. Später heiratet Curdie die Prinzessin und regiert das Königreich nach dem Tod seines Schwiegervaters großherzig. Die Ehe bleibt jedoch kinderlos und auf Curdie folgt ein goldgieriger Despot, der die Stadt ins Verderben stürzt. Der Name Gwyntystorm ward danach für immer vergessen.
Illustrationen
Die Originalausgabe erschien 1883 bei J. B. Lippincott & Co. und wurde von James Allen illustriert. Die wahrscheinlich bekanntesten Illustrationen fertigte Maria Louise Kirk für eine Neuauflage des Buches im Jahr 1908 an.
- Maria Louise Kirk (1908)
Die jugendliche Mutter Curdies beobachtet das Licht der Ururgroßmutter
Curdie und sein Vater werden von der Großmutter empfangen
Lina beschützt den schlafenden Curdie vor aufdringlichen Vögeln
Curdie und Lina mit einem Kind auf dem Rücken in Gwyntystorm
Curdie begrüßt Prinzessin Irene im Königspalast von Gwyntystorm
Der korrupte Attorney General wird von einer Riesenspinne gelähmt
Rezeption
The Princess and Curdie wurde erstmals fünf Jahre nach The Princess and the Goblin in der Zeitschrift Good Things veröffentlicht und erschien 1883 in Buchform. Anders als im ersten Werk kommt ein deutlicher Zivilisationspessimismus zum Ausdruck. MacDonald entwirft – inspiriert durch William Blake – ein düsteres Gesellschaftsbild, dessen Ende wie die biblische Apokalypse anmutet.[1] Seiner im ersten Roman etablierten christlichen Symbolik rund um die mystische Großmutterfigur bleibt er treu.
Das Buch gilt vor allem in Kombination mit seinem Vorgängerroman als Klassiker der Kinder- und Jugendliteratur, wird zumeist aber deutlich weniger positiv aufgenommen. Die bekannte Schriftstellerin und Journalistin Lynne Truss reflektierte 2009 im Independent über ihre Erfahrungen mit dem Buch, das sie zu ihrem siebenten Geburtstag geschenkt bekommen hatte. Sie nannte es „düster, dicht und moralistisch“.[2] Die studierte Literatin Rebecca Fisher empfand den Handlungsstrang der Verschwörung gegen den König für das späte 19. Jahrhundert als überholt und kritisierte die mangelnde Charakterentwicklung von Lina und anderen Figuren. Außerdem übte sie Kritik am ihrer Ansicht nach unchristlichen Rachemotiv am Ende der Geschichte, welches mit Sätzen wie „they were smeared with rancid dripping, their faces were rubbed in maggots“ („sie wurden mit ranzigem Bratenfett beschmiert, ihre Gesichter in Maden gerieben“) in einer beinahe sadistischen Freude geschildert würde.[3]
Literatur
- Humphrey Carpenter: George MacDonald and the Tender Grandmother. In: Secret Gardens: A Study of the Golden Age of Children’s Literature, London 1985, ISBN 978-0571249145, S. 70–85 (englisch).
- Maria Gonzalez Davies: A Spiritual Presence in Fairyland: The Great-GreatGrandmother in the Princess Books. In: North Wind: A Journal of George MacDonald Studies Volume 12 (1993), S. 60–65. Online, abgerufen am 31. März 2019 (englisch).
- Mary Kirkpatrick: An Introduction to the Curdie Books by George MacDonald including Parallels between Them and the Narnia Chronicles. In: CSL: The Bulletin of the New York C. S. Lewis Society 5 (1974), S. 1–6 (englisch).
- Michael C. Kotzin: C. S. Lewis and George MacDonald: The Silver Chair and the Princess Books. In: Mythlore 8 (1981), S. 5–15 (englisch).
- Roderick McGillis: George MacDonald’s «Princess» Books: High Seriousness. In: Perry Nodelman (Hrsg.): Touchstones. Reflections on the Best in Children’s Literature. Volume 1, West Lafayette 1985, ISBN , S. 146–162 (englisch).
- Joseph Sigman: The Diamond in the Ashes: A Jungian Reading of the Princess Books. In: Roderick McGillis (Hrsg.): For the Childlike. George MacDonald’s Fantasies for Children. Metuchen 1992, ISBN 978-0810824591, S. 161–168 (englisch).
- E. Sparks: «The Princess and the Goblin» and «The Princess and Curdie». In: F. N. Magill (Hrsg.): Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature. Volume 3, Englewood Cliffs 1983, S. 1280–1285 (englisch).
