Katie Woodencloak - Commentary

Commentary

Although this is of the type of Cinderella in that she is persecuted by her stepmother, most of that type do not include her being driven off, a motif more usually found in type 510B, such as Catskin and Cap O' Rushes, where the heroine is persecuted by her father.

One may also note that, according to Norwegian custom, the couple meet at Church, not at a royal ball. In Norway, the church plays a prominent role in many fairy-tales, as this was a common place for meetings.

In Norway, other versions of the story bear greater resemblance to the classical Cinderella story. In these versions, it is the girl's dead mother that aids her. These versions are written down in Valdres and Telemark, and the girl is called Kirsti or Åse (the latter wearing a dirty leather dress).