The Sleep of Ondine (Fairy tale)

Author: Traditional; Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué

Time Period: 1701 CE–1850 CE

Country or Culture: Germany; Western Europe

Genre: Fairy Tale

Overview

The titular character of the fairy tale the Sleep of Ondine derives her name from German mythological figures called ondines (or undines), otherwise known as elemental water nymphs or spirits. These water nymphs were perceived as magical figures that could usually be found in ponds or waterfalls. The beautiful creatures were thought to have enchanting voices and skin the color of the sea. Capable of breathing under water and on land, the nymphs were known to join townspeople at dances and festivals and were thought to be harmless as long as they were left alone. Ondines were immortal creatures that were born without souls, but according to legend, if they married a human man and had his child, they could acquire a human soul, but also the human fate of death.

Ondine’s sacrifice of her immortality for this man, who had now betrayed her, demanded retribution. Still retaining enough magic to achieve her vengeance, Ondine kicked her husband awake, pointed her finger at him, and uttered her curse: “You swore faithfulness to me with every waking breath, and I accepted your oath. So be it. As long as you are awake, you shall have your breath, but should you ever fall asleep, then that breath will be taken from you, and you will die!”

“Ondine’s Curse”

In the popular fairy tale based on the water-nymph figures, the drama centers on Ondine’s marriage with a handsome knight, an act that enables her to acquire a soul. Unlike most fairy-tale love stories, the Sleep of Ondine forgoes a happily-ever-after ending for a less assuring conclusion: “And so it was” (Coren 142). Indeed, Ondine’s sacrifice of her immortality is tragically betrayed by her husband’s lack of fidelity, resulting in Ondine’s curse on her husband, which effectively seals both of their unfortunate fates. At the time that Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué wrote his well-known novella Undine (1811) about the tale, the moralizing impulses of contemporary audiences were fond of reading the fairy tale as Christian allegory for the taming of the erratic female sprite through marriage.

The curse that Ondine casts on her adulterous husband has also found use as a medical term called “Ondine’s curse,” which is a rare respiratory disorder, also referred to as congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) or primary alveolar hypoventilation, during which the involuntary control of breathing is lost, and as a result, breathing can only be performed consciously. Untreated, patients that suffer from CCHS can die if they fall asleep, as they will lose their conscious ability to breathe (much like Ondine’s husband in the fairy tale). Many are inclined to read the fairy tale as an etiological explanation for the dangerous health condition.

The tale of Ondine has served as inspiration for a number of artistic interpretations in painting, sculpture, music, film, literature, dance, and even video games. In the popular game Final Fantasy, a character named Undine is described as being an elemental water enemy. Much like in the original German folklore, in the game, the Undine characters remain docile and are dangerous only when they are provoked or sense the use of magic near them.

Summary

In the traditional tale, Ondine, like her sisters, is a beautiful water nymph who is strong willed and independent. Water nymphs, including Ondine, knew to stay away from human men because they would lose their immortality and eventually die if they were to bear a human’s child. Nonetheless, when Ondine lays eyes on a young knight named Sir Lawrence, she is enthralled. When Sir Lawrence sees Ondine, her beauty captivates him, and he cannot keep from coming back to the pond where he first saw her. Each time Sir Lawrence returns Ondine grows more interested in him, and eventually, they speak to each other and fall in love. Soon after, the couple marries and exchanges vows. The knight promises Ondine that he will love her with every waking breath. Ondine promises that as long as their love is true, her magic will protect him.

A year later, Ondine gives birth to the knight’s son, and as happens to water nymphs that bear the children of mortal men, Ondine begins to grow old. Ondine’s age is reflected in her physical features, and as her body ages, Sir Lawrence’s love for her wanes; he becomes interested in younger and prettier women. One day the sound of Sir Lawrence’s snoring leads Ondine to find him in bed with another woman in his arms. After sacrificing her immortality to him, Ondine feels deeply betrayed, and she curses him. Because Sir Lawrence had promised Ondine that he would love her with every waking breath, Ondine curses him so that if he ever falls asleep, his breath will be taken from him and he will die.

In a different version of the tale told by Fouqué in 1811, Undine is a water nymph who is adopted by an old fisherman and his wife who have lost their daughter. The story takes place in medieval times in a vague region near the Danube River. One day, Undine meets the knight Huldbrand, who regularly comes to the fisherman’s cottage. Undine and Huldbrand fall in love and are soon married. After they are married, Undine tells Huldbrand that she is not human, but by marrying him, she has gained a soul. Huldbrand losses interest in Undine and falls in love with a woman named Bertalda, who turns out to be the long-lost daughter of the fisherman and his wife. Betrayed, Undine returns to the waters. When Huldbrand and Bertalda marry, Undine returns and kills Huldbrand with a kiss and a crushing embrace.

Ondine’s sacrifice of her immortality for this man, who had now betrayed her, demanded retribution. Still retaining enough magic to achieve her vengeance, Ondine kicked her husband awake, pointed her finger at him, and uttered her curse: “You swore faithfulness to me with every waking breath, and I accepted your oath. So be it. As long as you are awake, you shall have your breath, but should you ever fall asleep, then that breath will be taken from you, and you will die!”

“Ondine’s Curse”

Bibliography

Coren, Stanley. “Ondine’s Curse.” Sleep Thieves. New York: Free, 1996. 141–42. Print.

Fouqué, Friedrich de la Motte. Undine. 1811. Trans. Paul Turner. London: Calder, 1960. Print.

Lillyman, William J. “Fouqué’s ‘Undine.’” Studies in Romanticism 10.2 (1971): 94–104. Print.

Littledale, Freya, adapt. The Little Mermaid. By Hans Christian Andersen. Illus. Daniel San Souci. New York: Scholastic, 1986. Print.

Ratisseau, Elizabeth. Mermaids. Seattle: Blue Lantern, 1998. Print.

Silver, Carole G. Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and Victorian Consciousness. New York: Oxford UP, 1999. Print.