Weblinks
Einzelnachweise
- ↑ Bettina Kümmerling-Meibauer: Klassiker der Kinder- und Jugendliteratur. Ein internationales Lexikon. J. B. Metzler, Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 978-3-476-01235-7, S. 669–671. Google-Vorschau, abgerufen am 17. Mai 2019.
- ↑ Lynne Truss: Book Of A Lifetime: The Princess and the Curdie, By George MacDonald. 9. Oktober 2009, abgerufen am 17. Mai 2019 (englisch).
- ↑ Rebecca Fisher: The Princess and Curdie: Give it a miss. Fantasy Literature, abgerufen am 17. Mai 2019 (englisch).
Auf dieser Seite verwendete Medien
Cover page of The Princess and Curdie (1883) by George MacDonald
_(14577762130).jpg)
Autor/Urheber: Maria Louise Kirk , Lizenz: No restrictions
Identifier: princesscurdiemacd
Title: The princess and Curdie Year: 1908 (1900s) Authors: MacDonald, George, 1824-1905 Subjects: Publisher: Philadelphia London : J.B. Lippincott Contributing Library: Information and Library Science Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Digitizing Sponsor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.
Text Appearing Before Image: down under the tree, closedhis eyes, and thought to sleep. He found him-self mistaken however. But although he couldnot sleep, he was yet aware of resting delight-fully. Presently he heard a sweet sound ofsinging somewhere, such as he had never heardbefore—a singing as of curious birds far off,which drew nearer and nearer. At length heheard their wings, and, opening his eyes, saw anumber of very large birds, as it seemed, alight-ing around him, still singing. It was strange tohear song from the throats of such big birds.And still singing, with large and round but notthe less bird-like voices, they began to weave astrange dance about him, moving their wings intime with their legs. But the dance seemedsomehow to be troubled and broken, and to returnupon itself in an eddy, in place of sweepingsmoothly on. And he soon learned, in the lowshort growls behind him, the cause of the imper-fection : they wanted to dance all round the tree,but Lina would not permit them to come on herside. 118
Text Appearing After Image: THEY BEGAN TO WEAVE A STRANGE DANCE ABOUT HIM LINA Now Curdie liked the birds, and did notaltogether like Lina. But neither, nor bothtogether, made a reason for driving away theprincesss creature. Doubtless she had been agoblins creature, but the last time he saw herwas in the kings house and the dove-tower, andat the old princesss feet. So he left her to doas she would, and the dance of the birds con-tinued only a semicircle, troubled at the edges,and returning upon itself. But their song andtheir motions, nevertheless, and the waving oftheir wings, began at length to make him verysleepy. All the time he had kept doubting everynow and then whether they could really be birds,and the sleepier he got, the more he imaginedthem something else, but he suspected no harm.Suddenly, just as he was sinking beneath thewaves of slumber, he awoke in fierce pain. Thebirds were upon him—all over him—and hadbegun to tear him with beaks and claws. Hehad but time, however, to feel that he could not
Note About Images
Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work._(14762102334).jpg)
Autor/Urheber: Maria Louise Kirk , Lizenz: No restrictions
Identifier: princesscurdiemacd (find matches)
Title: The princess and Curdie
Year: 1908 (1900s)
Authors: MacDonald, George, 1824-1905
Subjects:
Publisher: Philadelphia London : J.B. Lippincott
Contributing Library: Information and Library Science Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Digitizing Sponsor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.
Text Appearing Before Image:
IE princess he remembered, he never doubted it wasshe. For one thing, he knew that most girlswould have been frightened to see him there inthe 4ea(i of tne night, but like a true princess,and the princess he used to know, she walkedstraight on to meet him. As she came she low-ered the hand she had lifted, and laid the fore-finger of it upon her lips. Nearer and nearer,quite near, close up to him she came, thenstopped, and stood a moment looking at him. You are Curdie, she said. And you are the Princess Irene, he re-turned. Then we know each other still, she said, witha sad smile of pleasure. You will help me. That I will, answered Curdie. He did notsay, If I can; for he knew that what he wassent to do, that he could do. May I kiss yourhand, little princess? She was only between nine and ten, thoughindeed she looked several years older, and hereyes almost those of a grown woman, for shehad had terrible trouble of late. She held out her hand. I am not the little princess any more. I 178
Text Appearing After Image:
SHE HELD OUT HER HAND THE KINGS CHAMBER have grown up since I saw you last, Mr. Miner. The smile which accompanied the words had init a strange mixture of playfulness and sadness. So I see, Miss Princess, returned Curdie; and therefore, being more of a princess, youare the more my princess. Here I am, sent byyour great-great-grandmother, to be your ser-vant.— May I ask why you are up so late,princess? Because my father wakes so frightened,and I dont know what he would do if he didntfind me by his bedside. There! hes waking now. She darted off to the side of the bed she hadcome from. Curdie stood where he was. A voice altogether unlike what he rememberedof the mighty, noble king on his white horsecame from the bed, thin, feeble, hollow, andhusky, and in tone like that of a petulant child:— I will not, I will not. I am a king, and Iwill be a king. I hate you and despise you, andyou shall not torture me! Never mind them, father dear, said theprincess. I am here, and they shant touchy
Note About Images
_(14741469666).jpg)
Autor/Urheber: Maria Louise Kirk , Lizenz: No restrictions
Identifier: princesscurdiemacd (find matches)
Title: The princess and Curdie
Year: 1908 (1900s)
Authors: MacDonald, George, 1824-1905
Subjects:
Publisher: Philadelphia London : J.B. Lippincott
Contributing Library: Information and Library Science Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Digitizing Sponsor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.
