What is the real story behind Sleeping Beauty?

Answer 1

There are versions of this tale in several cultures. The oldest written one that I know of is "Sun, Moon and Talia" from Basile's "Pentameron." When I read that story, I got the feeling that the inspiration for this tale is a woman awakening from a coma. Talia passes out from the pain of a piece of flax under her fingernail and is mistaken for dead. Her grieving father can't bear to remain in the house, so he shuts it up, leaving her inside, and the untended yard becomes a wilderness. All this has the ring of truth. Then the prince comes along and checks out the mystery house. In a disgusting turn of events that has the ring of truth, he rapes the sleeping girl. She becomes pregnant. We've seen modern news accounts of women falling into comas AFTER becoming pregnant and giving birth while still in the coma. I don't know how likely it was in the Middle Ages that a woman in a coma would give birth, especially if she had no one to tend to her. Here the story enters fantasy. She gives birth to twins. They need to suck, and one sucks the flax from under her fingernail. That wakes her up. She is surprised to discover she's become a mother. The prince returns, takes her as his mistress (he's already married, the cad!) and things go really wrong when his wife finds out. This, too, could have really happened.

That's the long answer to your question. The short answer: We don't know the real story. Very likely Sleeping Beauty was inspired in part by real-life events. The rest is imagination.

Answer 2

no