The Blog “Three Little-known Ursula Facts” discusses the Fairy Godmother in terms of its cultural interpretations, possible background, and other fun facts.
In the original Italian version of Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother figure was a cat. In short: an anthropomorphic cat that aids her master in obtaining his or her wishes. A magical cat is pretty cool, but it just doesn’t fit into the story of Cinderella. Thus, this figure was changed to the Fairy Godmother we know now.
The second interesting fact is that there are many different interpretations of who the Fairy Godmother really is (biologically): a fairy, a godmother, or even a godfather. For example, in some versions she is Cinderella’s biological mother who has been transformed into a fairy by the evil step-mother’s wish. In others, she is simply an angel sent down by God to aid Cinderella. This makes you wonder what this figure could have been if it weren’t for Disney…
The last fact I will share with you today is that in some versions of the story there are actually two Fairy Godmothers! They work as a pair to help poor Cinderella get to the ball – one helps her prepare for the ball and chooses her dress while another provides her with
The Little Mermaid is a popular fairy tale with many interpretations in different cultures.
We are all familiar with the basic storyline of this fairy tale; a mermaid, Ariel, sacrifices her voice to be human and win the love of a human prince whom she has never spoken to. And, as we all know, in the end, she marries him and lives happily ever after as a human.
However, what many people do not know about this fairy tale is that Ursula, who is the antagonist in the story and gives Ariel her legs for three days to find her prince, receives a very different fate. In fact, Ursula becomes the queen at the end of the movie! We will examine how Ursula’s character is developed throughout the story and see how it affects our perception of fairytales.
We will also discuss some little-known Ursula facts that may change your perception of this character.
In an effort to get you excited for Halloween, I did a little research on fairy tale characters. After all, who doesn’t love a good fairy tale? I’m going to share with you three little-known facts about the most notorious villain in all of fairy tales- Ursula!
1. In the film, Ursula’s design was inspired by drag queen Divine. Additionally, she is voiced by Pat Carroll who is also a drag queen!
2. Ursula has two nieces in the film, Flotsam and Jetsam, who are eels that resemble a fish skeleton and a sea serpent respectively. In the original story, The Little Mermaid, she does not have any helpers or family members other than her father Triton.
3. In the Disney version of The Little Mermaid, Ursula has eight tentacles. However, in the original story she only has two snake-like legs with which she walks on land!
1. Ursula is a sea witch and therefore has the ability to control sea life, including that of Triton’s daughter Ariel. She uses this ability to turn all of Triton’s subjects against him, making him realize that he needs Ariel back.
2. When Ursula first appears in the movie, she is hidden underneath a large seashell structure that resembles a mermaid’s tail. This outfit is an obvious symbol of her using the power of the sea (in this case, the power of mermaids) to her advantage.
3. In The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, Ursula has a sister named Morgana who also uses her power of sea creatures to get what she wants.
In conclusion, Ursula the sea witch is one of the most famous Disney villains, due to her clever schemes and ability to trick Ariel out of her voice. I hope you enjoyed these facts! Keep an eye out for my next blog where I will be discussing new evidence that shows Rapunzel, who was captured by a witch as a young child and locked in a tower for 18 years, actually had Stockholm Syndrome.
Works Cited
“Ursula the Sea Witch.” Disney Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2017.
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