s Slimy Skin
Main Themes in the Tales and Their Interpretation

Male Protagonist
Female Protagonist
Parental Trials
Discovery of Frog Maiden
Frog Maiden's Trials

It would seem that there are two main subtypes in the frog princess genre of tales; tales in which the frog is a princess in disguise, and elevates the peasant son to greatness, and tales in which the frog-maiden wins the heart of a prince, and thus elevates herself to greatness. Even this simple division is called into question, though, because there are also tales in which the peasant-son and the frog-maiden are both elevated through the gift of an outside force, such as fairies or witches. Perhaps a better classification would be to notice whether the tale is centered around the peasant-son (male protagonist) or the frog-maiden (female protagonist) and who possesses the virtues that eventually redeem them both.

Male Protagonist

This is the most widely popular subcategory of the frog princess tales; it is the format of the Slavic variant, and it more closely echoes the well-know “Frog Prince” tales. In this, the discovery of the amphibian female brings about the reward for the struggling third son.
From Mister Bettelheim’s rosy interpretation of the world (abbreviated herein as BI for Bettelheim Interpretation), this would cause the story to be identified with a male coming-of-age (that is, puberty) tale. One must sympathize with the young boy as he comes to grips with a the strange species of the female sex; girls go from horrid cootie-infested swamp creatures to beautiful maidens one wishes to bed -- but only have one has proven oneself.

Female Protagonist

This is the secondary version of the tales, which is somewhat of a crossover with the Cinderella (A-T 401) tale type. And yes, the BI is also of puberty, but of female puberty -- for as wretched as it would seem to compare a young girl to a frog, these feelings are quite plausible; rare is the girl who withstands puberty without feeling downright icky and awkward most of the time. Indeed, it’s a wonder (though Zipes would have gripes) that the female-frog tales are not more widely exploited, with today’s interest in the concerns of young girls. Especially considering the onset of menstruation, many girls might be able to identify with a excreting, slimy, bloated toad, hiding away in a pond or a swamp.

Parental Trials

These tales all contain numerous parental trials. The first thing to be mentioned is the representation of change and shifting fates (in some of the male protagonist tales), as symbolized by the following of a random factor -- the three arrows, or feathers, or other item cast into the winds by the sons. Then there are three more trials for either the son (or his bride, as extension of himself) to undertake; these represent the outward social manifestations of the stresses of puberty. In some cases they are tasks set to the sons directly (to fetch objects, earn money), which symbolize the male protagonist physically reaching manhood, and being able to strike out upon his own as an adult male. More often, though, they are tasks set to the frog maiden-bride of the son, to bake the most delicious bread, raise the best animal, sew the finest garment, etc. These domestic task at first seem impossible of the maiden in her frog form (which symbolizes the “gross” immature female), yet she rises to the occasion, by becoming a beautiful mature female, and performs her social duties. By possessing/controlling such a virtuous female, the male protagonist is surely a fit and mature man. (And sensible, for trusting his wife, but sadly encouraged to expect her to solve all of life’s woes.)

An interesting note is the occasion of the bones and wine, in which the frog-turned-maiden flings bones and wine from her sleeves to create a picturesque lake with swans swimming in it -- this could represent the ordeal of childbirth, in which what at first seems disgusting (menses, blood, birth, screaming babies) is transformed, by the virtues of this paragon of women, to a wonderful gift (a beautiful baby). The horrible sisters-in-law, being wretched and paired with the immature brothers, cannot produce such gorgeous fruit of the loins as the frog bride with her third son.

Discovery of the Frog Maiden

Note that in all of these tales, male and female protagonist alike, the male discovers the froggy female, unlike the “frog prince” tales, in which the slimy male presents himself to the princess. This reinforces the cultural notion that the male must seek out the female, but it also could be interpreted that, no matter how mature and competent the pubescent female is, she must wait for the boy to hit puberty and mature -- to discover the virtues of women -- before any sort of relationship is possible.

Frog Maiden’s Trials

Most importantly to the story in male protagonist tales, the son must submit to a series of trials on behalf of his froggy bride. These are represented in several ways: either the frog directly puts him to tasks (and he correctly carries out these tasks, by obeying his orders or picking the humble items), or he must deal with the repercussions from not obeying his wife (when he burns the skin and must fetch her from Koschei, or he reveals his wife and the wicked King attempts to take her).

These are the most complex and final stage of his maturation; having proven himself to society, his peers and his family, he must now prove himself to his wife. The direct tasks are rather obvious in interpretation; in some, he carries out his frog’s strange instructions (that, is, he learns how to deal with the unfamiliar ways of females), but by doing so, leads a life much richer and more free than his life under his father. In other tales, he choose the appropriate (the most humble) items; these quite simply prove him to be thoughtful and not proud and arrogant.

In the “loss” trials, he must redeem his wife by more quest-like actions. When he undertakes actions for the envious king, he is proving (symbolically) that he loves his wife more than society; he often accomplishes these hardships under his wife’s help and guidance, and often with the aid of her family, thus further integrating himself into her life. In the Slavic variant, which is I feel the more interesting one, he much first go to Baba Yaga and beg help -- which could symbolize a peace with the crone-like aspects of his wife, wise but not always pretty, or it could symbolize an integration with her family, especially in the three-grandmothers variant. He must then confront Koschei the Deathless, who stands for the sheer baser nature (the Id) of himself, and perhaps also his wife. Also in the Slavic variants are three trials in which he spares animals despite his hunger, who later help him win his wife; these could symbolize his further mental maturity and compassion, which will help him to lead a happy and secure life with his bride.

In most of the female protagonist tales, and in a few of the male protagonist tales, there is also the redemption of the bride by an outside power -- three fairies, three witchies, or another “mature woman” representation. The interpretation of this could be taken that the mature female figures represent the female’s own inner maturity, and she either realizes her own power or appreciates the devotion of the male, and thus “blesses” the relationship by transforming her juvenile self (the frog) into her adult womanly form.

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