The Brown Bear of the Green Glen
Encyclopedia
The Brown Bear of the Green Glen is a Scottish fairy tale
collected by John Francis Campbell
in Popular Tales of the West Highlands
, listing his informant as John MacDonald, a "Traveling Tinker
." He also noted the parallels with The Water of Life
.
, John, known as a fool, set out too, and found his brothers in the first town. He went on. He climbed a tree to spend the night, but a bear with an ember in its mouth came and got him down by threatening to climb up. The bear caught a deer and fed him the cooked meat. In the morning, it had him ride it. Every night, it had him stay with a giant
by saying that the brown bear of the green glen had sent him, but the third
giant wrestled with him. As the bear had directed, when the giant had him down, he said that if the brown bear of the green glen were there, it would not go well with him; the bear appeared.
The giant ordered a sheep carcass laid before the door. He told John that an eagle would eat it, and he was to cut the wart from its ear without drawing a drop of blood. The prince did so and the eagle carried him off to the Green Island for the water to cure his father. There, he got the water, and also a whiskey bottle that never emptied, a loaf that grew no smaller when slices were cut off, and a cheese that was the same; he also kissed a sleeping beautiful woman.
The eagle carried him back. He showed the giant the whiskey bottle, and the giant offered him money, a saddle and bridle for it. He agreed, but said the giant must give it to his sweetheart, if she came. The giant agreed. The next two giants, he sold the bread and cheese under the same conditions. He met his brothers in the town and told them to come home, but they set on him to kill him and stole the water. He recovered and called to a smith traveling by, who threw him into his cart. The iron got into his wounds and made him rough-skinned and bald.
The woman John had kissed gave birth to a son. A henwife gave her a bird that would jump to the head of the baby's father on seeing him. She set out, got the whiskey, the cheese, and the bread, and reached the king. She told him what had happened. The king had every man appear before her, but the bird did not jump on any of them. The king demanded if there were anyone else; the smith told of a rough-skinned servant, and John was brought. The bird jumped on him. The king knew him for his son, and asked what should be done to his brothers
. John prescribed what they had done to him, and married the princess.
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
collected by John Francis Campbell
John Francis Campbell
John Francis Campbell , Celtic scholar, educated at Eton and Edinburgh, was afterwards Secretary to the Lighthouse Commission...
in Popular Tales of the West Highlands
Popular Tales of the West Highlands
Popular Tales of the West Highlands is a four-volume collection of fairy tales, collected and published by John Francis Campbell, and often translated from Gaelic as well. Alexander Carmichael was one of the main contributors...
, listing his informant as John MacDonald, a "Traveling Tinker
Scottish Travellers
Scottish Travellers, or the people termed loosely Gypsies and Tinkers in Scotland, consist of a number of diverse, unrelated communities, with groups speaking a variety of different languages and holding to distinct customs, histories, and traditions...
." He also noted the parallels with The Water of Life
The Water of Life (German fairy tale)
The Water of Life is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 97.It is Aarne-Thompson type 551.John Francis Campbell noted it as a parallel of the Scottish fairy tale, The Brown Bear of the Green Glen.-Synopsis:...
.
Synopsis
A king was losing his sight and his ability to walk. His oldest two set out for water to cure him. The youngest sonYoungest son
The youngest son is a stock character in fairy tales, where he features as the hero. He is usually the third son, but sometimes there are more brothers, and sometimes he has only one; usually, they have no sisters....
, John, known as a fool, set out too, and found his brothers in the first town. He went on. He climbed a tree to spend the night, but a bear with an ember in its mouth came and got him down by threatening to climb up. The bear caught a deer and fed him the cooked meat. In the morning, it had him ride it. Every night, it had him stay with a giant
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
by saying that the brown bear of the green glen had sent him, but the third
Rule of three (writing)
The "rule of three" is a principle in writing that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. The reader/audience of this form of text is also more likely to consume information if it is written in groups of...
giant wrestled with him. As the bear had directed, when the giant had him down, he said that if the brown bear of the green glen were there, it would not go well with him; the bear appeared.
