Tale Summary
A rich gentleman called Blue Beard is unable to find a new wife due to his unusual beard and rumors about his missing wives. Through lavish entertainment, a maiden named Fatima decides to marry him. He gives his wife a set of keys to all the treasures in the house, commanding her not to use the smallest key, and leaves for business. Her curiosity gets the best of her and she opens to door to discover his murdered wives, dropping the key. The magical key cannot be cleaned, and when Blue Beard returns and sees it stained with blood, he decides to kill her. She persuades him to let her pray first, and her sister signals their brothers for help. They kill Blue Beard, his widow inherits his wealth, and she eventually marries again and lives happily ever after.
Fairy Tale Title
Blue Beard
Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)
A. T. Quiller-Couch
Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)
Edmund Dulac
Common Tale Type
Maiden-killer
Tale Classification
ATU 312
Page Range of Tale
pp. 27-46
Full Citation of Tale
“Blue Beard.” The Sleeping Beauty and Other Fairy Tales from the Old French, Quiller-Couch, A. T, New York: Hodder and Stoughton, 1910, pp. 27-46.
Original Source of the Tale
Charles Perrault
Tale Notes
This story is set in a fictional location in the East instead of Europe. In this story, Blue Beard also puts up with various pranks and mischief. He also monologues about his belief in the vices of women. Interestingly, this story includes a moral at the end for not just wives, but husbands.
Research and Curation
Aisha O., 2020
Book Title
Old French Fairy Tales
Book Author/Editor(s)
A. T. Quiller-Couch
Illustrator(s)
Edmund Dulac
Publisher
Hodder and Stoughton
Date Published
1910
Decade Published
1910-1919
Publisher City
New York
Publisher Country
United States
Language
English
Rights
Public Domain
Digital Copy
Text available at the Gutenberg Project
Book Notes
None
More like this tale
“Mr. Fox.” Fairy Gold : A Book of Old English Fairy Tales Chosen by Ernest Rhys, Ernest Rhys, London: J.M. Dent & Co.; New York : E.P. Dutton & co., 1907, pp. 49-50.
“Blue Beard.” The Arthur Rackham fairy book : a book of old favourites with new illustrations, Arthur Rackham, Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott., 1933, pp. 143-152.
“Blue Beard.” Histories or Tales of Past Times Written for Children Told By Mother Goose with Morals, Charles Perrault, edited by J. Saxon Childers, London: The Nonesuch Press., 1925, pp. 30-40.
“Blue Beard.” The Sleeping Beauty and Other Fairy Tales from the Old French, Quiller-Couch, A. T, New York: Hodder and Stoughton, 1910, pp. 27-46.
“Blue Beard.” Old French Fairy Tales, Charles Perrault, Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1899, pp. 126-137.
“Bluebeard.” In Fairyland: Tales Told Again. Chisholm, Louey, illustrated by Katharine Cameron, New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1904, pp. 6-12.
