Chances are you’ve grown up watching all the classic Disney princess movies. Who didn’t want to be as brave as Mulan, as curious as Ariel, or as kind as Snow White? Those Disney royals were major #goals!
But did you know that a lot of the iconic characters we love were actually inspired by ancient folklore tales and legends from all around the world? Mind-blowing, right?
See, way before Disney put their magical spin on these stories, they were being passed down from generation to generation in cultures everywhere. Crazy to think Cinderella’s roots can be traced all the way back to a Greek folklore tale from the 1st century BC!
In this blog, we’re diving deep into the fascinating folkloric inspirations that gave life to 13 of your favorite Disney leading ladies.
Snow White
Inspired by an old German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm. The story of a beautiful princess with skin as white as snow is very very old. It first came from German folklore stories that were passed down for many years.
The Brothers Grimm heard the tale and wrote it down in 1812. In their version, the Evil Queen actually wanted to eat Snow White’s lungs and liver – yuck! Disney made the story not so violent, but kept important parts like the poisoned apple and seven dwarves.
Cinderella
Based on an ancient Greek folktale about an Egyptian girl named Rhodopis. A long time ago in ancient Greece, there was a popular story about a mistreated girl named Rhodopis who lived in Egypt.
In the tale, she receives help from an angel to go to a festival where she loses her fancy shoe on the palace steps. The prince finds her shoe and they get married. This is one of the oldest Cinderella stories that inspired the Disney movie we all know and love.
Sleeping Beauty
Comes from an Italian folk story called “Sun, Moon, and Talia.” In 1634, a man in Italy wrote down a very mature and inappropriate folk story called “Sun, Moon, and Talia.” In it, a king becomes obsessed with a sleeping princess named Talia and does inappropriate things to her while she sleeps!
Talia ends up having twin babies who break her sleeping curse. Disney took that basic idea but made it much more family-friendly with Princess Aurora’s tale.
The Little Mermaid
Ariel’s story was first told in a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. In 1837, the famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen wrote the original story about a mermaid who falls in love with a human prince.
But Andersen’s version had a super sad ending where the mermaid turns into sea foam after the prince marries someone else! Disney rewrote the ending so Ariel could live happily ever after and marry Prince Eric.
Beauty and the Beast
One of the oldest tales dating back thousands of years. The story of Beauty and the Beast is incredibly ancient! The basic idea of a beautiful woman falling for a beast or monster dates all the way back to Roman times over 2,000 years ago.
It became really popular in 18th century France through a writer named Gabrielle-Suzanne Villeneuve. Disney took inspiration from her and the classic myth of Cupid and Psyche for their 1991 movie.
Aladdin
Story originated from Middle Eastern Arabian folktales like “The Wonderful Lamp.” Long ago in the Middle East, there were many famous folktales in a famous book called The Book of One Thousand and One Nights.
One story was about a young man who finds a magic lamp with an all-powerful genie inside who grants wishes. Disney used that “wonderful lamp” tale as the basis for Aladdin’s adventures, while adding their own fun characters like Princess Jasmine.
Pocahontas
Loosely inspired by the real-life Native American woman and English folklore. Pocahontas was the name of an actual Native American woman who lived in the 1600s in what is now Virginia. She helped the English colonists who had just arrived.
Many English folklore tales and myths grew about her over time. Disney took that history and created a fictional story showing Pocahontas promoting peace between her people and the English.
Mulan
Roots come from an ancient Chinese poem called “The Ballad of Mulan.” Over 1,400 years ago in 6th century China, there was a famous folk poem called “The Ballad of Mulan.”
It told the story of a brave young woman named Mulan who disguises herself as a man to take her elderly father’s place in the army. She becomes a legendary warrior before revealing she is truly a woman. Disney kept the core story while adding their own magic to Mulan’s tale.
Tiana
The first princess loosely inspired by the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
While not directly adapted from folklore, there are connections between Princess Tiana’s story and the famous book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from 1900.
Like Dorothy ends up in the magical land of Oz, hardworking Tiana finds herself in an enchanted bayou world. Her determined spirit and drive also reflects the values and characters from the 1920s era.
Rapunzel
Comes from the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the same name. You may have heard the story of a young girl named Rapunzel who is locked away in a tower by an evil witch because of her long magical golden hair.
That old tale was first published in 1812 by the famous Grimm brothers. It’s a pretty scary story, but Disney made it more fun by adding the charming thief Flynn Rider as Rapunzel’s love interest.
Merida
Celebrates and draws from ancient Scottish folklore and myths. Though she is an original Disney/Pixar character, Merida’s story is filled with connections to old Scottish legends and Celtic mythology.
Her name comes from an ancient Scottish Gaelic language, and her archery skills represent the brave Scottish princess warriors from folklore. Even her family’s terrible curse turning them into bears comes from superstitious Scottish myths.
Moana
Inspired by the real folklore and oral tradition of Pacific Islanders. To create the film Moana, Disney did a lot of research into the rich folklore and mythology of the native Pacific Islander people.
The filmmakers included many nods to their real oral storytelling tradition about voyaging and navigation. Characters like the demigod Maui and the idea of a magical homeplace were pulled straight from Polynesian mythology.
Frozen’s Anna and Elsa
Loosely based on a famous fairy tale called “The Snow Queen.”
In the 1844 story “The Snow Queen” by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, a girl has to go on an epic journey to save her friend from the icy curse of a powerful Snow Queen villain.
While the plot is very different, the core idea of sisterly love melting a frozen curse inspired the making of the smash hit movie Frozen featuring princesses Anna and Elsa.
After reading about all these incredible folklore inspirations behind our beloved Disney princesses, it’s crazy to see just how far back their stories actually go! We’re talking ancient Roman myths, medieval German fairy tales, and oral traditions stretching back over a thousand years.
Of course, Disney worked their magic by adapting these vintage stories for modern audiences. They made the tales more family-friendly while adding plenty of singing, sorcery, and extra-lovable sidekicks like Mushu or Genie. But at their core, each princess carries on the spirit of timeless tales that have captured imaginations for centuries.