The giant ordered a sheep carcass laid before the door. He told John that an eagle would eat it, and he was to cut the wart from its ear without drawing a drop of blood. The prince did so and the eagle carried him off to the Green Island for the water to cure his father. There, he got the water, and also a whiskey bottle that never emptied, a loaf that grew no smaller when slices were cut off, and a cheese that was the same; he also kissed a sleeping beautiful woman.
The eagle carried him back. He showed the giant the whiskey bottle, and the giant offered him money, a saddle and bridle for it. He agreed, but said the giant must give it to his sweetheart, if she came. The giant agreed. The next two giants, he sold the bread and cheese under the same conditions. He met his brothers in the town and told them to come home, but they set on him to kill him and stole the water. He recovered and called to a smith traveling by, who threw him into his cart. The iron got into his wounds and made him rough-skinned and bald.
The woman John had kissed gave birth to a son. A henwife gave her a bird that would jump to the head of the baby's father on seeing him. She set out, got the whiskey, the cheese, and the bread, and reached the king. She told him what had happened. The king had every man appear before her, but the bird did not jump on any of them. The king demanded if there were anyone else; the smith told of a rough-skinned servant, and John was brought. The bird jumped on him. The king knew him for his son, and asked what should be done to his brothers
False hero
The false hero is a stock character in fairy tales, and sometimes also in ballads. The character appears near the end of a story in order to claim to be the hero or heroine and is, therefore, always of the same sex as the hero or heroine. The false hero presents some claim to the position. By...
. John prescribed what they had done to him, and married the princess.
See also
- The King of England and his Three SonsThe King of England and his Three SonsThe King of England and his Three Sons is a Gypsy fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in More English Fairy Tales. He listed as his source Francis Hindes Groome's In Gypsy Tents, where the informant was John Roberts, a Welsh gypsy....
- The King of Erin and the Queen of the Lonesome IslandThe King of Erin and the Queen of the Lonesome IslandThe King of Erin and the Queen of the Lonesome Island is an Irish fairy tale collected by Jeremiah Curtin in Myths and Folk-lore of Ireland.-Synopsis:...
- The Water of LifeThe Water of Life (German fairy tale)The Water of Life is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 97.It is Aarne-Thompson type 551.John Francis Campbell noted it as a parallel of the Scottish fairy tale, The Brown Bear of the Green Glen.-Synopsis:...
- The Rider Of Grianaig, And Iain The Soldier's SonThe Rider Of Grianaig, And Iain The Soldier's SonThe Rider Of Grianaig, And Iain The Soldier's Son is a Scottish fairy tale collected by John Francis Campbell in Popular Tales of the West Highlands, listing his informant as Donald MacNiven, a lame carrier, in Bowmore, Islay; the story was written down by Hector MacLean on 5 July, 1859...
- The Bird 'Grip'The Bird 'Grip'The Bird 'Grip is a Swedish fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it The Pink Fairy Book. It is Aarne-Thompson type 550, the quest for the golden bird/firebird; other tales of this type include The Golden Bird, The Greek Princess and the Young Gardener, How Ian Direach got the Blue Falcon, The Nunda,...
- The Bold Knight, the Apples of Youth, and the Water of LifeThe Bold Knight, the Apples of Youth, and the Water of LifeThe Bold Knight, the Apples of Youth, and the Water of Life is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in Narodnye russkie skazki.-Synopsis:...
- Niels and the GiantsNiels and the GiantsNiels and the Giants is a Danish fairy tale. Andrew Lang included by The Crimson Fairy Book.-Synopsis:A couple had two sons. The older was content to be a shepherd like his father, but the younger, Niels, wanted to be a hunter. He got a gun, practiced with it, and became a good shot. The mother...
- Sleeping BeautySleeping BeautySleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...