3/5 Stars (%61/100)
The tale is also called "The Handless Maiden" or "The Girl with Silver Hands" or "The Armless Maiden.” Like Iron Hans, there are many variations of this tale. It is originally the 31st tale and Aarne-Thompson type 706. The story is about a maiden who loses her hands because of her father’s deal with the Devil. She lives a difficult life but eventually marries a king and gives birth to a child. The Devil intervenes once again and the queen is lost again. The queen’s hands grow back and eventually, the king and her son find her and they live happily ever after. The story is essentially about good being rewarded. If you continue to do good, no matter the hardships, you will surely be rewarded. The girl’s father was an evil man even though he was tricked by the Devil. The girl has physically clean hands but even after cutting them off, the Devil still cannot take her because she has a pure heart. She cannot be touched by evil and eventually her hands grow back which is explained through God’s will. This story was written in the early 19th century and people loved stories with Christian morals and messages. Thus, it is important to live a life without sin with faith in God so that the Devil cannot corrupt you. Compared to “Iron Hans,” there are many adaptations of the story such as films, animations, and even video games.
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