Norwegian fairy tales: Old Tales from the North
The Castle East of the Sun and West of the Moon
The castle east of the sun and west of the moon is the distant destination named by the prince after the candle breaks the condition of his enchantment. He says his stepmother lives there and that he must marry a long-nosed princess. The girl cannot reach it by an ordinary route: three old women and a succession of winds help her, until the North Wind carries her across the sea. He leaves her on the shore below the castle windows. Inside, the prince is kept asleep while she tries to speak to him, and other people have been carried off and confined there. After the reunion and the washing of the shirt, the captives are freed and the couple leave the castle with its silver and gold.
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In the sources
The named destination
LiteraryThe prince places his stepmother and intended bride in this distant castle, which he says the girl will not find her way to.
Arrival from the sea
LiteraryThe exhausted North Wind brings the girl to the shore below its windows and must rest before returning home.
A place of captivity
LiteraryThe ending describes the release of people shut up in the castle and the couple’s departure with its wealth.
Context & interpretation
This entry follows the title tale in the undated George H. Doran edition illustrated by Kay Nielsen. Its references identify the actual printed prose and exact Reader pages.
Original passages
Source 1
East of the Sun and West of the Moon
East of the Sun and West of the MoonOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: East of the Sun and West of the Moon, printed p. 16
Actual checksum-verified public Reader prose image inspected. Printed pagination read from the text page, not inferred from illustration-list or plate-caption references. Short quotation transcribed with spacing normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0253-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0253-E001-P0018
- Original scan leaf
- 28
- Recorded leaf number
- 28
- Current Reader position
- 19
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 2
East of the Sun and West of the Moon
under the windows of the castleOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: East of the Sun and West of the Moon, printed p. 23
Actual checksum-verified public Reader prose image inspected. Printed pagination read from the text page, not inferred from illustration-list or plate-caption references. Short quotation transcribed with spacing normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0253-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0253-E001-P0027
- Original scan leaf
- 37
- Recorded leaf number
- 37
- Current Reader position
- 28
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 3
East of the Sun and West of the Moon
they set free all the poor Christian folkOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: East of the Sun and West of the Moon, printed p. 27
Actual checksum-verified public Reader prose image inspected. Printed pagination read from the text page, not inferred from illustration-list or plate-caption references. Short quotation transcribed with spacing normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0253-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0253-E001-P0033
- Original scan leaf
- 43
- Recorded leaf number
- 43
- Current Reader position
- 34
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Illustrations
Continue exploring
The White Bear’s Castle
The splendid dwelling entered through a steep hill, which vanishes when the girl loses the enchanted prince.
Shared source pageThe Four Winds in the White Bear Tale
The East, West, South and North Winds who carry the girl towards the castle beyond ordinary reach.
Shared source pageThe Long-Nosed Princess
The prince’s intended troll bride, who bargains for the golden gifts and fails the test of the stained shirt.
Shared source pageThe Three Golden Gifts
The apple, carding-comb and spinning-wheel that the girl trades for three nights of access to the prince.