Prince Hat under the Ground facts for kids

Prince Hat under the Ground (Swedish: Prins Hatt under jorden) is an old fairy tale from Scandinavia. It's a Swedish version of a popular story. In Norway, a similar tale is called East of the Sun and West of the Moon.

This story was first written down in Sweden by Gunnar Olof Hyltén-Cavallius and George Stephens. They published it in a book called Svenska folksagor och äfventyr between 1844 and 1849. The tale has even been made into movies and an opera!

It's a type of story known as Aarne-Thompson type 425A. This means it's about a hero searching for their lost husband. The story has parts that are very much like the ancient Greek tale of Cupid and Psyche. These include marrying a mysterious partner, being curious because of family, and even spilling wax.

The Mysterious Prince

The story begins when a father makes a quick promise. Because of this promise, he has to give his daughter to a mysterious character called Prince Hat under the Ground. The princess lives alone in his underground home during the day. But at night, the prince returns. He is always kind and caring towards her.

The princess has made a promise to him: she must never see his face. Three years pass, and she has three children with the prince. She becomes less lonely and happier with her new life.

The Princess's Curiosity

For three years in a row, the princess visits her father's castle. This happens when her father remarries and her two sisters get married. However, her father's new wife makes her wonder about her husband. The stepmother tells her she should see his face. She suggests he might be a troll, a scary creature from folklore.

On her third visit, the stepmother gives her a wax candle. The princess is told to hold it over her sleeping husband to see what he looks like. To her surprise, she sees a very handsome young man! But then, a small drop of hot wax falls onto his chest.

The prince wakes up in shock. He is now blind, and his beautiful underground home turns into a horrible place. It becomes a hollow filled with toads and snakes.

The Princess's Journey

The princess follows her blind prince as he wanders away. She has to leave her children one by one during their journey. When she fails to keep a promise a second time, the prince disappears completely.

After a long search, three old women help her. She finally arrives at a castle where a troll queen is getting ready to marry Prince Hat.

The princess uses gifts to get close to her prince. She manages to share his bed for three nights. But the troll queen has given him a special drink. This drink makes him sleep so deeply that he doesn't notice anything during these nights. It is not until the third night that he manages to stay awake. He sees that his wife has found him! The magical spell is broken, and they live happily ever after.

Other Versions of the Tale

This fairy tale has appeared in different collections over time. In 1895, a book of fairy tales included it with the name Prince Hatt under the Earth; or, The Three Singing Leaves.

Benjamin Thorpe, who collected Scandinavian fairy tales, also translated the story. He called it Prince Hatt under the Earth, or The Three Singing Leaves. He also noted that similar stories exist in nine other tale traditions.

In another collection of Swedish fairy tales, the story was simply translated as Prince Hat Underground.

• Nationalencyklopedin
• Henrikson, Alf. (1998). Stora mytologiska uppslagsboken.