The Grateful Dead: The History of a Folk StoryGerould, Gordon Hall
General
The Grateful Dead: The History of a Folk Story
Gerould, Gordon Hall
Dead -- Folklore; Folk literature -- Themes, motives; Grateful dead (Tale)
Jean de Calais VI., though from Brittany instead of southern France,
does not differ greatly from the above, nor from I. Jean buries the
dead man and ransoms two women on a single voyage, as in I. He is
kindly received at home in spite of his extravagance, in which the
variant differs from III., IV., and V., and he marries one of the
maidens there. On his next voyage the King of Portugal (as in I. and
III.) recognizes his daughter's portrait and that of her maid, which
the hero has displayed on his ship. He brings his wife to the court,
after which they go back, together with a former suitor, for their
possessions. On the voyage Jean is thrown overboard, but is washed up
on an island, whither the ghost comes, announces himself immediately,
and bargains rescue for half of the hero's child. Jean is transported
to court miraculously, and there meets with the customary adventures
at the close of the tale.
The variant is chiefly peculiar, it will be remarked, in placing the
treachery of the former suitor after the marriage has been recognized
by the king, and in making the ghost announce himself at once. Jean
makes no blind bargain, a fact which detracts somewhat from the
interest.
Jean de Calais II. and VII. differ from the other forms of the story in
several ways. In the former [138] Jean is the son of a rich merchant,
and has wasted much money. He is sent out to seek his fortune on land
with seven thousand pistoles, but he pays his all for the debts and
burial of a poor man. On his return, he is commended by his father,
but again falls into evil ways. Once more he is sent forth with
seven thousand pistoles, and passes the cemetery where he buried
the debtor. As he does so, a great white bird speaks from the cross,
saying that it is the soul of the dead man and will not forget. Jean
buys the two daughters of the King of Portugal from a pirate and
takes them home, where, with his complaisant father's approval, he
marries the elder. Later he journeys to Lisbon with the portraits
of the sisters, which are recognized by the king. [139] He is sent
back for his wife, but is pushed overboard by a traitor, being driven
on a rock in the sea, where he is fed by the white bird. Meanwhile,
the traitor goes to Calais and remains there seven years as a suitor
for the princess's hand. He is about to be rewarded, when Jean,
after promising half of what he loves best to the white bird, is
miraculously transported to Calais, whither the King of Portugal comes
at the same time. The white bird bears witness to the hero's identity,
and demands half of his child. When Jean is about to divide the boy,
however, it stops him and flies away.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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