Unknown Maltese derivations of the fairy tale Cinderella can shed light on women’s histories, uncovering the voices of persecuted women in the early 1900s, a study has found.
In the story of il-Germudija (the Sooty One), cultural anthropologist and historian Veronica Veen discovered a “very deviant variant” of the fairy tale that echoes the lived experiences of young women in Malta and Gozo.
Her book, ‘The Maltese Cinderella and the women’s storytelling tradition’, is due out soon. In it she “sheds light on the fortitude of women who have struggled to discard soot for respect and admiration”, according to the foreword by Jack Zipes, a world specialist in fairy tales.
The tale, discovered by Dr Veen in 1992, is told by Marija, an elderly Gozitan woman.
Gianna, Marija’s niece, later retold the story to Dr Veen, explaining that the heroine, despite being “the one with all that soot,” always knew to keep up her self-esteem and to take destiny in her own hands.
“And having children is simply left out by Marija, as being not exactly her point,” Dr Veen notes. “Perhaps she did imply that happiness can well be possible without offspring, a situation of which she was a good example herself.”
Cinderella, described by Dr Veen as “a passive heroine,” was appropriated into Gozitan culture, inspiring young women in the early 20th century to aspire to more than house-keeping and married life.
The heroine is instead an energetic and self-conscious maid, who manages to surpass obstacles “without the usual helping animals or fairies’ help”.
“It is under oppression and persecution that women attempt to speak their truths,” notes Zipes, saying that the tale provides a literary narrative that reflects the values of the society at the time.
Dr Veen describes Marija’s tale as a work of art which can easily rival the best of the classical Maltese fairy tales.
The book, the fruit of two and a half years of study and writing based on 30 years of fieldwork mainly on Gozo, is richly illustrated and contains 30 stories. They can be enjoyed as such, though they embed a vivid picture of their social, cultural and historical context.
“This yields a surprising insight into Maltese women’s traditional life and experience in those special, less patriarchal communities,” says Dr Veen.
18th century women
Documents at the Inquisitor’s archives unveil authentic stories of Maltese women in the 18th century accused of criminal activity, including an attempted abortion on a monastery nun, thefts, physical assaults and prostitution.
Other nuns were accused of scandalous and pagan behaviour, one being accused of sexual intercourse with the Devil. Court records unveiled by the author of a new book include accusations against women from Valletta and the villages of abusive and blasphemous conduct, drunkenness, theft, molestation and fighting.
“Maltese women in the 18th century were not personally very much directly involved in any great movements or major political events. They suffered many restrictions and limitations in legal and social rights but still they were neither invisible, inaudible nor unimportant. However, their contribution in various sectors to the growth and development of their society was significant and should not be overlooked or undervalued,” said Yosanne Vella, the author of ‘Women in 18th Century Malta’.
The book, illustrated with paintings from public and private collections in Malta, Paris and St Petersburg, will be on sale at the Malta Book Festival at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, later this month. The author will sign copies of her latest work.