Is Labyrinth based on a fairy tale?

A friend of mine claimed tonight that, growing up, she had read the fairy tale on which the movie Labyrinth was based. I completely freaked out, demanding to know exactly what the story involved and where she found it and how I could possibly not be aware of it, to which she had no answers. I immediately googled it upon getting home and this is what I've discovered:


According to imdb, and Is Labyrinth Based on a Novel, the story for the movie is completely original. The book she refers to isn't a real book, although I wish it were. The above link has great detailed information on the authors and misconceptions people have about the movie being based on a prior story. Author A.C.H. Smith wrote a novel version of the movie, after the movie came out (and also wrote a novel version of Dark Crystal). I would love for someone to write an interpretation of what the book contained, working in the famous lines ("you have no power over me...")



However, I did discover a children's novel, "The Goblin Baby: Adapted from a Story By Andrew Lang." This seems to be similar in ways-a girl is afraid her brother was stolen by goblins and replaced by a changeling. She goes on a journey to get him back, is at times afraid of being kidnapped herself, but eventually the goblins help her in her search.


This prompted me to try to discover which Lang story this was adapted from, and I really couldn't find anything-not that my various internet searches are fool-proof. I did find an interesting tale, "The Hoodie-Crow," that came up in my searches because it involved stolen babies. It caught my attention because of its similarities to Beauty and the Beast-a hoodie crow asks two sisters to marry it, and they refuse he because he is ugly. He asks the third sister, who agrees, not despite his ugliness, but because she thinks a hoodie is a pretty creature. I like that element, because stories often make it appear that there is a clear scale of ugly to beautiful and every girl (and boy) can be neatly ranked along it, when there is often disagreement among people as to which is the most beautiful celebrity, girl in school, etc., even when we're judging on the most shallow standards. The hoodie's wife goes on to discover that he is human for part of the time, and later has to go on a journey in search of him, much like Beauties in earlier tales.


So, if anyone knows of this Andrew Lang tale that has elements that may be similar to Labyrinth, please let me know. But one more thing I have to share: a fake trailer for "Labyrinth 2: Return of the Goblin King", combining shots from "A Beautiful Mind" with elements of Labyrinth, and a random shot of David Bowie not in Jareth costume. It's quite cleverly done:

The darker side of Faerie

I love a good happy story as much as the next person, with nice fairies who grant wishes and everyone ending happily. But I'm also drawn to the darker side of fairie lore. I've said it before, but most actual fairy lore is surprisingly like what we think of as ghost lore, rather than happy, cute little flower fairies. This site describes the relationship between faerie and elf beliefs with current notions of ghosts and UFOS. Here is a small sample of some of the scarier inhabitants of Faerie. For more, go to the above website or read this book (or any other book on fairy lore).

Redcap is a goblin who dwells in ruins with a dark past. His cap is dyed red with human blood.
The Bean-nighe is a type of banshee found around water. She is seen washing blood-stained clothes-either her own burial shrouds, or your own clothing. These are supposed to be spirits of mothers who died in childbirth, doomed to wash clothing until the day they would otherwise have died.

Meet Leanan-sidhe. Basically your classic vampire. Those who write much about her don't live very long.

Banshees are females who wail when death or other disaster is about to happen.

And, just for fun, from the movie Labyrinth:

Sarah: Ow! It bit me!

Hoggle: What'd you expect fairies to do?

Sarah: I thought they did nice things, like... like granting wishes.

Hoggle: Shows what *you* know, don't it?

Brian and Wendy Froud

Image from here

After flipping through this library book, the pictures of faeries and goblins looked familiar to me, because I recognized the artwork of Brian Froud, who was the conceptual artist for one of my all time favorite movies, Labyrinth (as well as The Dark Crystal, another Jim Henson). This movie isn't exactly for anyone, but if a bizarre 80s fantasy starring David Bowie, a young Jennifer Connelly, and Jim Henson creatures sounds up your alley...you've probably already seen it. (But if not, go watch it now!)

Brian has researched fairy folklore and mythology, especially that around his home county of Devon, England, and according to his website, World of Froud, he believes in fairies and his artwork represents the fairies he's seen. World of Froud is a family affair, as his wife Wendy is also involved with creating fantastic artwork (she was one of the collaborators who created Star Wars' Yoda) and their son, Toby, who was the baby Toby in "Labyrinth," is now also interested in puppet making.

Poor kid. (Fun fact: the baby's name was supposed to be "Freddie" all through the script, but Toby would only respond to his name.)

Image from here

"Dreamweaver Fairy"
"Black Elf Woman"

Above images copyrighted by Brian Froud

The book ("Faeries") itself is a delightful read. The enchanting pictures are accompanied by text--some in regular type, some in handwritten script, which makes it seem more like a scrapbook or diary than a textbook, even though the stories written are actual lore.

I love this excerpt from the Foreward-

"And here we must make one thing very clear. The real faerie experience is very diffrent from the general view of faerie built up by clouds of sentimental fiction with legions of inevitable happily-ever-after endings. The world of "Once Upon a Time-" delightful as it is and highly as we value it, is not the real world of Faerie. Faerie represents Power, magical power, incomprehensible to humans, and hence, inimical. ...Faerie is a world of dark enchantments, of captivating beauty, of enormous ugliness, of callous superficiality, of humour, mischief, joy and inspiration, of terror, laughter, love and tragedy. It is far richer than fiction would generally lead one to believe and, beyond that, it is a world to enter with extreme caution, for of all things that faeries resent the most it is curious humans blundering about their private domains like so many ill-mannered tourists. So go softly-where the rewards are enchanting, the dangers are real."

-Betty Ballantine