Text Appearing Before Image:
the butler,where he lay tied hand and foot under the thirdcask. From that cask he had seen the wine runinto a great bath, and therein he expected to bedrowned. The doctor, with his crushed leg,needed no one to guard him. And now Curdie proceeded to the expulsion ofthe rest. Great men or underlings, he treatedthem all alike. From room to room over thehouse he went, and sleeping or waking took theman by the hand. Such was the state to which ayear of wicked rule had reduced the moral con-dition of the court, that in it all he found butthree with human hands. The possessors of thesehe allowed to dress themselves and depart inpeace. When they perceived his mission, andhow he was backed, they yielded without dispute. Then commenced a general hunt, to clear thehouse of the vermin. Out of their beds in theirnight-clothing, out of their rooms, gorgeouschambers or garret nooks, the creatures huntedthem. Not one was allowed to escape. Tumultand noise there was little, for fear was too deadly 258
Text Appearing After Image:
ON A FOOTSTOOL A YARD OFF SAT THE SPIDER GLARING AT HIM MORE VENGEANCE for outcry. Ferreting them out everywhere, fol-lowing them upstairs and downstairs, yielding noinstant of repose except upon the way out, theavengers persecuted the miscreants, until the lastof them was shivering outside the palace gates,with hardly sense enough left to know where toturn. When they set out to look for shelter, theyfound every inn full of the servants expelledbefore them, and not one would yield his place toa superior suddenly levelled with himself. Mosthouses refused to admit them on the ground ofthe wickedness that must have drawn on themsuch a punishment; and not a few would havebeen left in the streets all night, had not Derba,roused by the vain entreaties at the doors on eachside of her cottage, opened hers, and given upeverything to them. The lord chancellor wasonly too glad to share a mattress with a stable-boy, and steal his bare feet under his jacket. In the morning Curdie appeared, and the
Note About Images
_(14764128072).jpg)
Autor/Urheber: Maria Louise Kirk , Lizenz: No restrictions
Identifier: princesscurdiemacd
Title: The princess and Curdie Year: 1908 (1900s) Authors: MacDonald, George, 1824-1905 Subjects: Publisher: Philadelphia London : J.B. Lippincott Contributing Library: Information and Library Science Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Digitizing Sponsor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.
Text Appearing Before Image: against his legs. Now there was one little thatched house thatstood squeezed in between two tall gables, andthe sides of the two great houses shot out proj ect-ing windows that nearly met across the roof ofthe little one, so that it lay in the street like adolls house. In this house lived a poor oldwoman, with a grandchild. And because shenever gossiped or quarrelled, or chaffered in themarket, but went without what she could notafford, the people called her a witch, and wouldhave done her many an ill turn if they had notbeen afraid of her. Now while Curdie was look-ing in another direction the door opened, and outcame a little dark-haired, black-eyed, gipsy-look-ing child, and toddled across the market-placetowards the outcasts. The moment they saw hercoming, Lina lay down flat on the road, and withher two huge forepaws covered her mouth, whileCurdie went to meet her, holding out his arms.The little one came straight to him, and held upher mouth to be kissed. Then she took him by 144
Text Appearing After Image: SO HE SET HER ON LINAS BACK, HOLDING HER HAND THE DOGS OF GWYNTYSTORM the hand, and drew him towards the house, andCurdie yielded to the silent invitation. Butwhen Lina rose to follow, the child shrunk fromher, frightened a little. Curdie took her up, andholding her on one arm, patted Lina with theother hand. Then the child wanted also to patdoggy, as she called her by a right bountifulstretch of courtesy, and having once patted her,nothing would serve but Curdie must let her havea ride on doggy. So he set her on Linas back,holding her hand, and she rode home in merrytriumph, all unconscious of the hundreds of eyesstaring at her foolhardiness from the windowsabout the market-place, or the murmur of deepdisapproval that rose from as many lips. At thedoor stood the grandmother to receive them. Shecaught the child to her bosom with delight at hercourage, welcomed Curdie, and showed no dreadof Lina. Many were the significant nods ex-changed, and many a one said to another that thedevil an
Note About Images
Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work._(14741448046).jpg)
Autor/Urheber: Internet Archive Book Images, Lizenz: No restrictions
Identifier: princesscurdiemacd (find matches)
Title: The princess and Curdie
Year: 1908 (1900s)
Authors: MacDonald, George, 1824-1905
Subjects:
Publisher: Philadelphia London : J.B. Lippincott
Contributing Library: Information and Library Science Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Digitizing Sponsor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.
