Series exploring the Handless Maiden tale and the descent and return of the Dark Night of the Soul…
The Handless Maiden is a myth that speaks powerfully to our dark and confusing times. It’s a fairy tale that was collected by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, but its roots are much older. The story is about a maiden whose father sells her to the devil in exchange for wealth and convenience. Her hands… Continue reading The Handless Maiden: Healing a Dark Night of the Soul
There are many versions of The Handless Maiden from around the world. It’s a fairy tale that was collected by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, but its roots are much older. This telling is my adaptation of the tale with gratitude to Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Read the introduction to this series here or follow the… Continue reading The Handless Maiden (complete story)
Once there was a miller who had fallen into poverty. His mill was broken so he had to go to the forest to chop wood. One day, when he was hacking at a tree stump, an old man appeared and said, “I’ll make you rich if you give me what stands behind your mill.” The… Continue reading The Handless Maiden part 1: Deal with the Devil
Our story continues: the deal has been made and three years have passed… At last, the dreadful day arrived when the devil would come to claim his payment: the maiden. That morning, the girl washed and drew a circle around herself with chalk. The devil appeared, but couldn’t come near her. Furious, he demanded she… Continue reading The Handless Maiden part 2: Dismemberment
Our story continues: the deal has been made and the maiden has lost her hands… The devil retreated to the forest and the maiden’s parents did their best to care for their daughter. Her father begged her to stay, promising to provide everything she could ever want or need, but she refused. She had her… Continue reading The Handless Maiden part 3: Entering the Forest
Our story continues: the maiden has found her way to the king’s orchard… The next day, the king was walking in his garden, counting his pears, for he knew exactly how many were on each tree, when he realised that one was missing. He called the gardener and questioned him. The gardener explained to the… Continue reading The Handless Maiden part 4: Love in the Underworld
Our story continues: the maiden has become a queen with silver hands… The queen stayed in the castle and the king lavished her with love and care. But in time, he had to leave to wage war in a distant land. Before he left, the king asked his mother to take care of the queen,… Continue reading The Handless Maiden part 5: The Devil Returns
Our story continues: the queen with silver hands has given birth, but all is not well… The queen and her son were no longer safe in the castle, and so, with the baby bound to her breast, the queen bid farewell to the king’s mother. Weeping, she left the castle and returned to the forest.… Continue reading The Handless Maiden part 6: Wandering and Waiting
Our story continues: the queen is healing in the forest with her child, but what of the king… Soon after the queen left the castle, the king returned from the war, but the queen and his child weren’t there waiting for him. He asked his mother where they were. She was furious with him, and… Continue reading The Handless Maiden part 7: Inner Marriage
Back in 2017, when the world was only half mad, I ran a series on the old fairy tale The Handless Maiden. It’s a gruesome tale of betrayal and trauma, but also of healing and hope. I revisited it recently to create a pdf version for my lovely readers to download and realised how relevant… Continue reading The Handless Maiden eBook – it’s Free!
Jessica Davidson 