The story of Cinderella has been around for many years. The popular folk tale actually has thousands of variations, from Asia to Europe. I first encountered the story when I saw Disney’s version. I loved the singing animals and the Fairy Godmother. Disney’s version is popular amongst children because of the incorporation of music and animals. This version of the story is most notable for Cinderella’s glass slipper.
Of course, the famous Disney version is different from the other versions. The oldest known oral version of Cinderella was from the Greek story of Rhodopis. In the 19thcentury, the Grimm brothers wrote their own and it is one of the most popular versions of Cinderella. In twelfth-century AD, another Cinderella variant was born and it was told by Marie de France. It is also important to note the Asian versions of the story; Ye Xian, written by Duan Chengshi in 860. There is also a Japanese, Arabic, Vietnamese, and Iranian version of the story. Although the stories are unique from each other, the spirit of Cinderella lives on every single one of them.
Cinderella does not only exist within literary forms, it has also been made into an opera, ballet, play, and films. It has made its way into popular culture. Into the Woods, a live action musical film starring Anna Kendrick as Cinderella was premiered in 2014. The story has also been adapted into books, such as Ella Enchanted (1998) and Adelita: A Mexican Cinderella Story (2004). It has even made its way into the Sesame Street special, “Cinderelmo”.
Cinderella has so many variants to offer each person. Whether it be the Grimm brothers’ version, Disney’s version, or the old Greek version. Each variant is special on its own.
Michaela Oconer 