| The Wicked Queen | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Brangomar / Alice |
|
First Appearance |
Unknown |
|
Original Publisher |
German Folklore |
|
Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
The wicked, second wife of the King, father of Snow White.
When the king died, the Queen assumed power over the kingdom, but the people loved the king's beautiful young daughter, Snow White, far more than the queen. Jealous, the Queen demanded that Snow White wear ragged clothes to prevent her from becoming vain, and demanded that she engage in manual labor to prevent her from becoming lazy. She also forced the princess to sleep in a closet. At last, the Queen ordered a Huntsman to take Snow White into the woods and kill her, bringing back her lungs and liver as proof. If he failed, the Queen would kill his family. However, Snow White convinced the Huntsman to let her go, and Snow White found refuge with seven dwarves. The huntsman brought the Queen the lungs and liver of a boar, which she ate, believing them to be Snow White's. The Queen later learned that Snow White was still alive when she asked her magic mirror, "who is the fairest of them all?" She then decided to take matters into her own hands and approached Snow White, in disguise, while the dwarves were away. She came to Snow White three times, each time bearing a different disguise and a different gift designed to kill the princess, including a constricting bodice, a poison comb, and, finally, a poison apple. The first two items failed, but Snow White took the apple and bit into it. The princess appeared to be doomed and was placed in a glass coffin, but was soon revived by true love's kiss. Snow White returned to the Queen's castle with her prince and they took back the throne, forcing the Queen to dance in hot iron shoes at their wedding.
The Queen is usually described as remaining unnaturally young and beautiful over the years, leading many to believe she is a witch. She is extremely attractive, second only to Snow White herself.
Public Domain Movie Appearances[]
- Snow White (1916)
- The Grimm Brother's Snow White (1916)
Notes[]
- A variation of the character appears in the tale of Sleeping Beauty as well.
- Bragomar is a name derived from the 1912 Broadway play, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and the 1916 film, Snow White. In the play, Queen Brangomar is only an apprentice to a witch named Hex. It is Hex who gives her the magic mirror and brings the poisoned apple to Snow White. In this version, the huntsman is asked to bring back Snow White's heart.
- In another 1916 movie version, the Queen is named Alice.