Text Appearing Before Image:
heir surprise, the light,instead of being in front of them, was shiningat the same distance to the right, where they didnot know there was any passage at all. Thenthey discovered, by the light of the lanterns theycarried, that there the water had broken through,and made an adit to a part of the mountain ofwhich Peter knew nothing. But they werehardly well into it, still following the light, be-fore Curdie thought he recognised some of thepassages he had so often gone through when hewas watching the goblins. After they had ad-vanced a long way, with many turnings, now tothe right, now to the left, all at once their eyesseemed to come suddenly to themselves, and theybecame aware that the light which they had takento be a great way from them was in realityalmost within reach of their hands. The sameinstant it began to grow larger and thinner, thepoint of light grew dim as it spread, the green-ness melted away, and in a moment or two, in-stead of the star, a dark, dark and yet luminous 66
Text Appearing After Image:
CURDIE AND HIS FATHER BEHELD A I.ADT, BEATTTIFUL EXCEEDINGLY THE EMERALD face was looking at them with living eyes. AndCurdie felt a great awe swell up in his heart, forhe thought he had seen those eyes before. I see you know me, Curdie, said a voice. If your eyes are you, maam, then I knowyou, said Curdie. But I never saw yourface before. Yes, you have seen it, Curdie, said the voice. And with that the darkness of its complexionmelted away, and down from the face dawnedout the form that belonged to it, until at lastCurdie and his father beheld a lady, beautifulexceedingly, dressed in something pale green,like velvet, over which her hair fell in cataractsof a rich golden colour. It looked as if it werepouring down from her head, and, like the waterof the Dustbrook, vanishing in a golden vapourere it reached the floor. It came flowing fromunder the edge of a coronet of gold, set withalternated pearls and emeralds. In front of thecrown was a great emerald, which looked some-how as if ou
Note About Images
_(14577810068).jpg)
Autor/Urheber: Maria Louise Kirk , Lizenz: No restrictions
Identifier: princesscurdiemacd
Title: The princess and Curdie Year: 1908 (1900s) Authors: MacDonald, George, 1824-1905 Subjects: Publisher: Philadelphia London : J.B. Lippincott Contributing Library: Information and Library Science Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Digitizing Sponsor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.
Text Appearing Before Image: n the top ofthe tower, where she went through all the—what should he call it?—the behaviour of pre-senting him to her grandmother, talking nowto her and now to him, while all the time hesaw nothing but a bare garret, a heap of mustystraw, a sunbeam, and a withered apple. Lady,he would have declared before the king himself,young or old, there was none, except the prin-cess herself, who was certainly vexed that hecould not see what she at least believed she saw.And for his mother, she had once seen, longbefore Curdie was born, a certain mysteriouslight of the same description with one Irenespoke of, calling it her grandmothers moon;and Curdie himself had seen this same light,shining from above the castle, just as the kingand princess were taking their leave. Sincethat time neither had seen or heard anythingthat could be supposed connected with her.Strangely enough, however, nobody had seenher go away. If she was such an old lady, she could hardly be supposed to have set out alone 22
Text Appearing After Image: SHE HAD ONCE SEEN A CERTAIN MYSTERIOUS LIGHT OF THE SAMEDESCRIPTION THE WHITE PIGEON and on foot when all the house was asleep. Still,away she must have gone, for of course, if shewas so powerful, she would always be about theprincess to take care of her. But as Cur die grew older, he doubted moreand more whether Irene had not been talkingof some dream she had taken for reality: hehad heard it said that children could not alwaysdistinguish betwixt dreams and actual events.At the same time there was his mothers testi-mony: what was he to do with that? Hismother, through whom he had learned every-thing, could hardly be imagined by her owndutiful son to have mistaken a dream for afact of the waking world. So he rather shrunkfrom thinking about it, and the less he thoughtabout it, the less he was inclined to believe itwhen he did think about it, and therefore, ofcourse, the less inclined to talk about it to hisfather and mother; for although his father wasone of those men who for one word
Note About Images
Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.